One mum is warning others after her daughter suffered a very nasty reaction to a temporary henna tattoo while on the picturesque island on her travels – she is now ‘slowly recovering’
A mum has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers and parents after her daughter suffered burns on holiday that could leave her with permanent scars. The Australian woman shared a warning against temporary henna tattoos whilst on holiday in Bali, Indonesia, after her daughter suffered a nasty reaction after a mini-break on the popular tourist island. She shared before and after photos of her daughter’s temporary henna tattoo, adding that her daughter had it done while at a beach. “My daughter came back with what she thought was a henna tattoo,” the mother said on the Australian Bali Info for Travelling Facebook page. “Approximately one week afterwards, the dye had almost completely faded.”
She shared before and after photographs of her daughters henna tattoo. The first, showed a shiny, black, intricate henna tattoo. Seven days later, photographs showed it had faded to leave behind stinging, itchy skin with pinks welts.
“She is now on day four of a course of steroid cream and slowly recovering,” the mum said, adding doctors fear the temporary tattoo may become a forever addition to her skin. “There is a concern that this will leave a long-lasting or even permanent scar on her hand. We talked about not buying knock off perfumes and makeup because we don’t know what is in them, but clearly I should have added temporary tattoos and henna to the list.” Unlike natural henna, which is orange or brown and is designed not to stain the skin, black henna contains a chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD). PPD is a toxic chemical added to make temporary tattoos appear dark black, dry faster, and last longer. Black henna with PPD can cause severe allergic reactions, permanent scarring, oozing blisters, and long-term sensitisation to hair dyes and other substances. Which is precisely what the poor mum was told by others in the group as they shared their horror stories. One user said: “They use hair dye for their tattoos. I got a dolphin tattoo about 25 years ago, and I’m still sporting the scar. It was awful.”
A second added: “As a result of this, I am now completely allergic to hair dye, so I would suggest if she uses hair dye, to do a patch test before using in your hair.”
A third chimed in with: “This exact same thing happened to my son. It did scar for a while but has since faded. He will never get another given the pain he was in.” Others attacked the young woman’s decision, arguing she should have known better. One said: “People have known not to get this crap for years, it’s nothing new”, while another added: “Black henna has been known as dangerous for many years.”
Approximately 300,000 British tourists visit Bali annually, making the UK one of the top source markets for the Indonesian island. In 2024, the UK ranked among the top five countries for visitors, with roughly 295,326 recorded arrivals.
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