TikToker With Henna Tattoo May End up With "Permanent Mike Tyson" Scar
"Don't come to Bangkok and get a black henna tattoo really drunk with your friends."
Published Nov. 17 2025, 3:00 p.m. ET
TikTok influencer Nick Nayersina got more than he bargained for when he got what was supposed to be a temporary tattoo in Bangkok, Thailand. He and his friends got matching "black henna" tattoos on a drunken night out.
The day after Nick got the temporary tattoo, his face started to "blister, scar, and ooze." He says a doctor warned him that he could be left with a "full blister scar" because of his skin's reaction to the henna. Here's what he said.
It all started when Nick and his friends wanted to get matching tattoos.
Nick explained, "Last night we went out and for some reason had the 'great' idea of all getting black henna 'Mike Tyson' tattoos. I didn't know that black henna is illegal in the U.S. and can lead to permanent scarring and infection on your face."
Black henna is actually not explicitly "banned" in the U.S., but the FDA strongly warns against using it, as it can cause serious skin reactions for some people.
Para-phenylenediamine, an ingredient that gives black henna its darker color, is only approved for use in hair dye because it can cause "intense itching, redness of the skin, blistering, and in some cases scarring," according to the MN Department of Health.
"My whole tattoo is blistering and oozing," Nick said. He added that his friends just found out that a lot of other people have had similar reactions after going to the same artist that they used, "and have had permanent scarring."
"I might have a permanent Mike Tyson tattoo on my face," he emphasized. "I'm kind of freaking out, but I'm trying to keep my cool as much as I can right now ... but, this s--t is no joke."
"By tomorrow, they're saying I'm going to have a full blister scar of this tattoo."
On day two, the tattoo was oozing and burning.
On the second day, Nick said, "My skin is starting to peel, and what I'm being told is it's starting to burn into my face as a scar. I guess that's my skin being irritated and sensitive to it."
He addressed the fact that his followers were asking whether the tattoo would be there forever. "I talked to a few professionals, and they said it might scar or it might go away. But this could be forever," he said, showing his henna to the camera.
Nick said that there was pus coming out, and it felt like a sunburn. "Mike Tyson, you might have a doppelganger," he concluded.
Nick gave an update on day three.
He noted that his followers were urging him to protect his tattoo, and he assured them that he was. "It's really starting to peel now and blister," he said.
He added that he and his friends would be out on boats the whole day in the sun, but he had sunscreen on and a towel under his hat to protect the tattoo.
Nick said he would give his followers an update in a few days. He was worried about the sun damage, but said, "Hey, [you] can't stop livin' life!"
Per the FDA, if you are considering getting a black henna tattoo, you should at the very least do a spot test to see how your skin reacts to the ingredients.