British tourist is left with severe scars from a fake henna tattoo in Zante

Some British tourists are being left with permanent scars after getting henna tattoos on holiday.

James Colley, who's from Cardiff, has been left with a large mark on his face after getting inked in Zante.

He asked for a henna tattoo from a man with a stall while on holiday in Greece.

"I thought it would be a fun little idea to get a Mike Tyson-style henna tattoo," the 18-year-old tells Newsbeat.

The temporary tattoo cost him 10 euros (£9) and James says having it done felt no different to putting on face paint.

At first James says he was reasonably pleased with the henna tattoo, but soon noticed it had been poorly drawn.

"It wasn't too bad to be honest," James thought, shortly after getting a henna tattoo

"The day after my friend pointed to it and said, 'It's starting to look a bit nasty mate,'" says James.

"I had to go to the hospital then and get it bleached off my skin because that's the only antidote for this fake black henna."

James hadn't been tattooed with henna but instead a cheap substitute which had caused an allergic reaction.

"She said the only way to get it off, because it had assimilated into my skin, was to use bleach," he says.

"She lay me down and said, 'This is going to hurt,' got a cotton ball and started bleaching the tattoo off and the two layers of skin underneath.

"When the pain really started to come I went light-headed.

"I zoned out but it was excruciating. It's hard to describe, it was like getting your face torn off by something, and it was really horrible."

This is what the tattoo looked like after a Greek doctor had removed the ink with bleach

James says some of his friends also got henna tattoos, on their chest or arms, but didn't suffer a reaction.

He's been told his scar could be visible for up to five years.

"It's faded quite a lot but obviously it's still visible," says James.

"I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. I urge people not to get it anywhere.

"I didn't think it would heal this well so quick, so hopefully that carries on and will be gone sooner than three to five years, which I was told it might last for."

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