A MERRIWA mum wants to warn families visiting Bali during the school holidays to avoid people peddling “harmless” henna tattoos after her nine-year-old son had a serious reaction to one.
Cheryl Mollross said her son Liam had the temporary tattoo applied to his chest while they were on the beach on Saturday June 12, but on the plane home the next day, he started complaining of discomfort.
“I had a look and tried not to panic him, but the whole area around the tattoo had come up in painful, itchy blisters,” she said.
Mrs Mollross took Liam, who celebrated his ninth birthday last Friday, to a doctor where he was given antibiotics.
“They didn’t help so I ended up having to take him to the emergency room at Joondalup Hospital on Tuesday,” she said.
“The specialist told me tattooists often add a chemical (phenylenediamine) to the henna so that it dries quicker and that is what probably caused the reaction.”
The hospital gave Liam steroid cream, and Mrs Mollross said the improvement had been amazing.
However, she said parents should think twice before letting their children get a henna tattoo.
“People kept coming up to us offering us the tattoos like they were selling sarongs or souvenirs,” she said.
“I would advise people not to get any tattoos done while they are in Bali because it is really not worth the risk.”