EIU v. SEMO
Students expressed their creativity with temporary body art Wednesday in the Bridge Lounge of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
Troy Ganser, the director of the T.A.G. Art Company, drew designs ranging from hearts and flowers to tribal patterns on students while engaging them with facts and humor.
“It’s over 5,000 years old and it’s used in different ways as mild analgesic properties so it can even be used to treat burns,” Ganser said.
Ganser said henna is used among different cultures.
“(In Indian culture, the bride will) get it on her hands and feet and the tradition holds that they stay on their honeymoon until the tattoo fades,” Ganser said.
Ganser has been doing henna tattoos for about 10 years and said his company is in its 13th year.
Ganser said they do all kinds of art and the only thing they do not do is real tattoos.
“That is a whole other ball game, from health department to equipment,” Ganser said.
He said his company will stick with henna.
He said henna is popular among teenagers.
“It’s a heat based process so it’s more successful in tropical weather as skin stays moisturized longer,” Ganser said. “If you exfoliate it will come off fast than with moisturizing and it only stains the top layer of skin.”
Taylor Woodrow, a junior elementary education major, said this is her first time getting a henna tattoo and thought it would be fun.
“I would never get a real tattoo,” Woodrow said.
Ganser said they do both traditional and nontraditional designs.
He said his company often goes to college campuses to give henna tattoos.
Ganser had over a dozens students stop by to get a henna.
He said he did not receive any weird request today, but has before.
“Over the year, yeah, the weirdest one was on a bridal party, and the bride wanted one,” Ganser said.
Miranda Ploss can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].