Dangers of Using Black Henna
Public Health – Seattle & King County warns against use of henna products that contain additives to create temporary tattoos and which can cause allergic reactions in some people.
September 17, 2013 · Article
1379376000
Skin Lightening Practices and Mercury Exposure in the Somali Community
Article describinginterviews with Somali women about skin-lightening practices and the products they use and testing those products for mercury.
July 1, 2013 · PDF
1372636800
Skin Decorations in East African Patients
A short clinical pearl about the use of henna as skin decoration.
August 7, 2009 · Article
1249603200
The Influence of Culture and Pigment on Skin Conditions in Children
Images of common skin conditions in children with dark skin and from different cultural backgrounds. Although focused on children, many variations of skin conditions in individuals with dark skin, applies to both children and adults.
August 7, 2009 · Article
1249603200
Dermatology of Pigmented Skin
Clinical information about treatment of pigmented skin.
March 1, 1997 · Article
857174400
Circular Burn Scarring on Asian and African Patients
A short clinical pearl about patterned circular scars on the skin of Asian and African patients.
August 1, 1996 · Article
838857600
External Resources
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Cultural practices that present with dermatologic manifestations in the pediatric population are common. However, such skin manifestations are often poorly understood in western medicine and lesions are misdiagnosed, with child abuse being a common misdiagnosis.
Information on broader mercury exposures from the Washington State Department of Health.
This page includes pictures of specific products and levels of mercury detected, and links to FDA warning on skin-lightening products containing mercury (includes translated materials in Hmong, Somali and Spanish), and fact sheets for the general public and for health care providers.
An article by Ibrahim Hirsi published in MinnPost August 21, 2013 about skin lightening products containing dangerous chemicals used by Somali women. This article references a study conducted at the University of Minnesota
FDA fact sheet about types of tattoos, risks to consider, removals and FDA's role in monitoring safety.