by Marina Stein

Created on: June 28, 2010

With the growing popularity of green living, more and more people are turning towards natural cosmetics and dyes. One of the most ancient means of dyeing hair and skin is henna. Henna has been known for at least five thousand years and has been mentioned in the sacred books of many ancient civilizations.

Historically henna was used for dying hair and traditional coloring of skin and nails. Initially, covering feet and hands with henna dye helped people who lived in hot climates stay cool. Later they noticed that even if henna did not cover the whole surface of foot or hand, it still provided the same benefits. So people began creating intricate designs with henna, and that art led to the modern henna tattoos.

Though henna itself is very hypoallergenic and seldom causes any problems, the so-called "black henna" is a very different substance. Regular henna creates designs in red to brown colors, some artists start adding different ingredients to henna in order to achieve more realistic tattoos.

The ingredient which is added more often than others is PPD (para-phenylenediamine). PPD is a black dye (coal tar) used in hair dyes. It is approved for use in hair dyes by FDA but the concentration is not allowed to be higher than 6% and you are supposed to wear gloves and avoid application of the dye on your scalp. Since it is difficult (or impossible) to control addition of PPD to henna mixes, concentration of PPD in some of them can reach up to 60%.

PPD is a very dangerous substance and it can cause severe allergic reactions similar to bee stings and poison ivy - itching, blistering and swelling. The reactions are often delayed from 3 to 10 days and you can end up with permanent scarring. Treatments include steroids and topical lotions and can last for weeks. Even worst, PPD has a tendency to accumulate in your body and affect your internal systems as well.

It is necessary to mention that there are some natural products called "black henna" which are not dangerous. In the Middle Eastern stores you can find an herbal hair dye indigo, which is often sold as "black henna" since it colors your hair black. A plant "basma" also colors your hair black and sometimes it is referred to as "black henna" as well. However, you never know what kind of "black henna" the artist is using.

In order to avoid possible dangerous effects of PPD, you need to be careful if you decide to try henna tattoos. It is better to avoid having "black henna" tattoos performed on you under any conditions. Natural henna will give you the tattoo appearance you sick without any possible side effects.

Sources: http://www.hennapage.com/

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