Beware of henna tattoos on holiday!

«It only lasts two weeks!» A henna tattoo is a compromise that many parents are happy to make if their teenager wants a tattoo. Especially in southern holiday destinations, there is a large selection of designs and the drawing looks good on tanned skin. But unfortunately, henna tattoos are not harmless . We spoke to specialist Dr Tobias Plaza, head of the Brunnehof Skin and Allergy Centre in Uster.

Mr Plaza, henna tattoos are painted onto the skin and often only last a few days. What is the problem?

The problem is that the colour used often contains not only henna, but other substances are also added to it. The colour accelerator paraphenylenediamine (PPD), which is frequently used, is particularly dangerous.

What are the consequences?

After about two weeks, a very severe allergic reaction occurs, often an inflammation with blistering. The inflammation usually has the exact shape of the tattoo and if it is not treated, scars remain.

Allergies to colour additives are very painful and often appear in the form of tattoos. photo: zVg

How is such an inflammation treated?

In any case, consult a dermatologist and/or allergist. They can prescribe anti-inflammatory creams.

And when the inflammation has healed, will everything be fine again?

Unfortunately, cross-allergies to other colourants often occur. So anyone who has reacted to a henna tattoo should definitely have themselves tested for various substances before colouring their hair again, for example. Such allergic reactions are particularly bad on the head - with swollen eyes, for example.

What questions can I ask the «tattooist» to find out whether he is using harmless henna ink or ink with dangerous colour accelerators?

First of all, the colour of the tattoo gives a good indication. If pure henna is used, the tattoo will be a brown-reddish colour afterwards. There is no such thing as «black henna». It is also important to know how long the colour needs to soak in. With colour accelerator, this is only 1 to 2 hours and then the colour is washed off. Henna, on the other hand, has to stay on the skin for many hours to colour it.

Dr Tobias Plaza. photo: zVg

Does it also help if you avoid tattooists in certain countries? Or to put it another way: is it safe to get a henna tattoo at a Swiss city festival?

The colour accelerator PPD is actually banned in Europe and Switzerland - but that does not mean that it is no longer used. However, the risk of getting a dangerous tattoo in a typical holiday destination such as Turkey or Greece is certainly higher.