Whiskers galore: Allergic reaction to henna tattoo means Brit could have fake moustache for life

This plumber could be Britain’s unluckiest man. While on holiday in Benidorm, Arran Maye thought it would be a great idea to get a henna tattoo of a big curly mustache on his face. Then disaster struck.

The 28-year-old had a severe allergic reaction only a few hours after getting the joke Mexican ‘tache in Spain. Now the Leicester man could be facing skin grafts to put it right.

Partying with 20 friends in the Spanish resort, Maye decided to fork out £9 ($12) for the “temporary” moustache. He was told it would fade in a few days. Instead his face puffed up like a balloon.

“The bloke in the shop said it would wash off naturally in a few days, and I believed him,” he said. “It was fine at first but then it got tingly. The next day it was blistering and, by the Sunday, my face was a balloon. It was like it was trying to push out the henna.”

Maye said it was a struggle to get on a plane home, with customs officials wary that the puffy man was not the same person photographed on his passport. Maye managed to get on the plane, but his condition worsened mid-flight when his airways began to close up.

When he landed back in the UK, friends rushed the hapless Brit to the hospital, where he was admitted into intensive care for two nights. Medics had to put him on a ventilator to help him breathe.

Now doctors say he may be stuck with the moustache for good, although a painful and expensive skin graft may be the way to be rid of it. So much for a cheap £9 tatt.

“I had one before years ago and it was fine but I guess that wasn’t on my face,” Maye said. “They did mention a skin graft and that it might be permanent. I was trying not to hear it to be honest.

“I've managed to see the funny side of it,” he added. “I mean, what choice do I have? I look a right idiot, though.”