Henna is gorgeous… but NOT for your kidneys!!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Henna is a natural dye, used globally for body art. Some practitioners add a chemical to create a dark striking black henna. Unfortunately, it has known health risks, but how bad?
Enter Mazin M. T. Shigidi and Nazik M. Abdulfatah.
They assessed over a hundred Sudanese henna artists who regularly used black henna. Through urine and blood tests, twenty-seven artists were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
Despite awareness of black henna risks, artists don’t consistently take precautions.
Education and accessible protective gear to the rescue!
Use it or lose it! We’re not KIDNEY-ING around here!
Reference: Shigidi, M. M. T., & Abdulfatah, N. M. (2026). Long-term para-phenylenediamine exposure and chronic kidney disease risk in adult female henna artists: a cross-sectional study. International urology and nephrology, 58(2), 673–679. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-025-04757-y