The popular Bali holiday fad that could put your life at risk

Tourists in Bali are being warned to be wary of a certain holiday fad that could put their life at risk after a Chinese tourist suffered a severe allergic reaction.

Temporary tattoos offered to holidaymakers could have serious impact on their health after a 30-year-old man, known as Wang, became sick just days after returning from Bali, the Chongqing Morning Post reported.

While the man believed he had initially been suffering from sunburn, it turned out that the temporary henna tattoo he was given had become red and was itching a lot.

It had also become badly swollen.

There’s plenty of shops in Bali that offer temporary tattoos and while many traditionally use ink from the henna tree, some tourist spots have started using artificial black dyes that include a chemical known as methyl acrylate.

Chen Liuqi, a dermatologist at Wuhan Number One Hospital, said he had seen several similar cases and warned that methyl acrylate could cause permanent scarring or even death.

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Owner of XTATTOO, a henna tattoo shop, Luo Yiqiao, warned that allergies were often attributed to the use of “black henna” especially in places like Bali.

“The colour black would make it look like a real tattoo, but the risks [of using black dyes] are really high because of methyl acrylate,” Luo said.

“Usually the black ink contains methyl acrylate as it looks more like a real tattoo while the natural colour is more reddish brown.”