Want a tattoo but afraid you won’t like it in six months? Then try henna instead. It’s been around for thousands of years and offers wearers the chance to sport a new design every few weeks. HILARIE STELFOX meets Huddersfield henna artist Sameena Khan to find out more about the traditional body art.

IT TAKES Sameena Khan just a few minutes to paint an intricate design on her sister Maadiyah’s hand.

She works with a homemade ‘cone’ containing a blend of henna and essential oils that she mixes to her own ‘recipe.’ The result is stunning and will last for at least two weeks.

Henna art is one of the world’s most ancient forms of body decoration and is still widely practised in many parts of the world.

It’s becoming increasingly popular on these shores and not just among members of the Asian population who brought it here.

Sameena, 26, of Thornton Lodge, has been henna painting since she was 16 and says her skills are much in demand.

"I get asked to do weddings and parties,’’ she said. "People just love it – children especially. I used to love having my hands painted when I was a child. I used to beg my mum to do it."

Sameena, who studied art up to GCSE at Moor End High School, says her Kashmir-born mum’s designs were simple.

"Just a big blob on the palm of your hand and little blobs on the finger ends,’’ she said. "It was the most popular design in my family and quite traditional.’’