It was a few weeks ago when the Gullivers decided to travel from their native England to Egypt to enjoy a sunny vacation; Their children Sebastian and Madison, aged nine and seven respectively, accompanied them. Unfortunately not everything went as expected.
At the beginning of the second week of vacation, the mother, Sylvia Gulliver, aged 43, suffered from a gallbladder infection and ended up in the hospital. She made a full recovery, but only after spending two full days in the hospital.
As a reward to his sons for behaving so well while Sylvia was hospitalized, her father, Martin Gulliver, decided that his two sons could get temporary henna tattoos if they wished, the four-star hotel where they were staying offered that service, nothing indicated that something could go wrong.
As soon as the tattoo was finished, Sebastian complained of itching and they removed the tattoo, for his part Madison he didn’t seem to have a problem with his. However, after returning to England on July 25, the skin under the tattoo on the little girl’s arm began to become irritated and blistered; by the next day her arm looked like it was burned.
The girl was rushed to the hospital where her injuries were treated, some blisters had to be cut in order to heal the skin. There it was discovered that, indeed, the skin had suffered chemical burns due to an element that is usually added to henna to give it a dark color quickly: the P-phenylenediamine (PPD). This chemical is legally used in hair dyes and its use and permitted amount is regulated by law, but in the case of henna it is usually added in quantities much higher than those permitted.
According to Martin Gulliver, his daughter was very brave throughout the process but doctors believe that the girl’s skin could take up to two years to heal completely. Now both parents warn about this type of tattoo: “not worth the risk”.
To tell of Doctor Chris FlowerCEO of the UK Cosmetics, Hygiene and Perfumery Association, “When applied to the skin in the form of a temporary henna tattoo, PPD can cause chemical burns and allergic reactions,” adding, “Real henna is never black, but brown/orange. Any dark temporary tattoo should be treated with caution.».
Aside from the pain and possible scarring in reaction to a black henna tattoo, there is a real risk of developing sensitivity to PPD. This means that if you come into contact with PPD in the future, even several years later, you may have a serious allergic reaction. This happened to Julie McCabe, who died in 2012 due to an allergic reaction to hair dye. Five years before her death, McCabe had suffered from an allergic reaction to a black henna tattoo; since then every time he used hair dye he suffered from itching and rashes. Tragically, the last time he used the dye he suffered a serious anaphylactic reaction and died.
This article does not try to create panic, but to raise awareness of the potential dangers that getting temporary tattoos with black henna can carry, especially in young or sensitive skin. The next time you decide to get a temporary tattoo, check the color of the material and preferably do not allow your young children to get one.
Taken from Because it didn’t occur to me
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