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Body painting is a form of body art, considered by some as the most ancient form of art. Unlike tattoo and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, painted onto the human skin, and lasts for only several hours, or at most (in the case of Mehndi or "henna tattoo") a couple of weeks. Painting of the face is known as face painting.
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Body painting with clay and other natural pigments existed in most, if not all, tribalist cultures, often worn during ceremonies; it still survives in this ancient form among the indigenous people of Australia, the Pacific islands and parts of Africa. A semi-permanent form of body painting known as Mehndi, using dyes made of henna (hence also known rather erroneously as "henna tattoo"), was and is still practised in India and the Middle East, especially on brides. Since the late 1990s, Mehndi has become popular amongst young women in the Western world.
Actors and clowns around the world have painted their faces and sometimes bodies for centuries, and continue to do so today. More subdued form of face paints for everyday occasions evolve into the cosmetics we know today.
There has been a revival of body painting in the Western society since the 1960s, in part prompted by the liberalization of social mores regarding nudity. Even today there is a constant debate about the legitimacy of body painting as an art form.
Today, body paintings are typically worn at football matches, at rave parties, and at certain festivals. There are also body painting artists who do work for publicity or artistic purposes. Because full body paintings usually involve nudity, most body painting artists would not paint persons under the age of majority. Most body painting models are unpaid, but are volunteers for the unique experience of transformation by the body painting artists. Most body painting artists are also unpaid, the exceptions being professional face painting artists and Mehndi artists.
In recent years, face painting has become very popular among children at theme parks, parties and festivals throughout the Western world. In some countries, it is a legal requirement for would-be face painters to prove that they have never committed an act of child sexual abuse.
Modern face and body paints are made according to stringent guidelines, meaning these are non-toxic, non-allergenic, and can easily be washed away. These are either applied with hands, paint brush, and natural sea sponge, or alternatively with an airbrush. Contrary to the popular myth perpetuated by the James Bond movie Goldfinger, a person is not asphyxiated if their whole body is painted, although wearing body paint for a prolonged period may cause heat stroke by inhibiting perspiration.
As for Mehndi, natural brown henna dyes are safe to use; however, synthetic black dyes can cause serious skin allergies, and require patch tests before the actual paintings commence.
Whatever the type of body paint (the same is true for cosmetics), should the skin show any sign of allergy, one should immediately cease using it. Moreover, it should not be applied onto open wounds, nor should it be applied too close to the eyes.