How many of us keep a band handy on our wrists for when we want to throw up our hair in a pinch? Doctors are cautioning against the hair tie habit, after a Kentucky woman needed emergency surgery.
It was moving day for Audrey Kopp, and she was understandably too busy to pay much attention to a small cut on her arm which she assumed was a spider bite.
That abrasion turned into a painful bump.
By the time she saw the doctor, the lump had become infected and antibiotics didn't cut it. Kopp required emergency surgery to drain the abscess.
Take it from me, the footage below is disgusting, and it's hard to believe such a grotesque infection stemmed from a simple hair band.
Although it seems hard to believe, bacterial infections from hair bands aren't unheard of. And watches can be culprits, too.
Take care with anything worn on the wrist that could pinch or otherwise restrict blood flow.
If you can stick a finger under it, advise experts, you're probably safe.
But don't leave a band on all day long and don't wear it to bed. Let the skin to air out to minimize risk of bacteria getting trapped.
Clean your hair bands regularly as you would hair brushes or any other clothing item.
And while you're at it, give the glitter a miss. The sparkle can rub against your skin, causing a cut like Kopp's.
Now you know.
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