Mike Tyson fan, 18, scarred after £9 temporary tattoo turned into blistered burn
Doctors say that the henna was actually a chemical and not dye from a henna plant, and four out of 10 dermatologists have seen similar reactions
A BOXING fan who got a henna tattoo on his face like Mike Tyson fears he could be scarred for life after it turned into a blistered burn.
James Colley, 18, got the £9 temporary tat on a week-long lads’ holiday.
But just 12 hours later it started oozing pus in Zante, Greece.
Doctors revealed the stallholder used black henna made from a chemical rather than the dye from a henna plant.
James was treated at Elena's Surgery and a spokesman said that the skin reaction only gets worse as the ink gets absorbed into the skin.
He added: "The only way we could do this was by gently wiping the ink off with bleach and then treating it with steroid creams and surgical cleaning every day.
"The scar will remain for a long time but it will fade and disappear if he treats it well."
The British Skin Foundation launched an awareness campaign two years ago and found that four out of 10 dermatologists have seen patients with similar skin reactions to black henna temporary tattoos.
Student James, from Cardiff, said: “I couldn’t believe that this could give me a scar for years, I was really shocked.
“I’ll probably be known as Tyson at university.