Rawalpindi: In the last ten days of Ramazan, markets are flooded with makeshift stalls that sell bangles and ‘mehndi’ (hinna) cones.
Women love to apply the ‘mehndi’ cones on their hands before Eid ul Fitr to complete the festivity of the occasion Saira a student while shopping a ‘mehndi’ cone from the stall said that she doesn’t remember the names of the cones that she purchased last year. "The names are so insignificant and new names keep flooding the market. I can see the cones wrapped in different shiny glazed covering all look alike but with different names. The only difference I noticed was that the quantity of the cone has reduced in size but the price was the same. The price starts from Rs50 to Rs200 depending on the size and quality of the cone," she said. Just to get the darker shade of ‘mehndi’ on one's hand, there are so many chemical substandard henna cones that flood the market that they can have severe repercussions on the health and there can be some serious skin issues after using them.
These ‘mehndi’ cones are also called emergency or instant cones that give red or black colour instead of regular brown colour. As soon as girls buy Eid dress with matching shoes, the next in line to buy are bangles and cones. Eid festivities are not complete if the hands are not adorned with intricate designs of henna. Shahida Akram a housewife while talking to this scribe said that her daughter had the worst experience of henna application last year where she had to rush to hospital on ‘chaand raat’ as her hands burnt right after application of ‘mehndi’.
The doctors treated her for burn and did the dressing and her Eid day was spoilt. From that day onwards, her daughter was so scared of the cones that she never agrees for applying ‘mehndi’ on Eid or weddings. Sana Khan a newlywed bride while talking to ‘The News’ said that she's very fond of ‘mehndi’ and she likes to apply ‘mehndi’ on every other occasion. She makes sure that she buys ‘mehndi’ cones from a trustworthy shop or go to renowned salon to apply ‘mehndi’.
At least salons take guarantee of what they are applying on their customers hand. Though she doesn't know which ingredients or chemicals are being used but she never had any bad experience ever. When asked from a vendor Saqib, who had set up a stall on Bank Road, Saddar who was selling cones and bangles, he said that no doubt the demand in high in the last ten days but they make sure that they buy good quality ‘mehndi’ cones. They never had any complaint regarding cones. It's a personal choice and demand of customers, and we can't be blamed for any mishap. Fatima said that few years back she had the worst experience of boils after applying ‘mehndi’ cone. The boil or the blister had a permanent mark on her hands and she still remembers she was administered injections after that incident. The skin specialists always demand that the cones should be tested in the laboratory for harmful chemicals in the cones but there is no check and balance here. They also suggest that girls with highly sensitive skin should conduct a patch test by applying little quantity on their hand first. If everything goes fine, only then they can apply on their hands.
The skin can experience severe itching, burning, swelling, blisters if the chemicals are strong in the cone. If any of the symptoms happen, then one should seek medical help at once. Herbalists suggest that we should buy regular ‘mehndi’ cones with no chemicals at all. They are also of the opinion that one can buy original henna powders and can use natural products to darken the ‘mehndi’.