You can think of the “Dear Heather” column as a lot like “Dear Abby”, but specifically about etiquette, procedures, and practices for henna clients and henna artists. Heather takes actual letters (emails, Instagram DMs, contact form submissions, Facebook comments, etc) that she receives from mehndi lovers – or fictionalized summaries of one or more such letters – and answers the burning questions about henna and mehndi that are on people’s minds.
As a henna artist who has been working in this medium since the last millenium, as well as a certified public educator, Henna Gathering conference and community founder and longtime organizer, and writer with a (quite obvious) penchant for verbosely yet kindly explaining things she is passionate about, the Dear Heather column was a very organic development that she is happy to share with readers. In the early years of the internet, when forums like The Henna Page and Henna Tribe dominated the scene, she was a frequent and passionate participant in the vast majority of conversations that mattered most as henna was gaining rapidly increasing cross-cultural popularity in the United States and around the world. Back then, it was common for many perspectives to be shared on a single topic, with conversations that were rich in critical thinking and deep dialogue.
While those days have now long since passed, Heather remembers those days, and always strives to consider as many other henna artists’ voices and perspectives as possible when coming to her own conclusions.
In the current age of easy answers being just a quick query or prompt away, Heather hopes to elucidate some of the more nuanced social, scientific, artistic and historical questions about henna for the humans who care to take the time to investigate further and delve more deeply.
Dear Heather: What should I tip my henna artist? People often ask me what they should tip their henna artist, and it usually feels a bit awkward to answer that question, as they are often basically asking me what I would like to be tipped… So I figure I will write up some guidelines here […]
Henna artist tipping guidelines Read More »
Dear Heather, I’ve seen lots of images of white henna on the interwebs lately, especially on Instagram, Pinterest, and the like. It’s so pretty. Can you hook me up? Sincerely, Trendy Henna Lover If you just came to find a source of white henna – skip on ahead. Dear Trendy, Thanks for coming to me
Dear Heather: Can I get some white henna, please? Read More »
Dear Heather, Do you have any recommendations for keeping henna on overnight? I’ve been getting conflicting information about aftercare for my bridal mehndi from my friends, family, and the interwebs. What do *you* think I should do? Gratefully,Excited For My Wedding Henna Dear Excited, Thanks for checking in! I’m so glad to hear you’re interested
Keeping Henna On Overnight: Tape, Plastic Wrap, or ? Read More »
Dear Heather, I’ve got a confession. I’ve been running a henna business for a while now, but I still don’t have insurance for my business. Am I terrible? Should I get it? This one event says I have to have it or else I can’t participate… I realize that it is the legit thing to
Dear Heather – Do I Need Insurance to Do Henna? Read More »
Dear Heather, I’m having trouble getting my henna batch to stain like I’d like. I’m a professional artist, and have been doing this a while – I know how to mix a good batch of henna. I’m also quite confident that I’ve got excellent henna supplies – I bought them from a reputable supplier, and
Troubleshooting Your Henna Batch – Not Getting Good Henna Stain Color? Read More »
Dear Heather, I see that some henna recipes out there have sugar in them. But your recipe and the one at ArtisticAdornment.com, and so many others don’t have it. What’s up with that? Why would I want to add sugar to my mix? Do I need it? How much and what sugar should I add
Dear Heather: Adding Sugar To Henna Paste – Should I? Read More »
Dear Heather, I’ve been doing henna for a long time now, just for myself, family, and friends. Lately, other people have been asking me to do henna for them, too, and some have been asking how much I charge. But the thing is, I don’t charge anything, so I have no idea what to tell
Setting a Rate for your Henna Services Read More »
Dear Heather, I’ve been asked to do henna for a wedding with 100 guests! I’m very excited, but don’t know how to best charge the client for my services. Would you suggest a flat rate, or charging guests per design? The client doesn’t have much of a budget, and I want to find a way
Dear Heather: What is a reasonable rate to charge for henna for 100 guests? Read More »
