Natasha Hamilton Shares Graphic Image Of Son's 'Terrible Reaction' To Henna Tattoo He Got On Holiday | HuffPost Life

NHS Choices warns certain types of henna tattoos can 'scar for life'.

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Parents & Style Editor at HuffPost UK

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Natasha Hamilton’s son suffered a severe skin reaction after getting a henna tattoo on holiday.

The ‘Atomic Kitten’ star and mum-of-four, shared a photo of her six-year-old son Alfie’s inflamed leg on Twitter and said she is worried he will be left with a scar.

“This is a terrible reaction my son has had after getting a henna tattoo on holiday,” she wrote on 7 March.

“It reacted after a week when he went swimming back home.”

Hamilton, who is also mum to Josh, 14, Harry, 12, and Ella, two, went on to reassure her followers that Alfie is “fine” but “angry”.

“He’s fine, no pain but we just hope that it doesn’t scar now,” she wrote. “Little trooper but angry that it happened! Never again!”

Dr Helen Webberley, GP for Oxford Online Pharmacy, told The Huffington Post UK why parents should be cautious of henna tattoo stalls on holiday.

“Unfortunately, stalls such as the one where this child had a henna tattoo, are not subject to any sort of regulation, so you are going on blind faith,” she said.

“There are different types of henna, all of which may cause an allergic reaction but in the most extreme cases, such as this one, the chemicals contained within the product actually burn the skin.

“My advice for children is to avoid henna tattoos altogether. If you do want to go ahead, the general rule is that henna is orange-brown in colour and if the paste being applied is black or referred to as ‘neutral’ then it is not the genuine article.

“People tend to associate henna tattoos with being a pain free temporary alternative to the real thing but as you can see in this instance, the skin’s reaction is anything but.”

NHS Choices warns that families should always avoid black henna tattoos as they may contain high levels of a chemical dye called paraphenylenediamine (PPD) and “could leave you scarred for life and put you at risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction.”

“The signs range from discomfort, such as burning or tingling, to painful stinging, swelling, redness and blistering of the skin,” Dr Chris Flower, director general of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, told NHS Choices.

“This can become very severe and lead to permanent scarring of the skin in the outline of the tattoo.”

Parents are advised that if they or their child suffer a reaction like this, they should contact a doctor immediately.

Before You Go

Celebrity Parents With The Most Children

Rod Stewart(01 of16)

Hot Rod has eight children, ranging in age from 52 down to four years old.Six months after the birth of his youngest son, Aiden, the singer also became a grandfather for the first time, when his daughter, Kimberly, gave birth to a daughter. (credit:Santiago Felipe via Getty Images)

Katie Price(02 of16)

Katie Price is as famous for her ever-growing brood as she is for her outlandish outfits and many, many reality TV appearances. The former glamour model gave birth to her eldest, Harvey, in 2002, and later welcomed two children with her ex-husband, Peter Andre, Junior and Princess Tiami. She also has a son, Jett, with ex-husband Kieran Hayler, and gave birth to their youngest daughter, Bunny, in 2015. Katie is adamant she's keen to have a sixth baby in the future. (credit:Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle via Getty Images)

Ronnie Wood(03 of16)

At the age of 68, Ronnie became a father of six when his wife gave birth to twins. (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt(04 of16)

The former golden couple of Hollywood have six children, including three biological (Shiloh, and twins, Vivienne and Knox) and three adopted (Maddox, Zahara and Pax) kids. Angelina adopted Maddox and Zahara prior to her relationship with Brad, though he later became their legal father after they got together. (credit:Jason LaVeris via Getty Images)

Jermaine Jacksun(05 of16)

Jermaine Jacksun (as he's now known), has seven children, each more fabulously named than the last, culminating in his youngest being christened Jermajesty.How. Fabulous. (credit:Albert L. Ortega via Getty Images)

Kerry Katona(06 of16)

Kerry has five children.While her first two marriages each spawned two children, she also gave birth to a daughter by most recent husband George Kay, Dylan-George, in 2014. (credit:Alex Huckle via Getty Images)

Robert De Niro(07 of16)

In addition to his six children, the youngest of whom is four years old, the Oscar-winning actor is also a grandfather four times over. (credit:Gilbert Carrasquillo via Getty Images)

Nadya Suleman(08 of16)

Let's just say it, media personality Nadya Suleman didn't earn the nickname 'Octomom' by keeping her family in the low numbers.In addition the octuplets that first put her in the spotlight, Nadya was already a mum to six children, all of whom she has revealed were conceived by IVF. (credit:Charles Norfleet via Getty Images)

Mel Gibson(09 of16)

Mel and his ex-wife Robyn welcomed six sons and one daughter during their 30-year marriage. (credit:Don Arnold via Getty Images)

Caitlyn Jenner(10 of16)

Decades before coming out as transgender, Caitlyn had two children with each of her first two wives, and later became a parent to two children with her most recent wife, Kris Jenner, Kendall and Kylie. Perhaps you've heard of them? She also still acts as a step-parent to Kris's four children, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob. (credit:Gilbert Carrasquillo via Getty Images)

Mike Tyson(11 of16)

Mike Tyson has fathered eight children throughout his lifetime, and also considers himself the father of his second wife, Monica Turner's eldest daughter from a previous relationship. (credit:Astrid Stawiarz via Getty Images)

Eddie Murphy(12 of16)

Eddie and his girlfriend of three years, Paige Butcher, announced in November 2015 that they were expecting a baby, her first child and his ninth. (credit:Kris Connor via Getty Images)

Bob Marley(13 of16)

Also at the higher-end of the spectrum is reggae singer Bob Marley, who fathered 12 children, the youngest of whom was just four years old at the time of his father's death in 1981. (credit:Everett Collection/REX Shutterstock)

Mia Farrow(14 of16)

During her lifetime, Mia has been a mother to an impressive 15 children, three of whom were with ex-husband André Previn and one with Woody Allen, though she suggested in 2013 that their son's father may actually be Frank Sinatra.The rest of her children were adopted from countries around the world. (credit:Taylor Hill via Getty Images)

Charlie Chaplin(15 of16)

Silent movie actor Charlie Chaplin's also had a large family, becoming father to 11 children across his lifetime. (credit:Glasshouse Images/REX Shutterstock)

Marlon Brando(16 of16)

However, no one beats Marlon Brando, who is said to have had 11 children, though some have suggested he had as many as 15.His son Christian previously remarked about his childhood: "The family kept changing shape, I'd sit down at the breakfast table and say, 'Who are you?'" (credit:Michel Dufour via Getty Images)

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