Re: Why is it that henna not prescribed for men?
Posted by Kenzi on May 11, 2000 at 20:58:38:
In Reply to: Re: Why is it that henna not prescribed for men? posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on May 11, 2000 at 16:46:09:
I was going to ask Babaganooj what his experiences were so we could
understand one person's perspective.
I know that my husband, a Moroccan, has a strange aversion to henna.
He doesn't mind if I do it or wear it and loves to admire the
designs, but he can't bear the smell and won't let a single drop of
it touch his skin. I assume this is because he doesn't want his
Moroccan friends to tease him. He's only been here in the US for 2
years so maybe this is something that will change with time.
Most men that I talk with in Morocco share this aversion to henna and
have the same reaction to the smell. I think Catherine is onto
something with the idea that they associate the smell with a painful
memory. Boys in Morocco are sometimes circumcised relatively late in
life (between the ages of 2 and 6 years old) so their memories are
sharper. The last time I was in Morocco getting henna done, my
brother-in-law hung out with me during it; he did the usual turning
up of the nose at the smell of henna, but sat fascinated watching the
henna artist at work. He was impressed with her skill and amazed at
the designs.
