Does the henna painting hurt?
Not at all. The cooling henna paste is applied on the surface of the skin and so the sensation is only pleasant.

How long does the color stay?
That depends very much on the location on the body and on the aftercare. The rule of thumb is that the thicker the skin is , the darker and the longer the color stays. The other rule is – the better you treat your skin – less washing, chlorine, soaps, detergents… the longer it is visible. Usually it stays about 2 weeks. On skin as thin as on belly or arms much shorter / or needs reapplying/.

What is the difference between mehndi and the black henna offered on the streets?
The black henna has almost nothing in common with the tradition of mehndi. First, the main ingredient is no longer the natural henna but an chemical stuff – mostly synthetic black hair dye containing para-phenylendiamine, which can be very dangerous if you happen to be sensitive to it. The other thing is that it is mostly used to copy an western tattoo motives as an alternative to permanent tattoos in Anglo-American style – and that is very far from the tradition of mehndi.