Toxic black henna tattoos may scar you for life
- 6 years ago
ANKARA, TURKEY — Holiday henna tattoos are a cute little souvenir of days in the sun, but they could also open up a world of pain if you're not careful.
The BBC reports that Mary Bates found this out the hard way, after getting a dreamcatcher henna-tattooed on her ankle during a vacation in Turkey.
After about an hour, the tattoo lines on the then 16-year-old's skin became raised. It got worse over time, resulting in blistering, oozing, and a lot of skin peeling.
Bates would later find out that she was having a reaction to black henna.
Natural henna is entirely safe and made from plant-based ingredients. It hardens and peels off, and should leave an orange stain that becomes darker over the next few days.
But black henna, contrary to the name, isn't actually henna. It's a synthetic black dye that's chock-full of the chemical PPD, which is toxic to the skin.
While not everyone will experience a reaction to black henna, the risks can be severe for those that do. Bates had to get steroid treatments, and was at the hospital every week for over a month before her ankle got better. Now 19, she is relieved the scar wasn't permanent.
Many others though, have not been so lucky, and still bear the scars of a little holiday fun gone wrong.
Experts are cautioning tourists to only use henna that's brownish or olive-green in color. Anything that's jet black and purports to dye instantly should be avoided.
The BBC reports that Mary Bates found this out the hard way, after getting a dreamcatcher henna-tattooed on her ankle during a vacation in Turkey.
After about an hour, the tattoo lines on the then 16-year-old's skin became raised. It got worse over time, resulting in blistering, oozing, and a lot of skin peeling.
Bates would later find out that she was having a reaction to black henna.
Natural henna is entirely safe and made from plant-based ingredients. It hardens and peels off, and should leave an orange stain that becomes darker over the next few days.
But black henna, contrary to the name, isn't actually henna. It's a synthetic black dye that's chock-full of the chemical PPD, which is toxic to the skin.
While not everyone will experience a reaction to black henna, the risks can be severe for those that do. Bates had to get steroid treatments, and was at the hospital every week for over a month before her ankle got better. Now 19, she is relieved the scar wasn't permanent.
Many others though, have not been so lucky, and still bear the scars of a little holiday fun gone wrong.
Experts are cautioning tourists to only use henna that's brownish or olive-green in color. Anything that's jet black and purports to dye instantly should be avoided.