DURBAN: MEDICAL experts are urging people to test for reaction before applying henna to the skin.
The warning comes after a 7-year-old girl suffered chemical burns and severe scarring from a henna tattoo.
She had travelled with her family to Egypt, where her father let her get a temporary design from a fingertip to her right elbow.
She later complained it was itchy, then the swirling pattern erupted in blisters.
Chatsworth’s Natalie Chetty, 24, will not be in a hurry to apply henna to her skin again after a nasty experience with the substance, also known as mendhi.
Henna is often used to decorate the skin during festivities and is made from henna leaf pulp.
Chetty had a reaction to a “strong-smelling” henna mixture.
“About two months ago, I bought henna from a local market. When I opened it, I noticed it had a strong smell, but I thought it meant the henna would be darker,” she said.
“After it dried, my skin felt tight and itchy. I used creams to calm my skin which helped, but I won’t be quick to use just any mixture, again.”
Dr Eeswari Reddy said chemicals were often added to the pulp to darken the red colour.
“The henna leaf itself has a cooling effect, but the chemicals used as a dye could burn skin,” said Reddy, who got a skin irritation from henna stamps in India. “The chemicals can peel off the top layer of your skin. Rather get your henna from a professional artist who knows what to use.”
Dermatologist Dr Rajendra Singh said those wanting to use henna should make a patch test before using new products: “Apply the henna to a small part of your skin first to ensure it’s safe.
“See a doctor if you have a reaction.”