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Temporary henna tattoo is unsafe in atopic children
Author(s) -
Corrente Stefania,
Moschese Viviana,
Chianca Marco,
Graziani Simona,
Iannini Roberta,
La Rocca Maria,
Chini Loredana
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00143.x
Subject(s) - medicine , dermatology , hypopigmentation , contact dermatitis , allergic contact dermatitis , atopic dermatitis , surgery , allergy , immunology
Temporary henna tattoos have become increasingly popular as a safe alternative to permanent tattoos among American and European children and teenagers during the summer holidays. Currently, temporary henna tattoos contain not only henna, but also other additives such as para‐phemylenediamine (PPD), which is considered to be the chemical agent that most frequently causes skin reactions associated with the use of commercial black henna. In this report, we describe an 11‐year‐old boy who applied a temporary black henna tattoo on his right arm during the summer holidays in Greece and developed a severe contact dermatitis at the tattoo site with residual hypopigmentation. He had no previous history of contact dermatitis, however he did suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Patch testing revealed a strong reaction to PPD, a substance commonly contained in temporary henna tattoo preparations. Conclusion: Henna tattoos are an increasing problem worldwide since they carry an increased risk of severe skin reactions; therefore we suggest that the use of temporary henna tattoos in children be discouraged.