Natural henna comes in colors all within the hues of red or orange, shades ranging from red to dark brown. It does NOT come in black.
Black henna is natural henna laced with p-Phenylenediamine (PPD). This is a chemical used in hair dyes to achieve the color black. It is also the same chemical in coal tar. Prolong exposure to skin will cause it to sensitize to the chemical.
An allergy to PPD can stay latent for years before it manifests. Each time a person comes in contact with PPD it worsens the allergy. There is currently NO CURE.
Symptoms to the allergy include insistent itches, rashes, blistering, and swelling. The symptoms typically happen within an hour of contact to the allergen. In more severe cases, it causes anaphylactic shock, which is an acute shortness of breath and drop in blood pressure, and can lead to death.
If a person is allergic to PPD, they may also cross react to other chemicals such as hair dyes, benzocaine, procaine, PABA (sunscreen) to name a few. If a person has ever had a black henna tattoo, it is advised that they go to the doctor to check for allergies immediately.
Usage of PPD is Prohibited in Some Countries
The use of PPD is currently banned by European Union as well as UAE. The used on skin is banned by the FDA but is still permitted from up to 6% concentration in hair dyes. There is no regulation on the use of PPD in Middle East countries. Documented cases of permanent scaring due to black henna use were found in Egypt and Turkey. Little is known on its uses in Asian countries, but most of them have no regulations on Black Henna or PPD use.
How Do We Define Black Henna?
It is important that a person avoid black henna tattoos.
If the offered tattoo is black in color and sets within 1 to 2 hours it CONTAINS PPD. When applied to skin, natural henna should not cause any painful burning sensations. The color of natural henna tattoos also changes and fades within its course. If the color stays black for weeks, it is black henna.
Related Topic in CER:
Source and Further Information:
Al-Suwaidi, A. and Ahmed, H. Determination of para-Phenylenediamine (PPD) in Henna in the United Arab Emirates, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872353/
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