Are henna tattoos dangerous

asks Sander:

A. Painting henna patterns on the body is a tradition in India, where it is called mehndi, and also in Morocco and Fiji. It became popular in the West after Madonna had her hands decorated with henna for the video for Frozen. Now you can have your hands and arms painted with these temporary tattoos on the street and in beauty salons.

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However, there have been lots of cases of people developing severe skin reactions days or even weeks after having a temporary tattoo. While pure henna - an extract of the plant Lawsonia intermis - is not dangerous, some unscrupulous traders are adding another ingredient which is causing allergic reactions.

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Q. What is it
A. A chemical, para-phenylene diamine (PPD), which is added to make the tattoo darker. Bj�rn Hausen of the Dermatological Centre in Buxtehude, Germany, applied both pure henna and PPD to the skin of people who'd had adverse reactions. He found that only the PPD produced a strong reaction. Other doctors had similar results when they carried out allergy tests.

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Q. What does PPD do
A. In susceptible people, it causes contact dermatitis, where the skin becomes swollen, red and very itchy. And it can mean that your 'temporary tattoo' leaves a mark that can last for months.

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But worse than that, warns Bj�rn Hausen, it can create a lifetime hypersensitivity to PPD.

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Q. What does that mean
A. PPD is a common chemical used in dyes which form a part of several industrial processes. So, anyone who develops a hypersensitivity won't be able to work in the many professions which use the chemical.

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Q. How can you be sure that the henna you're getting is pure
A. Most beauty salons in Europe use pure henna. The biggest risk is when you have a henna tattoo done by a street vendor or in a Third World country.

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By Sheena Miller