- Joined
- Aug 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,166
- Points
- 48
https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/4294418/holiday-henna-tattoo-disfiguring-scars/
News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.
Follow The Sun
- The Scottish Sun
- The Irish Sun
- Dream Team
- Sun Bets
- Sun Bingo
- Hols from £9.50
- Superdays
- Sun Savers
- Sun Gifts
Services
- Sign Up To The Sun
- Terms and Conditions
- Editorial Complaints
- Clarifications and Corrections
- News Licensing
- Advertising
- Contact Us
- Commissioning Terms
- Help Hub
- Topic A-Z
- Sell Your Story
Sign in
UK Edition
Search
- Home
- Football
- Sport
- TV & Showbiz
- News
- Fabulous
- Money
- Motors
- Travel
- Tech
- Dear Deidre
- Puzzles
- Topics A-Z
- All Living
- Realife
- Dear Deidre
- Fabulous
- Virals
- Parenting
- Health
- Sex
- Fashion and Beauty
- Food
- Mystic Meg
- Puzzles
Parents tell of agony after daughter, 7, was left with huge disfiguring scars from holiday henna tattoo
Painful blisters erupted all over Madison Gulliver's arm after being treated at a plush hotel in Egypt
By Amanda Devlin
22nd August 2017, 9:08 am
Updated: 23rd August 2017, 1:53 pm
PARENTS of a little girl who suffered chemical burns from a henna tattoo on holiday have told of their agony.
Seven-year-old Madison Gulliver is likely to be left with permanent scarring after painful blisters erupted on her arm while in Egypt.
SWNS:South West News Service
8
Madison Gulliver suffered a nasty chemical burn after having a black henna tattoo on holiday
SWNS:South West News Service
8
After arriving home from holidays in Egypt, Madison complained her temporary tattoo was itchy and it soon began to blister
Today her dad Martin, 50, from the Isle of Wight, admitted he had no idea about the potential risks of getting inked abroad when he treated his daughter to the black henna design at their plush hotel in Hurghada.
He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "We didn't know the dangers of black henna. it was a treat for Maddison when we were on holiday.
"There was no indication something like this would happen at all.
"Our message to other parents is, don't risk it."
His wife Sylvia added: "It could have been avoided if we knew the risks."
A chemical called para-phenylenediamine, or PPD, is added to henna to make the tattoos darker and increase their lifespan.
ITV
ITV
While PPD is present in many products, such as hair dye, it is usually used in very small doses.
The addition of PPD into henna is now recognised as a public health issue, as this allergenic chemical often causes hypersensitivity reactions in children.
About a week after having the black henna, little Maddison began to complain the pattern was itchy.
HENNA HELL Doctors warn of dangers of black henna tattoos - and how holidaymakers are at risk of 'chemical BURNS' and allergic reactions
She said today: "It started to itch really badly when we got home. It's getting better now."
Dad Martin added: "There was initially just some soreness at the top of her arm so we put some cream on it and she went to bed.
"Next morning the whole arm had started reacting mildly in the shape of the tattoo.
"We looked it up online and then went to the hospital. They hadn't seen anything like this before.
"Everything we tried it was just getting worse and worse."
HOLIDAY TREATS THAT CAN LEAVE A PERMANENT SCAR
Black henna tattoos have become fashionable as a temporary, but realistic looking, form of body art.
They are readily available abroad and are sometimes offered in the UK at festivals and fairs.
However, the NHS warns these tattoos can contain high levels of toxic chemical dye, which it is normally illegal to use on the skin.
The paste contains an ingredient called paraphenylenediamine (PPD). In the EU, this chemcial can legally be used in hair dyes - but not for tattoos.
Dr Chris Flower, director general of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, explained: "When applied to the skin in the form of a black henna temporary tattoo, PPD can cause chemical burns and lead to allergic reactions."
In extreme cases, black henna tattoos can lead to swelling, blistering and permanent scarring of the skin.
Black henna tattoos can also increase sensitivity to PPD, meaning you could have a serious allergic reaction to legal hair dyes.
The excruciating blisters had to be cut off by medics at a specialist burns unit, leaving Madison with potentially permanent scarring.
Mum Sylvia said: "The scarring is one thing, but it's the affects of PPD now. It's in everything from sun cream to hair dye.
"She's now more sensitive to that. She's already had a reaction to penicillin which wasn't a problem before.
"Hopefully she won't scar. They've said that in the next two years the skin colour could come back."
SWNS:South West News Service
8
Medics had to cut off the thick blisters to try and treat the burned skin underneath
Martin, a manager for Royal Mail, said he was entirely unaware of the dangers and called for more warnings from travel agents.
He said: "I think it's partly my fault because I didn't know about it, but also the fault of the salon because they are using dangerous chemicals on children.
"We want to get the message out to other people about this."
The family's holiday was going well until the second week, when mum Sylvia, 43, had to be rushed to hospital with a gallbladder infection.
They decided to treat the skin by removing the blisters, so they could access the burned skin underneath
Martin Gulliver - Madison's dad
While she recovered, Madison and her brother Sebastian, nine, spent two days at their mum's hospital bedside.
As a treat for being so good, Martin paid for both the kids to have a black henna tattoo.
Sebastian instantly complained of itching so the pattern was washed from his arm.
But shortly after returning home on July 25 the skin under Madison's tattoo started to bubble.
Doctors gave the family steroid cream to treat the area but when blisters started to form on Madison's fingers, the young girl was quickly rushed to A&E.
SWNS:South West News Service
8
Madison had the temporary tattoo at the family's plush hotel salon as a treat
After five visits to St Mary's Hospital where they were given different creams and ointments, she was finally referred to burns' specialists Salisbury District Hospital.
Doctors carried out a test on the liquid seeping from the blisters on Madison's arms and were shocked to discover a high PH level - indicating a chemical burn.
Madison now has to wear a pressure bandage for at least six months to minimise scarring as much as possible.
SWNS:South West News Service
8
After washing the henna off Madison's skin when it began to itch, her parents noticed it became red and inflamed
SWNS:South West News Service
8
Madison now has to wear pressure bandages and faces therapy to try and minimise the scarring
The hotel in Hurghada apologised and said it no longer offered the tattoos.
In an email to the family, Heike Moursy guest relation manager of Fort Arabesque Resort, Spa & Villas, said: ''On behalf of the owner from the Beauty Center we apologise again what is happened with your daughter.
''We don't want to have such horrible reactions to anybody in the future again.
''Therefore our general manager Mr Max Shoukry have spoken with the owner of the beauty centre to stop the offer of any henna tattoo.
''We know, this does not help your daughter but we wish her to get well soon.''
Madison's ordeal comes after a spate of similar cases.
Chloe Goodwin, 20, suffered similar horrific burns after having a temporary black henna tattoo while on holiday in Bulgaria.
And little Theo Luckett's mum issued a warning after the seven-year-old was left with burns on his arm.
The family were on holiday in Bulgaria when Theo had the temporary design on his upper arm.
MORE ON THE DANGERS OF BLACK HENNA
TATT'S GOOD TO KNOW
How to tell the difference between safe henna dye and dangerous black henna ink
SUMMER OF HELL
Teenager is suffers horrific burns all down her arm after temporary black henna tattoo went wrong
HENNA HELL
Boozed-up Brits abroad 'risk chemical burns and deadly allergic reactions from temporary black henna tattoos'
HENNA HOLIDAY HELL
Mum's warning after schoolboy son, 7, left with horrific burns from henna tattoo while on holiday in Bulgaria
HENNA HELL
Mum's horror as daughter, 13, left with blistering and oozing burn 'from henna tattoo that could scar her for life'
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
