title: Sensitization to para-phenylenediamine from a streetside temporary tattoo.
abstract: "Temporary" henna tattoos (skin painting or pseudotattooing) are in vogue among American and European youngsters, particularly when vacationing. A 17-year-old girl presented with a severe contact dermatitis of her scalp and face after having dyed her hair with a permanent oxidative hair dye. She denied previous use of oxidative hair dye. Eight months earlier she had a "temporary" henna tattoo applied on her shoulder by a transient artist in downtown Montreal and developed an acute, erythematous, edematous eruption that resolved with residual, prolonged hyperpigmentation. As henna tattooing is a lengthy and tedious procedure, para-phenylenediamine (PPD) may be added to the mixture to accelerate the process, to darken, and to give more precision to the design. This short-lived fad can have longer-term sequelae then expected, ranging from postinflammatory hyperpigmentation of the tattoo site to permanent sensitization to PPD and related compounds.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Danielle_Gosselin@SSSS.gouv.qu.ca
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcoux
authors.forename: Pierre-Marc
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Couture-Trudel
authors.forename: Gisèle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riboulet-Delmas
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sasseville
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010328:Patch Tests; D010655:Phenylenediamines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D010655:Phenylenediamines; C029728:4-phenylenediamine