Mum claims holiday henna left son with 'weeping’ chemical burns
Warning: graphic content
A 13-year-old boy was left with 'weeping' chemical burns after receiving a black henna tattoo while on holiday in Cyprus.
Tyler Skee and his 10-year-old sister Brooke both underwent €15 tattoos on the last day of their £2,400 family vacation with their mother Chloe, 34, after they were recommended the shop by locals.
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After just a couple of hours, teenager Tyler - who has autism - began experiencing a burning sensation in the area he'd received his black henna dragon tattoo.
However, he never spoke up about his pain to mum Chloe, believing 'tattoos were supposed to hurt'.
It wasn't until six days later that the mother-of-two made the startling discovery that Tyler was experiencing a severe allergic reaction to the ink used.
The youngster was suffering a 20cm-long 'weeping' wound and a rash over his 'whole body'.
Stomach-wrenching photos taken before he was treated show Tyler's red, scabbing and blistering wound covering his entire forearm.
The gory injury extended from his hand to his elbow, in the shape of a dragon.
Gateshead-born Chloe later told press that doctors in the UK believed her son's severe reaction was caused by paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical commonly found in black henna.
Use of this product is currently banned in the European Union.
"If I knew then what I know now he would never have been able to get a henna tattoo," she admitted.
"Obviously I've done my research now, and I know that the chemical PPD is illegal to be used in the EU for the likes of henna tattoos."
The terrified mum has since taken to Facebook to warn other parents of the dangerous product, fearing the product would leave Tyler with a permanent scar.
"Everybody who I see, especially friends who have just had young babies, I say if you ever go on holiday, don't let them get a henna tattoo," she told press. "I would never do it again and warn other parents not to.
"He had it on for a whole week before he actually said anything to us. Tyler is autistic. Tyler has a really high pain threshold and takes things very literally.
"All the while, it had been burning Tyler's arm but because he's very literal and it's a tattoo and I've got proper permanent tattoos, he knows that they do hurt."
Chloe explained that, in Tyler's mind, he 'must have thought' that level of pain 'was normal', adding, 'he never said anything to us'.
"It wasn't until the Sunday [October 29] at my Gran's for dinner and he said 'Mam is this supposed to still be burning?'
"It's a nightmare Tyler's been through, bless him. He's had to be off school and everything," she continued.
"He's had loads of time off for numerous GP appointments. I've had to go into school and put creams on and take medications in when he has been there."
Despite being treated by medics with antibiotics, Chloe recalls her son's wounds weeping and sticking to his clothes.
The teen then came out in a full-body rash, which doctors say was due to an autoimmune response to the infection.
After his body started to attack itself, he was seen by a burns unit, where Chloe says he was seen by 14 medical professionals who didn't know how to treat him.
It was then that Tyler was given more steroid creams and antiviral medicine.
"It's still not fully healed," Chloe later explained.
"[A plastic surgeon] said it's gone past the point of it being a chemical burn. It's now contact dermatitis because of the reaction his body has had.
"Tyler's been an absolute little trooper, he's never once complained of being in pain. The only thing he's complained of is being itchy, and that was more his body.
"He's got a few other [medical] tests going on, and with the whole thing with his arm on top of that, a few weeks ago he just broke down in tears, which isn't Tyler because he doesn't really show his emotions.
"It was absolutely heartbreaking. I could have stood there and cried with him but I didn't want to do that because I wanted to be strong for him."
Rhianna Benson