Henna artist Eugene E. Spataro carefully performs his art work. Photo by Christine H. Wetzel. Suzanne Brasington models the finished product, which lasts -- at most -- three weeks. Photo by Christine H. Wetzel.

If your longest relationship lasted a whopping two months and you have trouble making plans the Friday after next (because you never know what might come up), chances are you have commitment issues. You're probably the least likely person to walk into a tattoo parlor, point to the dragon on the wall and walk out with it on your arm.

If permanence causes you to shudder, but you find body art quite desirable, no need to fear -- the two can in fact find a happy medium with temporary body art. With temporary body art, you're in control.

"It's good for people who want to have fuel to get a tattoo because once you get the tattoo, that's it," said Sebastian Gavillet, manager of Zen Den, a Desert Passage shop specializing in the Middle Eastern ancient body art known as henna.

Although henna has been practiced in marriage rituals for more than 2,000 years (new grooms had to find their name in the intricate henna designs on their wife-to-be before marrying them), it took the Material Girl, Madonna, to put it on the market in the United States.

When Madonna was featured in a video with traditional, red henna from her fingertips to wrists, a trend was instantly created. Furthermore, fans -- especially the commitment phobic ones -- were thrilled to discover the designs faded after about three weeks.

Gavillet still has clients requesting traditional henna designs (most designs run between $15 and $20), but the majority of his clientele want to test-drive a tattoo or creatively communicate with their significant other.

"A lot of ladies will write something on themselves for their boyfriends," said Gavillet.

Another way to avoid going all the way while still satisfying the desire to decorate yourself -- call it the third base of body art -- is body painting.

"The body is the canvas," said body painting artist and model Shannon Dorn, who has produced a calendar called The Painted Desert, where each month is represented with body art.

The body painting craze is clearly on the rise. Sports Illustrated did an entire swimsuit issue with models wearing nothing but painted on suit. Local party and event hosts hired body-painted models to greet guests or stand on a pedestal, allowing partygoers to admire the art.

Dorn, who is also a photographer and painter, said the body is much more difficult to work on than regular art.

"What seems like it will take one to two hours really takes about six hours," she said. "After standing and being really patient for the painting, models have to get their energy back to do a photo shoot."

If watching paint dry isn't your thing, perhaps something a little less time-consuming would better suit you -- like putting a hole in your body.

No longer shocked with piercing requests (from tongues to labrets, navels to genitals), Sean Edison, manager of The Piercing Shop, said "If I can pinch it, I can pierce it."

Edison calls his craft a "spiritually lifting" experience. "It's taking yourself to another place," he said. "You do it to look better, but you do it to feel better, too."

"It takes all of a split second," Edison said.

A split second of pain with two months to rethink your decision? Hardly permanent.