The popularity of henna in the US has soared recently. Children,
teenagers and adults alike can be seen adorning the temporary henna
tattoo on their hands, feet or other parts of the body. What’s not to
like about it? It’s safe, natural and lets you have a beautiful print on
your body without the use of needles.
However, early in 2013, the FDA issued a warning to all consumers on
the use of henna after receiving multiple complaints from people who
faced adverse consequences from it. It was clear that these people were,
in fact, suffering from the side effects of ‘Black Henna’, which is
sometimes falsely advertised as ‘Henna’ to lure unsuspecting customers
in.
Black henna, unlike natural henna, is unsafe for use on skin for people of all ages.
With the ingredients list containing a host of chemicals but little
to no henna, black henna is not at all what it claims to be. However,
people often get it done for a darker or black-colored tattoo that also
lasts longer, without realizing the scale of the problems they would
soon be facing.
What causes these skin reactions is a toxin found inside black
henna tattoos
called Para-phenylenediamine or PPD. PPD is commonly found in hair dyes
and can be dangerous when applied on the skin. Many have reported having
skin reactions that includes itching, burning, blistering, bleeding or
permanent scarring. Now that’s one tattoo you wouldn’t want to get.
