Allergic contact dermatitis from temporary henna tattoo.

Abstract

Temporary henna tattooing has been very popular during recent years. Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is a plant from the Lythraceae family. For henna tattooing, henna dye is used. It is a dark green powder, made from the leaves of the plant, used for hair dyeing and body tattooing. Very often, para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is added to henna dye to make color blacker and to speed up dyeing. PPD may be a very potent contact sensitizer. We report a 9-year-old boy with allergic contact dermatitis due to temporary henna tattooing. Patch testing showed a positive reaction to PPD. After the treatment with topical corticosteroid and oral antihistamines, the lesion cleared with discrete residual hypopigmentation.

• Authors: Dragan L Jovanovic, Maja R Slavkovic-Jovanovic
• Journal: The Journal of dermatology (J Dermatol) Vol. 36 Issue 1 Pg. 63-5 (Jan 2009) ISSN: 0385-2407 [Print] England
• PMID: 19207440 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Allergens
• Naphthoquinones
• Phenylenediamines
• lawsone
• 4-phenylenediamine

Topics

• Allergens
• Child
• Dermatitis, Allergic Contact (etiology, immunology, pathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Naphthoquinones (adverse effects, immunology)
• Patch Tests
• Phenylenediamines (adverse effects, immunology)
• Tattooing (adverse effects)