The picture you see here is the scarring left behind from black henna burns. A forum member posted it and asked if having a reaction to henna means she would also have a reaction to tattoo ink. Feel free to jump in and join that discussion if you have any advice or personal experiences to share.

Every year, I see countless news reports about this and still there are business proprietors pushing this product, even going so far as telling their clients that it's better than regular henna and perfectly safe. This is a lie - natural henna is a powder derived from a plant and, in its purest form, causes virtually no allergic reactions. Black henna, however, is natural henna that has been altered by adding a dangerous, toxic chemical known as PPD - it's often found in black hair dyes and is typically safe to use on the hair but is widely known to cause severe allergic reactions when it comes in contact with skin. Black henna or any product containing PPD should not be used on the skin, ever.

For more information on henna, black henna, and how to enjoy henna art safely, check out the following articles:

The Dangers of Black Henna
What is (Natural) Henna?
How to Make Henna Paste
How to Apply Henna Paste

Vajazzling and Va-ttooing Your Vajajay?
Going to a spa for a bikini wax isn't a simple process anymore - now you have to decide how you want to decorate your pubic region with an array of jewel and temporary tattoo options.

More News:

Artist Steed Taylor Making "Road Tattoos" Popular Across the Country

Wisconsin Man Charged With Tattooing Minor & Spreading MRSA

And the Guinness Most Tattooed Woman is...

The other day I was loading groceries into the back of our SUV, when my daughter ever-so-helpfully closed the hatchback, not realizing that half of my body was still in the path of the descending door. As I grimaced in pain I said, "That's gonna bruise!" So I looked in the mirror to see how bad it was, and my tattoo actually camouflaged the purple and green haze I could just see at the top of my shoulder. I guess that's one advantage to being inked! So, then I started thinking of other great reasons to be tattooed, and here's a few I came up with:

• They're great conversation starters (Did that hurt? My sister's boyfriend's cousin's son does tattoos.)
• People assume you're tough (Don't mess with me, I have Hello Kitty tattooed on my ass!)
• They scare religious zealots (No point preaching to her, she's in the devil's hands now.)
• They attract adorable little kids (Did you get in trouble for drawing all over yourself like that?)
• They're permanent memorabilia (I got this one the day my ex told me he'd divorce me if I got another tattoo.)

Got another reason it's great being tattooed? Add your comments below! :)

Oftentimes, when you see a film that's based on a favorite book, the results are disappointing. They cut out a lot of important details, take certain liberties with the plot lines, choose horrible actors, and basically mutilate something you love in print. I'm happy to say that this was not the case with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Read my full review to find out more.

A straight guy wants to pierce his belly button and nipples, but his friends are telling him that others will think he's gay if he does it. Are they right? Have any advice for this man? Join the discussion!

On May 16, 2010, Dennis ''Scooter'' Abrahamsen - owner of Embellishing Tattoo & Body Piercing in Hudson, Florida - was robbed, stabbed and bludgeoned to death by a couple of porn actors who not only carried out the act in cold blood, but excitedly texted and "tweeted" about their plans. It appears that the victim wasn't squeaky clean himself - he had just been released from a 5 month jail stint for contempt of court on a domestic violence charge, and had been a regular at the Pasco courts over the past 20 years or so. But what this young couple did to him is so despicable it's hard to read. My condolences to the friends and family of Dennis "Scooter" Abrahamsen.

Read the full news story.

jitterbug8 writes: "At age 50, is an eyebrow piercing bad idea? In your experience, would I be more likely to have problems with migration than a younger person? I've been getting piercings since long before it was popular (late '70's!), so I know I'm sensitive to nickel and stick with solid titanium jewelry. This would be my first facial piercing." Join the discussion to add your thoughts.

What is migration/rejection?
For more information about migration, rejection and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you, read Body Piercing Rejection and Migration.

The Style Channel here on About.com has a wonderful collection of videos on many different topics from makeup to shoes to hair. So, if you're specifically looking for body art videos, you have to sift through a lot of pages to find them. So, I've put together this list so you can easily locate the videos made just for this site:

How to Cover a Tattoo With Makeup

How to Choose a Tattoo Shop

How to Choose a Tattoo Artist

What Happens When You Get a Surface Piercing

What Happens When You Get a Tattoo

What Happens When You Get a Lip Piercing

What Happens When You Get a Nose Piercing

How to Care for a New Tattoo

How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?

Judi James has written several books about body language and how it is used by all of us as a silent form of communication, and one that can only be understood if others are paying attention. In her latest book, The You Code, she puts together a list of tattoos worn by both men and women and then "translates" their meanings. This news article includes several excerpts from her chapter on tattoo decoding, which is utter rubbish but nevertheless entertaining to read. Here's a couple especially good ones:

• A man with an animal tattoo? Judi says: "This is the guy saying: ''I may not look like much but I'm actually strong and powerful''. Probably wants to be an animal in the bedroom and this may well be the case."
• A woman with multiple tattoos? Judi says: "Her body contains a mixed bag of tattoos put together with no apparent rhyme nor reason or overall planning. This partner is not the first to want to settle down and is likely to be spontaneous and change her mind with the wind when she's in a relationship. But she is also likely to be an exciting creative lover."

I guess it's kind of like fortune telling - maybe gives you a little food for thought, but shouldn't be taken too seriously. I even wrote a similar piece for 19 magazine (no longer in circulation) a few years back, but the article made it clear that it was all in fun. Body language is a unique and interesting study, but I would never attempt to label a person with certain traits based on their tattoos. Ten people could wear the same tattoo for ten different reasons, which is why body art is so individualized. And that's how we like it!

If you read my blog regularly, you've probably noticed that almost every week there's someone in the news that's been busted for illegal tattooing, and usually that involves tattooing someone who's underage and didn't have their parent's permission. I don't know why these idiots continue doing it, as if Mom and Dad are never going to see the offending ink. Kids slip up, they forget it's there, and eventually the truth comes out, and then all hell breaks loose.

This week, a South Carolina man has now been charged with, not only tattooing illegally but also with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Are these charges really worth the $25-$50 dollar a pop tattoos these kitchen magicians do? And of course, the news article doesn't say what happens to the kid, but I imagine they spend a significant amount of time grounded for their stupidity.

And it doesn't end there, kids. You think it's all okay and you got your ink but what happens when 5 or 10 years from now you're diagnosed with Hepatitis because of that moment of rebellion? It's just not worth it; wait til you're old enough to do it legally!

Also this week: Library Hosts Tattoo Art Exhibit