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Severe type IV hypersensitivity to 'black henna' tattoo
Vasileios Vasilakis1, Bernice Knight, Satnam Lidder
1Department of Acute Medicine, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London Hospitals, UK.
Black henna, often containing paraphenylenediamine (PPD), caused a severe allergic skin reaction in a teen. This reaction led to significant scarring, highlighting the risks of PPD in homemade henna applications.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Allergology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Homemade henna preparations frequently contain paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a potent allergen also known as 'black henna'.
- PPD is added to commercial henna to darken the pigment and accelerate drying.
- PPD is associated with a high incidence of allergic contact dermatitis and hypersensitivity reactions.
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