The dangers of henna tattoos

Thursday January 11, 2007 in: Body Art Tag(s):

Technorati Tags: tattoos, henna tattoos, body art

Tattoos are nice to look at, but not everyone has enough courage to go through all the pain getting a tattoo entails. That is why a lot of people settle for the next best thing: temporary tattoos, mostly henna ones.

The problem is, black henna tattoos can prove to be quite dangerous, especially for kids who get them for fun.

From NBC 10:

What was supposed to be a temporary reminder of a summer spent at the beach turned into what the parents describe as a lot of pain, scars and tears.

Michelle Lolk said she has two children who have terrible scars from henna body art.

Now, she and several other families are now suing the national company that distributes the black henna used in their children's temporary tattoos.

The company, Black Henna Ink Inc., based in Coral Springs, Fla., declined to comment to NBC 10.

Henna tattoos are very popular with children because they are cheaper and don't last forever.

But parents need to know the possible side effects.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, henna is approved only for use as a hair dye, and not for application on the skin.

Sometimes products marketed as "black" or "blue" henna may contain Phenylenediamine, or PPD, which health experts say can cause severe reactions.

If it's already known to "cause severe reactions", why is black henna still marketed for temporary tattoos in the first place?