Article: Henna Tattoos Can Cause Allergic Contact Dermatitis.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Normally, a henna "tattoo" would be a delight for any physician concerned about the safety and permanence of tattooing.

The reddish-brown drawings fade from skin in a matter of weeks, providing a safer alternative to young people enticed by modern pierce-and-tatoo fashions. Long used as body decorations in Islamic and Indian cultures, henna skin drawings are increasingly popular among Western youths.

But case reports from India have documented contact dermatitis and type I hypersensitivity in some people applying henna paste to their skin.

Worse yet, the formulas that are used in henna tattoo may contain additives such as ...

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