One woman needed emergency surgery – all from using HAIR TIES
If you have long hair, you no doubt have a hair tie somewhere on your person at the moment – in your handbag, your coat pocket or indeed, on your wrist.
But one US woman learnt the hard way that putting hair ties on your wrist can actually lead to serious bacterial infection.
Audree Kopp from Kentucky was rushed into emergency surgery last month after doctors discovered she had three types of harmful bacteria under her skin, most likely from the flat glittery hair tie she had been wearing around her wrist.
Speaking to a US news channel, Audree said she noticed something was amiss when the skin on her wrist began to swell – though she thought at first it was the result of a spider bite.
When prescription antibiotics failed to clear it up, Audree headed to the ER, where doctors examined her – and told her she was dangerously close to developing sepsis.
"Thank god that I caught it in time," she said.
"Once it gets into your bloodstream, people have been known to go into a coma, your body shuts down it could have been way worse."
According to her doctors, bacteria from things like dirty hair ties can seep under the skin through pores and hair follicles if left for too long.
In order to clear up the infection, doctors had to slice through the wound and drain it of puss. Delightful.
If you really can't get by without a hair tie to hand at all times, try one of these smoother hair ties, which are easier to clean:
Lesson learned.
