Xiu found himself lying in a hospital bed after his brand-new Charli XCX Brat tattoo got terribly infected, causing a horrific and scab-filled rash to spread up and down his arm.

"Should I be concerned? It hurts like a mf," Xiu wrote in an Instagram story earlier in October, alongside a concerning picture that showed his fresh "brat" tattoo peeling like crazy.

Soon afterward, Xiu found himself in the hospital with brutal swelling that spread a bright-red rash up and down his wrist, arm, and onto the palm of his hand.

The following images and updates saw the rash get gradually worse, and a post he made about it on X racked up almost 30 million views in just 48 hours.

Xiu has found a lot of success online, boasting tens of thousands of followers on his Instagram, where he goes as @xiu_shoegaze, and nearly 70,000 on X, where he goes by the same username.

His many fans came out to comment on the infection, expressing shock, concern, and humor in equal parts. One person even went as far as to say, "This man is a walking biohazard thanks to a brat tattoo."

"I got [the inking] in the bathroom of a Laufey show," Xiu said when approached for comment by the Tab, referencing a popular Icelandic singer.

"I'm okay now though, it's been a learning experience," Xiu said. "Maybe I'll try again in a year or so."