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A press - on butterfly tattoo may seem like an easy alternative to the pain and permanency of real ink , but the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumer that irregular tattoo are n’t risk of exposure free .
FDA official cautioned thattemporary tattooscan make supersensitized chemical reaction , in a May 13 seminar on the agency ’s website .
A henna design. Henna skin decorations are part of traditional Indian and Pakistani weddings.
The FDA would care irregular tattoo users to report reactions to the governing , said Katherine Hollinger , an epidemiologist with the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors . The means can not presently allow for any information on the number of adverse reactions cover each year .
" If you had a chemical reaction to a impermanent tattoo or any ornamental merchandise , the FDA wants to know , " she said . [ 8 uncanny Signs of an Allergic Reaction ]
FDA authority
cosmetic ( including temporary tattoo ) do not have to welcome FDA approval before they go on the market , while medicines do . However , the color additive in cosmetic do have to go through FDA approval .
There is no data on the number of people who expend temporary tattoo each yr , tell Hollinger . The way does invite voluntary reports of problems , Hollinger say in response to a question from Live Science , but would turn those numbers only through a Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA ) request .
The FDA can take action against harmful products , but in the case of impermanent tattoos , can only determine the cosmos of a problem if consumer provide voluntary reports of harm .
type of tattoos
There are a number of impermanent tattoos on the market , said Bhakti Petigara Harp , a pill roller in the FDA ’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors . Beyond the pie-eyed - and - pressing tattoos found in bubble gum machine , there are several type of temporary tattoos that use plant - based and synthetic dyestuff .
One type uses henna , a library paste made from the dried leave of the lawsonia plant , which is frequently used to paint intricate designs on the manpower and feet of Amerindic and Pakistani brides . Some henna products are mixed with a hair - dye element , phosphorus - phenylenediamine ( PPD ) , which turn over the remaining plan a disastrous or blue - black color . Although they are frequently used for pelt designs , neither henna nor PPD are approve by the FDA for use on the skin .
Another dye , jagua , descend from the unripe fruit of theGenipa americana , a South American tree . Indigenous people in the Amazon have long used genipap fruit for torso decorations , but the dye is novel to the United States .
Allergic response to these dyes can require rashes and blisters . Long - term effects might include scarring , skin change and increase predisposition to sun , Hollinger state .
Of of course , real tattoo amount with their own set of endangerment , includingcontaminated inkthat has caused contagion outbreak .
Some people also have allergic reaction to tattoo ink , particularly if it ’s red . In February , doctors cover the case of a man who developed anallergic reaction to his tattoo20 days after getting ink , as a side effect of a bone marrow transplant .
