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Henna or Mehndi is a quintessential part of the Indian, Middle-East, and South-East Asian culture. It is a part of bridal ceremonies and considered very much auspicious. Putting henna originally started off as a way to cool the skin but now it is worn for beautification. Yet the beauty regime has not reached all parts of the world is still identified to be specific with the aforementioned territories.

At 21, Pavan Dhanjal entered the Guinness Book of Records for being the fastest Henna artist. Upon achieving the world record, she approached Eastenders, a British soap opera on BBC One, about doing henna for the Asian family that appeared on-screen. That was a great success and led her to work with various celebrities including Alicia Dixon, Ellie Goulding, and Perrie Edwards. Since then she has been on a mission to make Henna a mainstream beauty regime across the world.

Pavan Dhanjal henna
Pavan Dhanjal

Pavan is a resident of London and has Indian parents. Her parents shifted to the UK back in the ’70s and started their own business. Pavan’s mom, Mrs. Alhuwalia started a beauty salon and that’s where Pavan got introduced to Henna.

My mother used to do bridal makeup and Henna and we used to meet a lot of clients in the salon. That’s how I learned about Henna in the first place,” shared Pavan with LifeBeyondNumbers.

It was at the age of 15 that Pavan started doing Henna designs. Her popularity increased day by day and the world record and celebrity endorsements boosted things further. She then started her own startup named Pavan Henna Bar.

As a British-Indian girl, her goal from the beginning has been to make henna accessible to everybody regardless of their culture or race.

In the same way you get your nails or eyebrows done, I want the henna to be another step in your beauty routine,” says Dhanjal.

 

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A post shared by Pavan Henna BEM (@pavanhenna)

But things haven’t been all rosy for Pavan. She had to face a lot of backlash for her work. The Indian community casually called a “Mehndi wali” and the rest of the world stressed cultural appropriation. But Pavan remained stern about her motive.

My brand is quite ahead of our time, so changing people’s perceptions is a heavy task. We have faced backlash with people criticizing us for culture appropriation which I can’t understand. When I did henna on Perrie Edwards, we got Instagram posts saying ‘stop doing henna on white people’. I’m Indian – if I don’t find it offensive, why does anyone else? I’m not taking it to a level where it’s ever going to be disrespected or be used in an inappropriate way. I believe it is an appreciation of the Indian culture. It made me really angry because I consider London as much my home as India. If people are celebrating our culture and our beauty regimes, we should embrace that,” shares Pavan, the world record holder.

Techniques have advanced a lot in recent years and Dhanjal’s bar is advancing it even further. They offer many different styles of Henna from classic black and brown to white and unicorn henna, and it is all non-toxic, vegan-friendly, and perfectly safe for the skin. They have even introduced a Henna which is actually a body paint that glows in the dark.

 

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A post shared by Pavan Henna BEM (@pavanhenna)

The response has been such that Pavan Henna Bar now has a number of franchise outlets across the world.

Sadly the coronavirus outbreak has forced her to close her bar for several months although they were open for some months in between when the lockdown was lifted. Meanwhile, Pavan has been doing Henna workshops and selling her products online to keep it going. Her husband Magic Singh is a magician who also lends his support in Pavan’s ventures.

 

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A post shared by Pavan Henna BEM (@pavanhenna)

But she misses her dad who passed away a few years ago. Pavan says that her family has been hugely supportive of her work.

It’s not always easy turning your passion into your career but I’m on a pursuit to make Pavan the go-to brand for henna treatments. Whether you want the luxury bridal adornment or a quick fix before a festival, I want us to be the number one brand. There are so many Indian techniques that have come to the West such as turmeric in your latte or Indian yoga – henna is up next! Being able to say you’re the world’s fastest henna painter is definitely a flex,” concludes the numero uno.

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