Henna tattoos are a popular body decoration for
children and adults alike. Artists often host booths at fairs where children can step in and get anything from a
butterfly to Chinese symbols emblazoned on their body parts. Kits for home use are available at specialty stores and
are fairly simple to use. The advantage of henna tattoos is that they offer a temporary bit of tattoo glamor, are
painless and wash off within two weeks. The main ingredient in henna is hydroxynaphthaquinone which is obtained from
leaves of the Lawsonia tree. Hydroxynaphthaquinone alone is not carcinogenic, but when combined with
para-phenylenediamine (PPD) the mixture has been documented as causing problems. PPD is a synthetic dye used to
accelerate the drying time of the henna mixture, darkens the overall tattoo and allows for more precise, detailed
images.The chemical has been documented to cause severe blisters, skin rashes and scars. In 1979 the US National Cancer
Institute labeled PPD as a possible carcinogen due to a high incidence of liver cancer in workers at PPD production
plants. Not all henna artists or henna kits use dye with PPD, if the resulting tattoo is an intense dark black and
lasts for more than several weeks, it likely contains the undesired ingredient.Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
Henna ingredients may cause cancer
Henna tattoos are a popular body decoration for
children and adults alike. Artists often host booths at fairs where children can step in and get anything from a
butterfly to Chinese symbols emblazoned on their body parts. Kits for home use are available at specialty stores and
are fairly simple to use. The advantage of henna tattoos is that they offer a temporary bit of tattoo glamor, are
painless and wash off within two weeks. The main ingredient in henna is hydroxynaphthaquinone which is obtained from
leaves of the Lawsonia tree. Hydroxynaphthaquinone alone is not carcinogenic, but when combined with
para-phenylenediamine (PPD) the mixture has been documented as causing problems. PPD is a synthetic dye used to
accelerate the drying time of the henna mixture, darkens the overall tattoo and allows for more precise, detailed
images.The chemical has been documented to cause severe blisters, skin rashes and scars. In 1979 the US National Cancer
Institute labeled PPD as a possible carcinogen due to a high incidence of liver cancer in workers at PPD production
plants. Not all henna artists or henna kits use dye with PPD, if the resulting tattoo is an intense dark black and
lasts for more than several weeks, it likely contains the undesired ingredient.Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Being a Pakistani and Indian child, I have had more henna than I can remember. It is well known in the countries who utilize henna for decorative purposes that any henna (or mehndi as it is traditionally called) mixture that contains any sort of black tint to it, is to be thrown out immediately. Natural henna powder has a green tint and will turn brown once dried.
6. Hey Pari, guess what, those are real chemicals. People will believe anything, but they especially believe them when they are supported by evidence and facts. Just because you dont know how to formulate an argument doesn't mean that it's the "stupidest thing" at all.
Maax, nice logic. Your line of reasoning is like "my pillow is white, so it must be made out of whip cream."
Dani, they don't mention that because it's not the scope of their argument.
Posted at 7:05PM on Apr 3rd 2006 by Devin Gaffney
7. Henna has been debated for years... it seems to be that if you mix it yourself, you can trust the ingredients... just like when you cook at home. But when you allow someone to do it for you, always be wary of the results. With food, it may have come in contact with salt or peanuts or MSG or something... with henna, mine is made with henna powder, lemon juice and honey, maybe some tea... that's it. Buy it already made, it's got preservatives and other nastys in it--NOT ALL of it, but some. Do some research if you want to henna, like me.
8. Henna is the only safe and natural dye for skin usage. In its unadulterated form.
if you add PPD-known cancer causer and much worse, it will be bad for you. PPD is illeagl to apply to the skin.
Safe and natural red-brown henna is just that, safe and natural.
www.hennacaravan.com
Posted at 8:16PM on Apr 3rd 2006 by Henna Caravan
9. Real henna is a dark green powder that turns into a greenish-brown paste when it's mixed (terped) with essential oils (usually tea tree), and an acid like lemon juice to draw designs on the skin. After the henna dries, it turns brown, and leaves the skin an orangey colour until it sets to a dark reddish brown. I've been having mehndi art done for a few years and I've done it myself, so from experience, I can tell you that most henna does not contain PPD.
If you are getting mehndi done, first of all make sure you are going to a reputable Mehndi artist. Sometimes that is not possible with festivals, so if you see that the paste is black or it dries black and does so quickly, wash it off immediately and go to the doctor. There is no such thing as black henna and as the article stated above, the PPD that makes "black henna" black is very very toxic. On average, my henna tats last about 1.5 weeks, and that's with a lot of handwashing and showering. Anything that lasts a lot longer than 2-3 weeks is probably not safe. For really great info on henna, go to http://www.hennapage.com
10. PPD is the culprit. Natural henna is not. Natural henna stains a reddish brown over time, and fades after 1-3 weeks. PPD stains black instantly. A lot of underhanded artists lace natural henna with dangerous chemicals and the public needs to be aware of the difference. For more information about PPD and henna, visit www.hennapage.com
11. hey Devin you are the idiot. Have you ever even gotten a henna tatoo? Being an Indian I get it quite often and guess what, it usually comes out really dark on me. Henna tends to come out dark if you leave it on for a while. the longer you leave it on the darker it gets (duh). Not to mention that Traditional 100% pure henna is SAFE! 100% pure henna stains skin in some color between orange, red, burgundy, brown or coffee. Also "Black henna" is NEVER 100% pure henna, so it shouldn't even be called Henna to begin with. I honestly do not know where this article gets off saying that henna in general is dangerous when its really the "black" or fake henna that is dangerous!!!
12. This article misrepresents henna. It doesn't make it clear enough that PPD is the criminal, not henna. The only words that really jump out while reading are "henna may cause cancer." Henna is one of the safest, most wonderful things to use on your skin. It is possible to be allergic to it, but that reaction is much more rare than one to PPD, and won't cause cancer or scarring like PPD laced henna can. Bottom line, if you want henna, do your research first. Make sure the artist or supplier uses quality henna. NEVER try anything that says "Black" Henna, cause that's the bad stuff.
13. It's funny, if this article was about another topic, the first thing to be included in this paper, would have been its history or cultural aspect. I don't understand how the editor who wrote this article can get off writing an entry on a globally known "Indian" product, without even mentioning the cultural history behind Henna usage and the fact that it is an INDIAN product. Where did this writer get his/her degree? Regardless I suggest in the future they do a little more research.
And Devin, this article is not an argumentative piece because there are no opposing thoughts that are rebutted in this piece. This is simply an editorial and mentioning the cultural history behind Henna, should most definitely be in the "scope" of this editorial.
16. umm. actually it means his grandmother WAS American Indian. pretty much.. no one should be saying "actually, blahblah is the idiot." the fact that so many of you made the same argument just shows how idiodic everyone here is. basically, this article got to the point. people aren't going to give a crap about henna's history (except those of you who already know it, i guess). jesus. people will find a way to complain about anything.
17. This article would have been more helpful had 1) the title specified "black" henna, and 2) explained how to tell whether a henna artist is using safe, natural henna, or using PPD and misleading the public by calling it henna. A follow up article on the unethical and fraudulent practices of "black henna" artists is probably called for here.
While "black henna" artists MAY be using henna in their mix, if the henna paste includes PPD it must be considered highly toxic. PPD is made by DuPont, and the MSDS (material safety data sheet) clearly states that prolonged skin contact is highly dangerous. Using PPD in any kind of skin art and labeling it "henna" in any way is misleading to the public, fraudulent, and very, very dangerous.
Natural henna is considered quite safe, and has a very low allergy rate. ALWAYS ask your henna artist for a list of ingredients in their paste. If they will not supply it, or you do not recognize anything on the list and they do not explain it to your satisfaction, you absolutely should not permit them to apply the paste to your skin.
Posted at 12:16AM on Apr 4th 2006 by Wendi Thrasher
18. I agree the headline is misleading, and could have said "Henna ingredient" instead of jsut "henna," but all the supporting info made this clear.
Tina, I`m not sure what you mean by, "It's funny, if this article was about another topic, the first thing to be included in this paper, would have been its history or cultural aspect." I mean, who CARES that it`s Indian? Certainly not the average suburban housewife getting one of these tatoos from some guy outside the mall! That`s the purpose of this particular blog -- to educate the masses of health risks! NOT to celebrate Indian culture!
19. I most certainly agree that henna is safe if people can be aware to stay away from 'black henna'. It is too bad that the article wasn't titled something like 'black henna might cause cancer' but then again maybe those suburban housewives, that are apparently the target audience for this article as L. proposes, simply woudnlt understand the difference. (but let me say a lot more people than suburban housewives care about cancer and what causes it).
I don't think that an article's purpose in helping people become aware of possible health risks can ever be bad. However, I am always dissapointed at how easliy things are made to seem so much worse and scary than the really are just so it can get media attention and draw in readers. More likely than not, instead of helping people avoid the 'wrong henna' people may deter from using it all.
Lastly, I certainly think there is importance in mentioning its cultural Indian heritage. If people are aware than henna has been used for, well ages, in India, and is an ancient tradition, people may understand that it can be used safely and has been for a long time. I for one am Indian and have never had a rash, or known anyone who has had skin problems using henna.
20. It is misleading to even add the term "henna" to "black henna". People who use the black stuff (PPD) usually will not even use natural henna in their mix! Unfortunately people do not care to educate themselves before getting one of these black tattoos on a beach somewhere, and then it gets confusing when they in turn tell someone that it's "black HENNA." Real, natural henna is safe and has been used for a very long time and gives a brownish-red stain that only lasts a couple of weeks, and smells kind of like hay.
1. I dont think that is true cause most of the people in india wear it all the time & india is not the #1 place for cancer . Or it might be they dont use PPD
Posted at 2:42PM on Apr 3rd 2006 by Maax