As the company comes into contact with a great deal of the general public on a regular basis, the confusion over henna and PPD is still confusing many a folk.

I explain that henna is a plant , contains no chemicals and will not irritate the skin ; in fact henna is a great skin conditioner. I've often been shown white scars left behind after customers have been abroad on holiday and had a black " henna " tattoo done. I put the word henna in inverted commas, as there is no henna what so ever in the black PPD . it is merely a term, which is often misused.

I have taken the time to reprint a couple of newspaper articles from the TIMES, which makes more than interesting reading. So if you are offered a black tattoo , be sure to tell the artist that they are breaking the law in the UK and if they are abroad that they are irresponsible and selfish!

Holidaymakers who have tattoos may develop skin complaints, says Tom Chesshyre.

Tourists, who get trendy henna tattoos while abroad are at risk from serious skin complaints from infectious black ink , experts warn. People returning from foreign trips claim that unscrupulous henna tattooists in exotic destinations are offering potentially scarring henna tattoos to holidaymakers, rather than the safe , traditional , henna tattoos , which are caramel-coloured.

Over the past two years, there have been widespread reports of infections, with tourists discovering sores two or three weeks after receiving tattoos - the ink has a delayed reaction. Most suffers are home by then, which means tattooists are not being taken to task.

Some black henna tattoos are fine, but some may include chemical dye called P-Phenylenedaimine , which causes the irritation.

Catherine Cartwright-Jones a university lecturer on henna tattoos in the US, says she has come across thousands of cases of infection. Many have involved children keen to try temporary tattoos , but not realising the risks.

"You just cannot be sure whether black henna tattoos are safe ", she said. "There have been so many cases recently, it's frightening. And some of the injuries have been horrific. We've come across two children recently who had really horrible, four-inch wide sores across their backs. Thousands of others have been affected".

Black henna has taken off recently after pop stars including Madonna - who is believed to have started the craze - began adopting the black swirly patterns in her videos and at concerts.

But most stars in fact had temporary tattoos hand-painted on and these can be easily, and painlessly, washed off at the end of performances.

Countries known to have dangerous black henna tattooists include Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa. Goa in India, Bali in Indonesia and Key West in Hawaii in the US also singled out for criticism.

The delayed effect is caused by ink sinking slowly into the skin. After the two-to-three week "incubation" period, there can be blistering and oozing sores.

The only practical way to detect whether a henna tattoo will be safe is to ask the vendor whether the ink contains P-Phenylenediamine - if no straight answer can be given, steer clear. There should be no problems with traditional rust-red or brown-red coloured tattoos .

Hundreds of British holidaymakers, mainly backpackers, have been affected, according to henna tattooists in the UK, who have been approached by returning holidaymakers concerned about sores.

Dr Richard Barlow, of St John's Institute of Dermatology in London, said, "Some inks have always caused inflammation, swelling and pain, so people should be careful".

There have also been cases of black henna problems in Britain. Most of these have involved street artists who offer tattoos to passers by in seaside resorts. Alex Morgan, a henna tattooist who works from home in Oxford, said "Street artists get a lot of passing trade, but many of them should not be trusted".

A GIRL of seven has been permanently injured by a temporary tattoo that she was given on holiday in Greece.

Jessica Jones, from Newcastle upon Tyne, will have to stay out of the sunshine for two years and avoid hair dye and cosmetics for the rest of her life because the tattoo contained the chemical para-phenylene diamine ( PPD ).

It is used as a cheap substitute for natural henna but can cause a serious reaction . The area where the dye is applied can be scarred for life.

Jessica's case is one of four seen by Dr Aileen Taylor, a consultant dermatologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, since last summer.

Dr Taylor said " PPD is much more abrasive than real henna and can lead to dreadful consequences for many people who have a reaction to it. Those who suffer such a reaction become sensitive to it, and are liable to have the same reaction for a long time afterwards if they come into contact with PPD again".

Dr Taylor said PPD , which is also found in some sunscreens and hair dyes , was used because it was cheaper than natural henna and dried much more quickly.

She said "I would ask people travelling abroad to be very careful. If they are tempted to have a temporary tattoo , they should make very certain the tattooist really is using henna . The best way to avoid painful consequences is not to have a temporary tattoo at all".

Jessica was given a four-inch tattoo of a dolphin on her left arm while on holiday in Lindos, Rhodes last year.

Her mother, Dawn Glichrist of West Denton, Newcastle, said "the tattooist was supposed to be doing henna tattoos that would fade after a few weeks".

"It had a terrible effect on Jessica within a few days. Her arm swelled alarmingly and blisters appeared all over it. Jessica was in such terrible pain that she did not sleep for a week, and now she is left with after-effects for life".

Ms Gilchrist said that a hospital check on Jessica had shown that her daughter was now severely sensitised to PPD . She added: "We have been told she will be unable to use hair dye or cosmetics when she is older, and will have to avoid clothes that might have the dye in them. She cannot go out in hot sunlight for up to two years unless she is covered in protective clothing".

"It is a terrible price to pay for a small tattoo that was supposed to be temporary and completely harmless".

Doctors are concerned that the numbers of young people adversely affected by temporary tattoos , which are also widely available in Britain, may grow exponentially because of the fashion for body art fostered by celebrities.

David Beckham has a guardian angel above his son's name, Brooklyn, tattooed on his back. The Spice Girl, Mel B, has a phoenix on her upper arm in honour of her daughter, Phoenix Chi, while her colleague, Mel C, sports seven tattoos including a dragon on her calf and a phoenix on her back. Robbie Williams has a lion pouncing over one shoulder, a Maori design on the other, and a Celtic Cross on his thigh. Many others wear temporary tattoos .

Dermatologists are concerned that parents will think a temporary tattoo represents a painless alternative to permanent tattooing .

The pure henna dye used in traditional mehndi tattoos is accepted to be harmless, but problems have been reported with so-called semi-permanent tattoos , available in Britain in hairdressing salons and on market stalls.

Hello,

I discovered your website while searching on the net for the dangers of henna.

I briefly saw something on the news tonight and was immediately interested to learn more because I just came back from the Philippines on Feb. 7, 2005 and did get a "henna" tattoo there.

I did wonder why the henna was black, but thought perhaps there was different colors, versions, or whatever.

2 weeks later my tattoo area became very itchy and a raised swelling scar seemed to be forming. I was worried that I might have this temporary tattoo forever! So, I was very carefull not to scratch and kept applying lotion to the area.

Thankfully it eventually went away, but I do notice a small raised scar in that area. I hope that it does not affect my ability to have my hair dyed.

I hope that you can inform more people about the dangers of these "black henna" tattoos. It is a seemingly harmless thing since most people have come to know real henna as harmless but are unaware of this poisonous alternative.

I am so thankful my reaction was not so bad since I am a very sensitive person with sensitive skin. I gave blood last week and had a terrible reaction, but I hope it is not related to that tattoo.

Thanks!

Regards,

Christina,

"What people are saying about the black : Recently at an Art Festival I had several of my students get henna tattoos . That was wonderful, beautiful. The unfortunate thing was that about 75% of those who got the black henna had a variety of reactions to it. The worst being skin literally flaking off this child's back, to burns, blistering and now scarring .

I had mine drawn on my forearm so that everybody could see it when I got home. To my dismay, it has been 2 weeks already and the tattoo has started to fade but a really itchy and annoying rash that came from the tattoo replaced the tattoo . It has grown worse every day; the rash has become bigger and has become itchier.

Why is the black stuff bad? Because if it works it is most likely to contain PHENYLENEDIAMINE or PPD .

I had a tattoo in Turkey about four years ago which we were told would last for a couple of weeks. Three of the people I was on holiday with also had the tattoos, but did not suffer a reaction. I think we paid the equivalent of £5. The 'henna' was black and I remember being concerned that he painted it on with what looked like a cocktail stick and went over a cut I had on my ankle.

The week after we came home the pattern around my ankle had become raised and slightly itchy, within a few days my ankle had swollen and I was unable to walk on it as it hurt. I thought this was because he had painted over the cut on my ankle. I visited my doctor who had not heard of henna tattoos where I was told to take anti-histamine, this did not work so I was given some anti-biotics.

For at least two years the scar was visible around my ankle and is only now beginning to fade. I had always been able to use hair dye, however, I used a home kit the year after my tattoo and the following day my head was slightly itchy, but I put this down to a different hair product I had put in my hair to syle it.

Dyed it again perhaps another year later and my scalp burnt and was very itchy, but stupidly I put this down to there being a problem with the hair dye as I could see no reason why I would be allergic to it.

Last year I had my hair dyed at a hairdressers, the next day I was extremely ill, I had a temperature, my head was burning and felt tight and I thought I would have to go to hospital. I phoned the NHS Direct who advised that if my tongue or throat started to swell I would need to go to hospital that day. Luckily this did not happen and I got better.

I am now concerned about inadvertently exposing myself to PPD as everytime my reaction has become worse. Having read your article I now understand what the problem is.

I felt a bit stupid for not realising I was allergic to hair dye as I put myself through a lot of pain which was bought on myself !!!

I am thinking of asking my doctor to refer me to a dermatologist incase there is anything further I need to know.

Sorry to have written an essay. I'm just glad that there are websites like yours to highlight the risks to people.

Many Thanks
Becky Hawkesford.

Hi Henna Crazy

I recently travelled to Egypt and thought I would treat myself to a Henna tattoo. I have had henna before (at a wedding ceremony) but never suffered any reactions.

Anyway, 2 weeks after returning from holiday, my hands starting to swell & itch and I experienced all the classic symptoms outlined in your article.

I am now left with 2 very distinct scars on the backs of both hands.

Is there anyway I can remove these scars? I am worried about using any further treatments, in case I cause myself more misery.

I would be grateful for any information you can offer?

Thanks & regards
Isabelle Hannan

Hi Henna crazy,

I went on holiday in 2001 with work to California and decided to get a Henna Tattoo just below my belly button. All was well until I returned home and the henna wore off, I was left with a rash the exact shape of the Tattoo in its place. I still have a scar from this.

(In actual fact Lucy had not had a henna tattoo at all but a reaction to the chemical PPD which is commonly mis-named "black henna".)

It has also affected me with dyeing my hair. I have been dying my hair for years and I went to the hair dressers and they dyed my hair. This time I came back and all was well. The next day when I woke up I had open sores, that are still there and also puffy face and eyes. Went back to the hairdressers and complained they gave me a cooling treatment, and we put it down to bad experience. I went back a second time and it happened again, this time the reaction I had on my stomach reappeared and my glands all swelled up.

I have since been to a specialist who has analysed a severe relation to PPD along with T PPD another product in hair dye, and can therefore NEVER dye my hair again. PPD in hair dye is the product that makes the dye cling to the hair, so any semi or permanent dyes will affect me.

Thanks
Lucy

Section 1: Chemical Identification
NAME: 1,4-Phenylenediamine
Section 2: Composition/ Information on ingredients
CAS # 106-50-3
EC No: 203-404-7
Section 3: Label Precautionary Statements
TOXIC
TOXIC BY INHALATION, IN CONTACT WITH SKIN AND IF SWALLOWED. MAY CAUSE SENSITIZATION BY INHALATION AND SKIN CONTACT . IRRITATION TO EYES, RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND SKIN . POSSIBLE RISK OF IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS. POSSIBLE MUTAGEN. TARGET ORGANS: LIVER, KIDNEYS. IN CASE OF ACCIDENT IF YOU FEEL UNWELL, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE. IMMEDIATELY SHOW THE LABEL WHERE POSSIBLE.

As you can see, the PPD is an extremely dangerous chemical and should not be anywhere near your skin .

Are You Dying For Body Art?

Yep, it looks cool and the celebs can't get enough of it. But whether you fancy a henna decoration like Madonna, a permanent tattoo like Mrs Beckham or a pierced belly button a la Britney, make sure you're aware of the dangers first.

Tattoos
Actress Angelina Jolie has 12, Sarah Michelle Geller has three and even girlie singer Natalie Imbruglia has a few. Tattoos have lost their macho image. "More women are having tattoos", says tattooist Irene Fraenkl-Rietti from Tattooed Lady Body Art in Manchester. "It's more socially acceptable and it's fashionable." Tattooing isn't properly licensed or regulated but tattooists must register with the Environmental Health Department. "There are health and safety guidelines," says Irene, "and if the tattooist follows these, there shouldn't be any risk." But David Denton of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health says as there's no regulation, there's no guarantee the guidelines are being followed.

What could go wrong?
One of the biggest dangers is catching a disease spread through the blood, such as HIV or hepatitis. Although there haveb't been any cases of HIV being transmitted by tattooing, there are numerous cases of hepatitis. Around 180,000 people in the UK now have hepatitis B, while more than 300,000 suffer from hepatitis C, says Nigel Hughes of the British Liver Trust. Pamela Anderson said recently that she got hepatitis C after sharing a tattoo needle with ex-husband Tommy Lee. Less seriously, you could have an allergic reaction to the ink. "There was a series of cases where people were tattooed with red ink and had reactions," says David Denton. Irene Fraenkl-Rietti says these are rare: "News spreads in the profession and the inks are stopped."

Piercings
No longer the preserve of punks, body piercing is more popular than ever. Piercers don't even need a licence and anyone can set themselves up as one, although, like tattooists, they should register with Environmental Health. So do your research first and call your local office to check if your piercer is registered. Some also belong to the European Professional Piercers' Association (EPPA); call 0117 960 3923 for information.

What Could Go Wrong?
As well as catching hepatitis, the main danger, says David Denton, is falling into the hands of someone who isn't experienced. You could end up with a piercing which doesn't heal properly, causing irritation, pain and scarring. "It's often difficult to get rid of an infection" he explains. And think about how you might look if a facial piercing goes wrong and leaves permanent scars. Even ear piercings can cause deformities. If a piercing at the top of the ear gets infected, you can get an abcess or cauliflower ear. Nice. Infections don't have to be caused by a bad piercing - not looking after your piercing can cause trouble too. "I spend time explaining about aftercare and this should be done in every studio, says Irene. Tongue piercings are one of the most dangerous types. If large veins are pierced by mistake, you could suffer excessive bleeding. The jewellery can also become loose and cause breathing problems later on. Dentists advise against them as you might break your teeth after accidentally biting on the jewellery.

Henna Decoration
Henna has been used to decorate people's bodies for centuries.

What could go wrong?
It might seem safe, but some temporary tattoos - particularly abroad - can contain a chemical that can cause pain and even permanent scarring. Pure henna, a plant, does not cause skin problems, but a chemical called paraphenylene diamine (PPD) is often added to it to make it darker. Dermatolohist Dr Richard Motley warns PPD can produce a blistering skin reaction in some people: "The area that's been painted can leave a lasting scar. At the very least you're likely to end up with a lifelong allergy to PPD and have to avoid certain cosmetics and hair dyes. Archie Archer, who's done henna tattoos on Jamie Theakstone and Carol Vorderman, has seen some bad cases: "The worst was a girl who'd had a Chinese symbol done six weeks before. It was red and raised like a burn and the skin was peeling." And, as you don't react to PPD straight away, there's no point doing a skin test. But luckily it's easy to avoid. "Henna is always brown," says Archie Archer. Dyes containing PPD are jet black. Plus, pure henna only lasts a few days, while dyes with PPD last longer.