A Baillieston teenager has been left scarred for life after getting a temporary tattoo while on holiday.

Christopher Smith, 16, was on a family getaway to Rhodes, Greece when he decided to get the body art – which he’d long been interested in.

The family arrived in Rhodes on August 27th and, after finding a henna tattoo parlour, Christopher went for his tattoo on September 1st.

At first, he loved the stylish design of three black-outlined stars down his back. However, the next morning it became clear something had gone wrong. Along the lines of the design, inflammation had swelled up, leaving Christopher’s skin itchy and weeping yellow fluid.

The high school pupil told STV News: “I’d always wanted a real tattoo but decided to get a little henna one to see what it looked like. It felt itchy just after getting it but I assumed that’s what it would be like. But I woke up the next day and my bed was full of yellow puss and scabs. It was horrible.”

Mum Marjory, a support worker, took Christopher to a pharmacist for antibiotic cream. The chemist recommended she take the teenager to a doctor immediately.

Marjory explained: “We took him to the pharmacy in Rhodes and they suggested we go to the doctor straight away. We managed to get a doctor within an hour. The doctor checked him over and said he’d taken a very bad reaction to the henna. He gave Christopher penicillin and antihistamines. But it just got worse. His back was swollen and red.”

Dad Robert, a refrigerator engineer, took Christopher back to the parlour but received little help. The woman behind the till gave back the 25 euro they had paid but dismissed the teen’s condition. Marjory added: “The woman told Robert it was fine and he didn’t need to take Christopher to the doctor. But we did and when we got back home we took him straight to our GP and he prescribed more antibiotics.”

However, worse was to come when the medic gave his prognosis. Marjory recounted: “We have to take Christopher back in a month but the doctor has said he will be scarred for life. He even mentioned the possibility of needing plastic surgery.”

Christopher, who is heading back to school to complete his Highers after success in Standard Grade exams, is resistant to the latter option, which would include an operation to graft skin from other parts of his body. Yet he recognises what the henna has done to him. He said: “It’s going to stay like that for the rest of my life.”

He recalled how the infection spoiled his time in Greece, saying: “It was really annoying and it ruined my holiday. I was stuck in the shade by myself while all my friends were having fun in the pool. I would go through five tops a day because of all the weeping.”

Marjory wants to warn other parents about the dangers of henna tattoos – and the possible allergic reactions they can provoke.

She said: “We contacted the holiday rep who arranged our holiday and told them what happened. We hope they will include that in their information packs for future customers.”

Christopher echoed his mum in giving advice to people his age looking to get a henna tattoo. He warned: “For anybody getting it they just have to be careful.”