Q: I am 23 years old and got married last month. I applied black henna on my arms and got an allergy, which is very itchy and irritating. How do I get rid of this? Will it leave any scars?

A:You probably have contact dermatitis to the dye used in black henna. You will require an antihistaminic and topical steroid cream. The appropriate drug and its dosage will depend upon the severity of the reaction. Mild post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (darkening of skin) can develop in some cases. This can be minimised by early control of the reaction. In future, never use black henna again. You will have a reaction whenever you come in contact with the same chemical. Further, if the same chemical is present in any other preparation, for example in a black hair dye and you use it, then you will have a similar reaction. Therefore, be careful while selecting cosmetics.