Henna Tattoo Is Not Always Harmless
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Left Brain reports…
This story about a boy who developed permanent scarring from a henna tattoo is an important reminder of the potential dangers this procedure. According to the report, this 3-year-old boy was allowed to have a henna tattoo in the shape of Bart Simpson while on holiday in Spain. Unfortunately, he had a bad reaction to the ink and may now be left with a permanent scar.
Henna Information
Right Brain had previously written about henna hair dye. And you can find more information in the
references for that article. However, no mention was made of some of the dangers associated with henna tattoos. The risk of reacting to henna painting is rare but incidences have been increasing.
Researchers reported in the Dermatology Online Journal about Cutaneous reactions to temporary tattoos. In this paper, they presented 6 cases of unfortunate reactions to henna tattoos. (CAUTION: There are some unpleasant pictures). The cause suggested is a reaction to “black henna”.
Bad Black Henna
In it’s traditional form, henna dyes give an orange/reddish-brown color. To get a black color, natural henna is spiked with paraphenylenediamine (PPD). In addition to providing a wider color range, PPD also increases the speed at which the tattoo develops. A real henna tattoo can take up to 12 hours to form. Using black henna, results can be achieved in about 2 hours. But for some people, permanent scarring is the cost for a quicker tattoo.
Beauty Brains bottom line
If you’re on vacation and want to get a temporary henna tattoo, make sure you avoid “black henna”. While most people won’t experience a problem, some of you could be scarred with a permanent reminder of your trip.
