[Avodah] Henna parties (from areivim)

[saul mashbaum]

RTK wrote on areivm: 

>> 

The henna party has more to do with applying henna decorations to the hands (and hair?) than with anything else.  Henna is an Arabic word AFAIK and the Arabs also have pre-wedding henna parties.  So do Indians (in India).  Henna is believed to have something to do with fertility, and it's also considered decorative and attractive.  It also has cooling qualities.  **Apparently it stains the skin so that the color remains until the outer skin exfoliates, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.**  

>>> 

This, if true,  sounds like a serious problem of chatzitza b'tvila to me (IIAMN, the henna party often preceeds the tvila by several days). However, I do believe that a coloration which  remains over a period of time may not be consiudered a chatzitza, although I don't know how long the period of time must be. The problem may be more serious with hair, almost all of which may be colored by henna. This last point is not restricted to henna, of course, and may apply to commonly used hair dyes as well. I am not very familiar with the halachic literature on this subject, and would appreciate being directed to sources. 

Saul Mashbaum