Henna on Babies?

[Raidra]

Just wondering if any of you know..

Is henna (as in, henna tattoos) safe to put on a 1 yr old?

Thanks!

[papal]

I just asked my mom and she doesn't have a reason but she said she wouldn't do it... we generally don't put henna on babies.. it is probably safe, but we don't do it (at weddings and such)

[lizajane]

i got one when i was pregnant last time. they said it was FINE. and a very small pal of mine got one when he was around 2... that doesn't mean they are safe! but his mom was a cloth diapering, breastfeeding, make your own baby food, no preservatives, kinda gal who was pretty darn particular about her baby's health and safety. so i do trust her.

[fauve01]

i wouldn't do it. definitely call your ped and ask! let us know what he/she says. is this for Halloween?

A

[suribear]

I don't think it's dangerous, but it is awfully messy! (before it dries, and even afterwards, you would have to scrape off the hardened stuff)
Chances are they would smudge it before the color set. Just curious.. what's this for?

Kris

[Raidra]

It's for a (pagan) naming ceremony on his birthday. We're not positive that we want to do something like a henna tattoo, but are looking into it.

I would love to use woad, but I'm not sure if I could find it, much less if it would be safe on a baby.

If you guys have any other suggestions, I'd be open to them.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

assuming he is not allergic, can you do something with crushed berries that would stain the skin long enough for your purposes?

I'm trying to think of other foods that would make a stain that would last at least until you scrubbed it off.

What about kool-aid :)

I think that in the right communities, you could find the information you need about henna to figure out what the risks might be. You'd need to know how it works, how much of it if any goes through the skin and might get into the blood stream. You'd also want to find out about allergies and sensitivities, although you could probably try a small dot to test that before you do a larger design.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/superpower.gif http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/borntobebreastfed2.gif

[kitmama]

My guess would be that henna is OK, but it's just a guess! Is there an herbalist near you that you could ask? I agree that it could be difficult to get a nice result, though- it is messy, and takes awhile to set properly.

What about beet juice? (You should probably thicken it a little, first). It wouldn't last as long, but wouldn't take as long to set.

Sounds like a cool ceremony. :)

[Raidra]

Thanks for the suggestions on juices.. I had never thought of that. As far as it not lasting as long, that's fine too.. one of my reservations about henna is that his 12 month appointment is two days after, so what would the pedi say.. ;)

I'll have to see if I can find an herbalist.. I've never had the need, so I'm not sure. I'm sure I can find someone, though.