PESHAWAR: In a small basement studio in Peshawar, a steady line of women wait as Muhammad Hanan Ali leans over a client’s hand, guiding a henna cone with practiced precision to trace a delicate floral pattern.
Outside, more clients — many with prior bookings — wait their turn as demand surges in the days leading up to Eid Al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan, when applying henna is a widely observed custom across South Asia.
At 19, Ali has built a growing business in a field traditionally dominated by women, quietly challenging social norms in Pakistan’s conservative northwest.
Most of his clients book appointments through Instagram or WhatsApp, allowing him to manage a workload that intensifies sharply ahead of Eid.
“I was fond of applying henna since childhood,” he told Arab News, while applying henna to a client at his home salon in the Regi Model Town area. “The fondness came as I would create designs on notebooks. Slowly I switched to glass, and from glass I started working with clients.”
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where social life is shaped by conservative cultural norms and clearly defined gender roles, professions associated with beauty and adornment are often seen as the domain of women.
Ali says he has rarely encountered other men working as henna artists for female clients.
“So far, I have not seen any male mehndi (henna) artist or anyone working like me with women,” the 19-year-old undergrad said.
“But it is a good thing if you are providing a service to society.”
For some clients, choosing a male henna artist initially came with hesitation.
Yumna Zameer, who was born in Punjab and later moved to Peshawar, said she had seen few male artists with comparable skill.
“In Punjab, there is a huge trend of henna, but I have seen very few male artists who have clarity and sophistication in their work,” she said. “His work is very sophisticated and his speed is also very good.”
Another client, Mehwish Rehman, said the experience challenged her expectations.
“But when I came here, my experience with a male for the first time, as compared to a female, was very good,” Rehman added.
BREAKING NORMS
Ali’s decision to become a henna artist initially drew questions from relatives and acquaintances, but his immediate family stood by him.
“Yes, there were some issues in the [extended] family, some say, ‘What work have you put Hanan on? It is women’s work and not a man’s’,” Ali’s mother Azra Nadeem told Arab News.
“But we, especially his father, say that, ‘If our son is doing this work, let him do it’.”
Ali now operates from a small salon set up in the basement of his home, while also traveling to clients’ homes when needed.
“Mostly, my bookings come through Instagram as I post most of my work on Instagram,” he said. “And there are two possibilities for me: either I go to the client’s place or they come to my studio.”
While some clients are initially hesitant, Ali says most become comfortable after experiencing his work.
His business peaks in the final days before Eid, when henna application becomes part of festive preparations for many families.
“The week before Eid is quite busy, and there is a rush of clients as all have the fondness to have henna on Eid. So, people start booking a week before,” Ali said.
He typically charges Rs1,000 ($3.58) for a single-hand design, with more intricate patterns costing up to Rs8,000 ($28.67), depending on the design and client requirements.
“I deal with 20 to 25 clients a day and on the very last day before Eid, I try to do the maximum I can, so it gets to 30 to 35 clients.”
