Dangerous 'black henna' tattoos leaving Bali tourists with permanent scars

An investigation by 9News has spurred authorities into educating Bali operators about the dangers of black henna tattoos, which have left countless holidaymakers with permanent scars.

The probe found widespread use of the product by vendors in tourist hotspot Kuta.

Unlike real henna, black henna is made from hair dye which contains paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical that as many as one in five people are allergic to when it's applied to their skin.

Operators seemingly use it because it's cheaper than true henna and easier to access.

Of samples gathered by 9News from five operators on Kuta Beach, four tested positive for PPD when screened at the Indonesia National Agency of Food and Drug control.

Each of the positive tests had a concentration of more than 12 per cent and doctors say even less than one per cent can be harmful on the skin.

9News also found black hair dye with identical bottles to the samples provided available at general stores for just $1.50.

The investigation has now prompted the government agency to hold education sessions with operators with the hope they'll stop using the potentially harmful product.

Tom Birkin's boys' trip to Bali left a mark for all the wrong reasons.

After getting what was supposed to be a temporary henna tattoo on his face, the Sydneysider broke out in a blistering infection that put him in hospital for a week.

"It took about a day and a half to flare up and that's when we started getting worried basically," Tom said.

Despite Tom's friends getting the same temporary tattoos, they had no reactions.

"Doctors said that it could have affected my eyesight," he said.

For eight-year-old South Australian Madison Gutschlag, it took five days for a $10 novelty to turn nightmare.

"It did start burning and hurting her and she was applying ice packs to it just for some sort of relief to be able to sleep," mum Erin Gutschlag said.

Almost two months on Madison's scar remained.

"She says 'I wish I could go back to Kuta beach and tell the man what happened'," Erin said.

Social media is brimming with similar stories of Aussies visiting destinations all over the world and unknowingly getting painted with black henna, instead of the real stuff.

"They typically use kerosene or petrol to increase the uptake and it stays on the skin for three weeks and that's really enough time to cause sensitisation," Sydney dermatologist Doctor Adrian Lim said.

"If the exposure escalates the person can have anaphylactic shock which is basically a closing of the airways."

One allergic exposure usually results in lifelong sensitivity to PPD which is also found in products like sunscreen.

There are plenty of genuine operators in Bali though and they say tourists should ask questions before going through with a temporary henna tattoo.

Diah Rukmini, owner of popular Tulasi Henna, said real henna is all natural and should go on brown and never black, and often smells of essential oils.