Dangers of "Black Henna"

There is no such thing as "Black Henna"

I have made the horrible mistake of purchasing and using so called "black henna" only to find out its consequences. I have never used it before and I am indeed heartbroken and regretful to an utmost extent that I could not sleep at night. In turn, I decided to post an article regarding "black henna", and may ALLAH forgive our shortcomings and ignorance, and heal anyone who has been harm by this paste-AMEEN.

Here is some information that you NEED to know, although I was aware of some of its implications, ALLAH knows that I would have appreciated this information before hand (most information taken from www.hennapage.com):


What colour is the stain henna? 


100% pure henna stains skin in some colour between orange, red, burgundy, brown or coffee.
The FDA classifies 100% pure henna as so safe for hair that it is exempt from regulation.
Traditional pure henna rarely causes any difficulty on the unbroken skin of a healthy adult.



What makes "black henna" harmful?

There are several things marketed as "Black Henna", and some things believed to be "Black Henna".  Some are very dangerous.  Some are harmless.

I was told that it was a harmless hair Chinese hair dye in the cone. PPD is not chinese hair dye!

When para-phenylenediamine is used to make black temporary tattoos, often called “black henna”, it can cause blistering, open sores, scarring, and for a few, lifelong health problems. 

Para-phenylendiamine based black hair dye should never be put straight on your skin, plain, or mixed with other material.   Synthetic Black Hair Dye is illegal to put on skin, because that is not an approved use.  Even when this dye is applied to hair, people must wear gloves, and they try to not get it on the scalp!  PPD, Para-phenylendiamine can seriously injure people.  Para-phenylenediamine is a strong sensitizer, transdermal toxin and potential carcinogen.  Many people get itching, blistering and hair loss from using black hair dye on their hair. 

See http://www.hennapage.com/ppd2/ppdmed.html      for a list of medical journal articles on just how dangerous PPD can be!
See http://www.hennapage.com/ppd/2ppdburngallery.html  to see what these injuries look like. (warning: these picture are very unsightly)

Does it effect everyone?


It may or may not effect you, depending on your skin's reaction. It can not be determined prior to use, so it is best to avoid it entirely.


What can I do to make my henna stain darker?


Heat and the addition of essential oils such as Tea Tree oil are the safest and most effective darkeners of henna. These may make nearly black stains on hands, but on the rest of the body, the stains will be brown.  Henna never leaves “black” stains on arms, legs, backs and bellies! 


In addition, I should mention that you should never trust the source at which you purchase the henna. Not to say that they would sell you this product intentionally, but they are most likely ignorant of want it contains. Please request an ingredients list before considering a purchase. I, for example, was told that this henna was harmless and safe, but this was not the case at all. When I confronted the retailer, they said that the manufacturer told them it was safe! Subhan ALLAH! Al-humdulillah, the retailer  immediately agreed to no longer sale the black henna cones, and has discarded them in the garbage (may ALLAH reward them!).

Ya Rub, forgive me for inflecting harm upon my sisters! Ya Rub heal their suffering and ease their pain quickly! For You are the Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.