25/05/2025
Summer is coming and so it’s time for me to get my early warning out there about the dangers of ‼️ black henna tattoos. ‼️
2 years ago my youngest daughter asked for a henna tattoo while we were on holiday. I didn’t even know black henna existed, and just assumed the tattoo would be with the natural, brown henna I knew was safe.
Now I know that black henna is very dangerous. It’s made with a substance called para-phenylenediamine (PPD). This is allowed for use in hair dyes, but its use for skin contact products is illegal in the EU.
It can cause blistering, rashes, and burning on the skin, but worse, it can leave you with a lifelong sensitivity to PPD, meaning you are at high risk of a severe allergic reaction (not necessarily only skin, but also respiratory) to hair dyes and other products containing PPD (some rubbers, inks, cosmetics etc) in the future.
To add insult to injury, neither the GP nor the pharmacist had heard of the PPD reaction, and didn’t believe her rash was because of the black henna (😡 seriously?! It’s literally in the shape of a gecko🦎)
By sheer luck, a friend has a friend who is a dermatologist and she told us which cream to ask for. Her arm took months to heal and now she has a lifetime ahead of checking the ingredients on all the things other teenagers don’t have to think twice about 😢
For a long time I felt like a terrible Mum for allowing it to happen, and now I feel so angry that more people are not aware of the dangers (including medical professionals)
It was definitely another lesson in advocating for my wishes and the health of my children, and not taking no for an answer!
Always check the henna is natural brown henna before agreeing to the tattoo! And for more information check out www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk
