Popular health influencer and medical doctor, Chinonso Egemba, widely known as Aproko Doctor, has warned that the use of fake or black henna can cause severe skin reactions, including permanent scars and keloids.
The critical warning follows a recent wave of widespread social media posts in which users have shared their distressing experiences and adverse skin reactions linked to henna use.
In an educational video shared on Monday, Egemba explicitly highlighted that some of the injuries linked to fake henna could be lifelong for the victims.
Sounding a note of caution regarding the long-term impact on a victim’s skin, he said, “There are some scars that may never leave for the rest of her life.”
He went on to explain that natural henna is derived from the plant Lawsonia innum, which naturally produces a brownish, reddish, or orange tint and is generally safe for human use.
Detailing the safe option, he said, “There are two types of henna… the natural henna… It gives you a brownish, reddish, orange colour. That one is generally safe.”
Egemba, however, strongly warned that the commonly used black variant is not natural henna but contains paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical also found in hair dye products.
He noted that when applied directly to the skin, this harsh substance can trigger allergic contact dermatitis, a condition in which the body’s immune system reacts aggressively.
Explaining the internal biological battle that leads to physical damage, he said, “If PPD touches your skin, your immune system can see it like a problem… that fight is causing all the redness, all the itching, all the swelling, all the pain.”
The medical doctor added that these dangerous reactions may be delayed in first-time users, sometimes taking 7 to 14 days to appear, while previously sensitised individuals may react aggressively within one to three days.