Henna Tattoos May Leave More Than a Mark
You were proud of that cool-looking henna tattoo you picked up during a visit to Venice Beach, the one that was supposed to fade away with time. But then your skin started to itch. It turned red and swollen--and looked nasty.
Your little indulgence may have left you with an unpleasant allergic reaction and a permanent sensitivity to the chemical dye that is sometimes used to make henna designs look darker.
Doctors in the United States and abroad report seeing more patients complaining of blistery skin reactions after having their skin painted with henna designs, called mehndi.
This form of body art, traditionally applied to the hands and feet, gained in popularity a few years ago after Madonna sported the designs in her music video “Frozen.” The skin painting is a tradition in some countries, including India, Morocco and Fiji.
Most tattoo parlors in the United States and Europe use pure henna, a plant-based dye that rarely causes problems. The main problem is with an added chemical that is contained in some temporary tattoos that you might get from street vendors, at amusement parks and the like, according to German researchers who have studied the problem.
Henna, from the plant Lawsonia inermis , naturally produces a reddish-brown stain on the skin. But so-called black henna tattoos, which also contain the chemical p-phenylenediamine, can produce severe allergic reactions. Some Web sites warn that PPD, an ingredient in some black hair dyes, penetrates deep into the skin and into the bloodstream, where it can damage the liver and kidneys.
Researchers at the Dermatological Centre in Buxtehude, Germany, tested the skin of people who had previously reacted to henna tattoos. They applied pure henna as well as PPD. Only the chemical dye caused a strong allergic reaction.
In a recent article in Britain’s New Scientist magazine, the researchers warned that such reactions could restrict young people’s job prospects because they’d have to avoid working in industrial settings where the chemical is commonly used. The allergic reaction appears to worsen with additional exposure to the chemical.
BIRTH CONTROL: Manufacturing of Today Sponge Further Delayed
It looks like the return of the Today contraceptive sponge won’t happen soon.
Once the most popular form of birth control in the United States, the Today sponge disappeared from the market seven years ago when its then-manufacturer encountered production problems. Women’s disappointment in the product’s demise was highlighted in an episode of TV’s “Seinfeld,” in which the character Elaine tracked down a case of the sponges and evaluated her romantic partners based on their “spongeworthy” potential.
A new manufacturer, Allendale Pharmaceuticals of Allendale, N.J., has been promising to return the Today sponge to store shelves for three years.
But the relaunch has been plagued by a series of regulatory delays.
Last month, Allendale Chief Executive Gene Detroyer sent an e-mail to about 2,000 “Friends of the Sponge” to warn of further delays because the company had not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin manufacturing at a plant in Mainland, Pa. The sticking point continues to be federal plant standards.
But Detroyer said Allendale could begin selling the Today sponge in Canada as soon as January. Those products would be produced at another plant in Norwich, N.Y.
Fans of the sponge, which combines a barrier to the cervix with continuous release of spermicide, say it’s easy to purchase, allows for more sexual spontaneity than condoms and lacks the side effects of the pill.
There are drawbacks, however. The sponge has a 10% failure rate and doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
MARKETING: Madonna Doesn’t Want to Be a Wrapper
Madonna not only has a new concert tour going, she’s also got her name and picture on a new latex condom.
The Madonna condom bears a black and white photo, dating to 1979, of the singer on the product’s package and foil wrapper. The condom is being distributed in the United States by Condomania, a Hollywood-based company.
But Madonna’s publicist suggests that the singer is not pleased with the use of her image to sell condoms.
“Although Madonna has long been a proponent of safe sex, she’s not endorsing, nor is she affiliated with this particular product, and her attorneys are reviewing their options at this time,” said Liz Rosenberg, Madonna’s longtime publicist.
Condomania officials say that Madonna’s attorneys initially objected to use of the photo.
But her attorneys backed down after Condomania furnished a copy of a 1979 release in which she signed away her rights to the photo, taken from a Madonna Nudes photo shoot.
The packaging uses only a head shot of Madonna in her raven-haired phase so “it would not be mistaken for a pornographic-type product,” said Adam Glickman, Condomania’s president.
Madonna condoms have been sold in Europe and Japan for two years through Netherlands-based VDM International. Condomania began selling the condoms on Aug. 25, and reports that more than 1,000 boxes were sold in the first three days.
Condomania operates a retail store in New York City. It also sells its products through an Internet site.
