Six-year-old Darwin boy facing lifelong battle with allergies after being exposed to toxic chemicals in temporary henna tattoo paint in Bali

A BALI holiday has left a six-year-old Darwin boy facing a lifelong battle with allergies after he was exposed to toxic chemicals in henna tattoo paint.

Samantha Cooper was shocked when her son Benjamin Horsington (6) returned from Bali with a "black henna" tattoo that left scars on his arm along with life-long allergies due to the chemicals used with Black-Henna.

A HOLIDAY to Bali has left a six-year-old Darwin boy facing a lifelong battle with allergies after he was exposed to toxic chemicals found in temporary tattoo paint – “black henna”.

The child’s mother, Samantha Cooper, said she wanted to share her son’s story in the hopes it could save other travellers risking their health.

Last month the children, aged six and five, went to Bali with their father for a holiday.

As a special treat both kids had a temporary black henna tattoo applied.

Ms Cooper said 10 days later, once the tattoo was well and truly gone, six-year-old Ben broke out in a rash in the outline of the tattoo.

“He had no immediate ­reaction, only once the tattoo was well and truly gone did this nasty, itchy mess come up,” she said.

Ms Cooper, who works as a paramedic, said it could also leave a scar.

“And it’s highly likely that as a result of being exposed to this disgusting, toxic substance Ben will suffer with allergies for the rest of his life,” she said.

“Things like he won’t be able to use hair dyes, and latex may be a problem.

“These people are painting it on children knowing that it could brand them for the rest of their lives.”

After doing some research Ms Cooper found that skin ­reactions to black henna were commonplace.

“I can’t understand how there aren’t warnings put out for travellers heading to countries where it is commonly used on tourists,” she said.

She said it was important people understood the difference between traditional henna and black henna.

Traditional henna is a reddish-brown colouring made from a flowering plant. It has been used since the Bronze Age, ground into a paste, to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool.

Benjamin Horsington was left with scars on his arm after getting a “black henna” tattoo in Bali. Picture: Ivan Rachman

But today black henna is often used in its place.

The danger in black henna is due to an ingredient used in it which is essentially hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine (PPD) which often causes dangerous skin reactions and is outlawed in most western countries in products applied directly to the skin.

“It’s not as simple as going to your GP and getting a cream to fix it,” Ms Cooper said.

“We have tried every topical cream and nothing has worked. We now have to take Ben to a dermatologist.”