Skin deep

Skin deep

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Flowers, leaves and delicate curlicues adorn the skin of this woman sitting in the studio of a henna tattoo artist named Salimatou Lamidou.

Lamdiou is based in Niamey, the capital of Niger, where women can pay up to $30 to have these intricate designs painted on their hands and feet. Henna tattooing, usually applied before baptisms and marriages, is one of the few businesses dominated by women in the Sahel country.

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A man holds out a handful of henna seeds, used to grow the plant that is the basis of henna dye.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

A man holds out a handful of henna seeds, used to grow the plant that is the basis of henna dye.

This is a sprig of the henna plant, which is dried, crushed and mixed with other ingredients to make the colourant.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

This is a sprig of the henna plant, which is dried, crushed and mixed with other ingredients to make the colourant.

Golden-coloured henna powder is kept in a can.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

Golden-coloured henna powder is kept in a can.

Henna pens lie on the floor at the house and studio of henna tattoo artist Salimatou Lamidou.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

Henna pens lie on the floor at the house and studio of henna tattoo artist Salimatou Lamidou.

Lamidou pours henna ink into a pen.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

Lamidou pours henna ink into a pen.

She carefully applies the dye to the sole of a customer's foot.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

She carefully applies the dye to the sole of a customer's foot.

She fills in details of the design.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

She fills in details of the design.

A customer shows a half-finished henna tattoo at Lamidou's house.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

A customer shows a half-finished henna tattoo at Lamidou's house.

A worker prepares coals in a clay pot at the studio.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

A worker prepares coals in a clay pot at the studio.

A woman bakes her fresh tattoos in the pot to make them last longer.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

A woman bakes her fresh tattoos in the pot to make them last longer.

She holds out her hand, showing off a finished henna design in the Chadian style.
. NIAMEY, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

She holds out her hand, showing off a finished henna design in the Chadian style.