Edmonton Henna Tattoos

In 2013, Lindsay Redman was enjoying mastering the craft of henna tattoos. She would do elaborate designs for her friends and family and quickly realized she could turn this into its own business. “I didn’t really see any [similar] company that was that visible,” says Lindsay. “There are lots [of people] doing it out of their home and through word of mouth. So, I thought: wouldn’t it be nice if I could help offer henna that people can rely on; a dependable service that can appeal to anybody.” She founded Edmonton Henna Tattoo that same year.

The art of henna dates back thousands of years, but there has been a recent boom in popularity in Edmonton. “That’s the beautiful thing about Edmonton,” says Lindsay. “We are so multicultural; we have so many groups of people here. It’s Edmontonians that have made this popular because of how varied the population is.” For the uninitiated, henna is a kind of temporary tattoo originating in India. Henna dye is created by making a paste from dried henna leaves, and is traditionally applied in ornate patterns to hands and feet before weddings or special occasions. Henna tattoos last anywhere from one to three weeks.

Edmonton Henna Tattoo does private parties but they also go out to community events and provide classes for those looking to try it out for themselves. They even have classes similar to Paint Nite events, where they will apply henna designs on canvases, shirts or purses. “Henna is a community thing,” Lindsay says. “It’s not something you do on your own. There’s a culture of sharing among the artists. They’re very open, it’s not competitive. We let our art speak for itself.”