hedge1

I want to warn all travelers to Cabarete in the DR to avoid getting temporary Henna tatoos. What might seem a harmless lark has proven for us to be a painful experience. We have all been to the doctor and are concerned that we might be permantently scared.
Avoid black henna tatoos. Check the various postings on the web by googling black henna.

michelleNYC

Please explain.

JackieMRP

This isn't only limited to the DR. Anywhere they do the BLACK temporary tatoos, you can get a reaction. Real henna is not used; it's black dye w/, I believe, the same ingredient that's in hair dye (PPD ??). I saw on a website about those tatoos that some people have had organ damage in addition to the skin reactions.

I (& our whole group of 8) got one in May 2002 at Iberostar Tucan in Playa del Carmen & no one had any reaction. Then in May 2003, at Aventura Spa Palace, I (& our whole group of 14) got one & I'm the only one who had a reaction this time.

A day or so after I got home I noticed that the tatoo was itching, then it turned bright pink & raised up from my skin quite a bit. After a week or two of putting lots of hydrocortisone cream on it, the swelling & pink finally went away. But, to this day, a year & a half later, I can still see a very, very faint shamrock on my leg (only because I know it's there, though). So, it is possible to not see a reaction w/ your 1st one but to react to a 2nd one.

Jackie

Sandye

My 10 yr old daughter got one of these last March in Puerto Plata. The man doing the tatoo would not allow you to get one until he had put a "test" dot on the area and you came back more than 24 hrs later so he could see it was OK before proceeding to put on the tatoo. Everything worked out fine.

virginia

after reading the original post i phoned my friend who does henna tattoos at fairs, concerts and other gatherings. she says that ALL black henna has PPD which is a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent) and should Never be used under any circumstances. the dot test is meaningless! the same is true for any colored henna.
brown is the only "real" henna; it is from a plant, completely organic and generally considered safe for anyone. the paste should appear greenish and dry brown.
people use the black because it produces a more dramatic look and may stain the skin for a few days longer. clearly no skin decoration is worth the chance of cancer - go with the brown!!!!!