Reaction To A Henna Tattoo (Black Henna)

2StepSteve

2StepSteve

2StepSteve

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Before anyone moans that this is a medical issue and yaps on that I need to see my GP I can say I have twice, and have also called NHS direct. I am not silly enough to follow stupid advice here but would like to know what to do next via professional help.

I went to Cyprus a month ago and while drunk got a henna tattoo I didn't think much of it, never had one before. My GF had one done from the same guy a couple of days before and all was fine with her (She was my guinea pig).

A few hours after mine was done it felt a bit hot but not uncomfortable, it peeled off fine after a few hours after and looked not bad!

I get home about 2 weeks after my holiday and it is starting to fade away, then out of the blue a few days after I felt it become very itchy and looked down and it was red and very inflamed.

622820711_wttd3-O.jpg

Top is 3 hours after
Bottom is 3 weeks after

At this point 3 weeks after having it done my GFs henna tattoo has completely disappeared, yet mine is red and inflamed, following the exact path where the ink was drawn. So I go to the GP who prescribes me antihistamine tablets and tells me to use E45 cream.

10 days later after using the tablets and cream there has been no change it is still red and raised, so I go back to the GP this time I see a nurse. She tells me she 'doesn't really know what to suggest'. Which to be honest isn't exactly promising. She says I should go to a tattoo parlor for advice and go to A&E. Which makes me think WTF is a person who does real tattoos going to know about a reaction to a henna tattoo and there is no way am I going to A&E with such a thing like this I will get laughed at!

So I ring NHS direct and again the woman also doesn't have much of a clue about such a reaction. She tells me I should finish the antihistamine and tells me I shouldn't go to A&E as they will just refer me to my GP. She also says I should go to a tattoo parlor for their advice. Which again I just do not understand.. this is not a real tattoo but a reaction to the chemicals of a henna tattoo.

Meanwhile I have been reading about PPD a chemical used in black henna tattoos (which I'm now sure was used on me) and the reactions and scarring it can cause. It seems that no one knows about this reaction or how to treat it.

So i'm not sure what to do really! I wish I could find the money to fly back to Cyprus and punch the guy that was doing the henna tattoos.

Anyone else heard of anything like this?
 
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I have a similar reaction to some things, such as rubber and some adhesives. It's a relatively severe reaction that only starts after the source is removed and that lasts about 2 weeks, fading away slowly over that period of time. For the first 7-10 days it's a perfectly delineated shape, as yours is.

So you might just be having contact dermatitis, which should fade away without scarring. Personally, I don't find that antihistamines make any difference. Cream reduces itching and drying, but has no effect on healing.

But I'm not giving advice. I'm not qualified to. Although it seems that the people who are qualified to don't have a clue either. It's like low-end tech support, where they pick out keywords (in this case 'tattoo') and feed you irrelevant stuff as a result.
 
gotta agree, if it doesn't hurt too much, don't worry it will settle, and does look cool..

secondly though, they are probably right, speak to a tattooist, they will probably know more about it than your doctor (as ink reactions are their job, and the side-effects)
 
Look at it this way...

If you get another one of a tiger on your other arm then you will have completed your training! (Obscure reference to opening sequence of Kung Fu)
 
Angilion said:
But I'm not giving advice. I'm not qualified to. Although it seems that the people who are qualified to don't have a clue either. It's like low-end tech support, where they pick out keywords (in this case 'tattoo') and feed you irrelevant stuff as a result.
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Totally! It seems that none of these professionals have any idea on exactly what this is and how it should be treated.. and it is nuts and worrying that they don't.

It looks cooler in red :D lol you crazy ocuk mofos! I paid 15 euros for this crap and it seems that no one knows how to deal with it.

Ceryndrion said:
gotta agree, if it doesn't hurt too much, don't worry it will settle, and does look cool..

secondly though, they are probably right, speak to a tattooist, they will probably know more about it than your doctor (as ink reactions are their job, and the side-effects)
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But it just feels wrong for GP and nurse to tell me to speak to a tattooist after all they can't prescribe any medication for it.....
 
Ever tried those tests to see if you have a bad reaction to hair dye? In some foreign countries they make the henna mix on the cheap and substitute some of the ingredients for cheap dye instead. Could be a late reaction to that.
 
cheets64 said:
Sign, why do people go to foreign countries and have this crap put on their arms, see it every summer, normally its kids but anything could be in that henna stuff, just hope your body can heal itself because.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/05/henna.html

I see you are not a fan of Watchdog :p
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It is funny as I'd not normally have something like this done! But as I say I was drunk and my GF had one done from the same guy and after a few days she was fine.. so I thought I'd be fine (stupidly).

Yes heard tonight from a mate about the watchdog, Nicky Campbell argh!

I have been reading over this page http://www.hennapage.com/henna/ppd/gotodoctor.html

Which states I should take the information to the GP but links are broken and the other links do not state what treatment should be carried out. Would be nice to have something to take to my cluesless GP.
 
I agree with the advice given by your GP etc, speak to a tattoo artist. Even if they don't use henna tattoos, there's a good chance that they will know how they work and possible reactions.
 
This happened to my friend but the reaction was slightly worse. He was given steroid cream, 3 years later and the mark is still there.
 
I am a pharmacist and if you came into a shop I was working in with that, I would suggest hydrocortisone cream twice a day for a week. Antihistamines probably won't work if they haven't already. It certainly looks like contact dermatitis and it should clear up in time.

I know this may constitute medical advice, but this is just what I would suggest, in my professional opinion, if someone came to me with an arm like that.

G.
 
Go and see your GP again with a bit of information to tell him what the problem is, the treatment for this is quite simple (as above) and if he cant work it out ask if you can see a dermatologist.
 
aardvark said:
wow, they put paraphenylenediamine in henna - thats seriously dodgy.
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Not to mention illegal in europe (amongst other places). It's the same stuff that people become allergic to in hair dye, and there the concentration is only 6% (plus you are told to rinse off ASAP). In "black henna" (no such thing) it can be 30-60% and left on the skin for 30 minutes, you do the math! Once you've had a reaction you're sensitized for life and contact with things like printer ink can set you off.

Many stories of young children being scarred (and having subsequent reactions to medications such as certain antibiotics) whilst on holiday abroad. Anyone remember that little 3 year old who's now got a permanent bart simpson bearing his bottom scar?
 
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2StepSteve said:
I have been reading over this page http://www.hennapage.com/henna/ppd/gotodoctor.html

Which states I should take the information to the GP but links are broken and the other links do not state what treatment should be carried out. Would be nice to have something to take to my cluesless GP.
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http://www.mehndiskinart.com/2001-13-351.pdf

This is the pdf it says you need to show your GP. In particular page 200 (or page 2, whichever way you look at it :p) refers to treatment and results and actually sounds quite promising.

As the page says your Doctor might just not appreciate that black henna can have a high percentage of the same chemical that people react to in hair dye, so it's entirely possible he'll change his tune once you make him aware of this.

Hope it all works out for you.
 
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See your GP again with the information gathered and ask to be referred to a dermatologist asap if he still refuses to treat. Ignore all other medical advice in this thread because only your GP knows your medical history.
 
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