HOUSTON -- Celebrities like Madonna and Demi Moore have made henna tattooing a popular form of body art. But what started out as fun became a serious problem for a Houston-area family, Local 2 reported Monday.

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Family's Idea Of Safe Souvenir Turns Into Permanent Problem

After six years, the Kinkead family decided to get henna tattoos on the beach during their annual trip to Cancun, Mexico.

Feet and backs were decorated with what they thought was temporary ink.

"It's something fun, you know? It's going to be gone in three weeks. So, I let a 9-year-old do it," mother Sandra Kinkead said.

Hannah, 9, picked out a double butterfly design. But it turned ugly less than 24 hours later.

"It was real red and it itched a lot, but I tried not to scratch it," she said.

The ink disappeared and what was left blistered.

"What is left now is a scar. It's no longer the allergic reaction," Sandra Kinkead said.

It left Hannah with a permanent reminder of her summer trip.

"All of this because of a $10 tattoo. It's going to run me into the thousands (of dollars) probably," Sandra Kinkead said.

While the Kinkeads thought they were getting henna tattoos, the ink was a synthetic black hair die, or phenylenediamines, also known as ppd.

It is not approved for use on the skin.

"Sometimes the product, ppd, not only can stay in the skin and cause an allergic reaction in the skin, but it can cause systemic reactions. People can have other problems in the whole body," allergist Dr. Juan Zambrano said.

Zambrano treated Hannah. He used medication to help the infection, but could not do much for the scar.

"It may take months or years for that to go away," Zambrano said. "It stains the first layer of the skin."

Henna artist Soniya Gheewala practices the ancient art of body painting in Houston.

She said the first sign you're getting a bad tattoo is in the color.

"Black henna is not henna. Natural henna takes a while to prepare because you have to soak it in essential oils and lemon juice. It takes about six to 10 hours to develop the stain compared to the black henna that you instantly mix and it's ready in 10 minutes," Gheewala said.

Black henna stains the skin jet black. Natural henna is an orange color and darkens as it develops.

The designs stay on for about two weeks, but Gheewala cautions people against tattooing while in vacation spots.

"Street artists -- they do this with black henna, black dye. It's easy money. It's fast to do. You're never going to see them again. It's a quick buck for them," Gheewala said.

PPD is similar to bee venom or poison ivy, which some people are more sensitive to than others.

A reaction to a black henna tattoo may not appear for three to 10 days after being applied.

For more information on henna tattoos and the possible dangers, visit the following Web sites.

Henna Tattoo Warnings
Local Henna Artist