The man was on holiday in Thailand when he and his friends stopped at a street vendor and decided to get matching Mike Tyson-style face tattoos.
American tourist Nick Nayersina, who thought he was getting a regular temporary tattoo during a night out in Bangkok, has shared how the decision turned into a painful mistake.
Nayersina was on holiday in Thailand when, after a few drinks, he and his friends stopped at a street vendor and decided to get matching Mike Tyson-style face tattoos.
The temporary body art turned out to be black henna, a chemical containing a harsh dye that can cause severe burns.
Speaking on TikTok, the influencer said: “We’re in Bangkok and went out last night and for some reason we had the great idea of getting Mike Tyson tattoos.”
“I didn’t know that black henna is illegal in the US and can lead to permanent scarring and infection. My whole tattoo is blistering and oozing.”
Nick later discovered that many others who visited the same vendor ended up permanently scarred.
“I might have a permanent Mike Tyson tattoo on my face,” he said, adding, “This is no joke. Don’t come to Bangkok and get a black henna tattoo while really drunk with your friends because it could lead to this.”
At first, Nick experienced some slight burning, however the damage quickly escalated. His skin began to peel and blister, and oozed for days.
“It’s starting to burn into my face as a scar,” he said. “My skin is irritated… there’s still pus coming out and it feels like a sunburn.”
The redness worsened with sun exposure, leaving him worried the damage could be permanent.
“Maybe this is permanent. Maybe I should just buy into getting the actual Mike Tyson tattoo,” he joked to his followers.
However, once back in the United States, the reaction began to settle, turning into a scab.
Seeking professional help, Nick visited Los Angeles based aesthetician Sharlena Hassani, who treated him with light therapy and a gel mask.
After the experience, he shared: “I’ve learned so much about keeping my skin healthy.”
The aesthetician assured him that his scar would “go away” and leave him with perfect skin.
The reaction was caused by PPD, a chemical dye often used in counterfeit black henna tattoos. While traditional henna is natural and brown, black henna frequently contains PPD, which is legal in hair dye but banned for skin use in many countries.
Even small amounts can trigger burns, infections, or lifelong scarring.
Doctors have said that incidents like Nick’s are common during school holidays and summer travel, warning that alcohol lowers judgment, vendors rarely provide warnings, and many tourists assume overseas products are regulated the same way they are at home.
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