Foster: My name is Foster and I am from Austin, Texas. I was just wondering, what are the dangers of henna tattoo ink?
Vesna Petronic Rosic: Thank you Foster for that excellent question. This has been very much so in the public eye lately because of a lot of reactions that have happen with applications of various adulterated henna tattoos in the country and worldwide.
Natural henna which is made from a plant is a mildly orange reddish colored substance that's derived from a plant by mixing it with Eucalyptus oil and it needs to be applied to skin for several hours to give it a color. The adulterated henna tattoos that have been applied over the past few years have added into them a substance that is a chemical called PPD or para-phenylenediamine and that is black and it makes the tattoo stick on much more quickly and last longer.
However, the problem with PPD is that it's very often the cause of an allergic reaction, which can be mild, from a contact dermatitis at the site of application but may also be very severe with widespread hives and also symptoms that are not just complying to the skin.
So henna tattoos are really not harmful if they are natural. But if it's a black henna tattoo, stay away from it.
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