Opinion: Watch for Fake Henna Tattoos

Trudy from Henna Happiness in Huntington offers this advice.

Truth about Temporary Tattoo Alternatives:
Theres a bit of hooplah going on in the news about being careful when getting a temporary tattoo.

Today a customer just back from Florida showed me her "henna" tattoo she got there on vacation, and well, it wasnt henna! It was a brown/blackish color stain.

And if you're not careful with what they are applying while getting a little temporary tattoo, you could be in for a big surprise when your "black henna" design puts you in an emergency room suffering from nausea and a burning blistering rash.

Luckily, we at Henna Happiness don't use black henna (there is actually no "Black henna plant", folks!) We found out a long time ago about the dangers of "Black henna", or "hairdye mixed with silicone" causing allergic reactions to the skin. And we have seen the scars and heard the stories of the victims. In some cases the dye got caught under the blistering skin creating a permanent tattoo effect.

Real henna goes on greenish, is worn several hours, and once removed leaves a bright orange color to the skin, turning dark brown over night. Its allure is this magic color change, and also the fact that the henna plant is known for its soothing and healing qualities, adding to the art experience a nice vibe. It has been used in healing formulas and beauty remedies through many cultures, and is even in recipes written in the Great Pyramids of Egypt, where the plant is a native to the Nile River.

Henna adapts to every culture it goes to. And even now in America here, henna has been fitting itself nicely alongside tattoo culture. In fact if you look at the arts today, body art is one of the thriving cultural arts forces we have.

So if feel you might like to adorn yourself with a little body art, be careful - as theres a salesperson for anything out there! And i have seem some strange orange dyes, to funny looking brown paint being called henna.

Also good to know is that we offer a  SAFE alternative to the poisonous "Black Henna" - It's called " JAGUA gel."... made from a small yellow fruit found in Central America and it dates back to Aztec times. It is a fruit gel that bonds into the top layers of your skin, exfoliating safely within a week to two weeks. About as long as anything "new" really lasts, anyway!