INDIANAPOLIS – Joey Bauchle and Daniel West have a pretty good idea how most people find out about their tattoo parlor.

“This job relies entirely on word of mouth,” West said.

Bauchle and West are co-owners of Mehndi + Marked in Fountain Square.

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“The community has been very welcoming,” West said. “We were very lucky with our location in the Fountain Square community. It’s very arts-centered.”

Although both focus on body art, Bauchle and West work through different mediums. While West offers more traditional permanent tattoos, Bauchle uses henna to showcase her designs. It’s a business model built right into the company name.

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“‘Mehndi’ is another word for henna and ‘marked’ is just another way of saying tattoo,” West said.

Henna is a vegetable dye.

“It’s natural, but it discolors the dead skin layers,” Bauchle said. “And that’s why it disappears when the skin peels off.”

Bauchle says henna is used in many cultures. It allows someone to try out tattooing hands-on.

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“We have a lot of clients that test designs with henna and then come back and get them tattooed,” West said. “We’ve had a lot of clients that come in and try a piece, adjust it, try a piece, adjust it and then get it finished and tattooed.”

“I think it’s really unique to have both,” Bauchle said. “People can try something out temporarily and then tweak it before committing.”

The couple sees henna as a way to ease the fears and stigma surrounding permanent tattoos.

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“A lot of clients don’t feel comfortable getting a tattoo, but they feel very comfortable with henna,” West said. “I think this is a good introduction to show them that they can feel comfortable getting a tattoo, too.”

Mehndi + Marked is located at 1339 Prospect Street in Indianapolis. Click here to learn more.