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“Black henna” tattoos can cause blistering and scarring, doctors warn

BMJ 2015; 351 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h4519 (Published 24 August 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4519
  1. Zosia Kmietowicz
  1. 1The BMJ

Dermatologists have warned that tattoos based on “black henna,” which are often offered at funfairs and festivals, can cause blistering, painful skin burns, and scarring.

So called black henna temporary tattoos do not use henna at all but a substance called paraphenylenediamine (PPD), which is found in hair dyes. …

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