I lost my toe after a pedicure, now I’m ‘a walking PSA’
Each year, millions of Americans reportedly deal with nail infections on their feet and hands.
Up to 14% of the general population cope with fungal infections, while a rare number of people develop a bacterial infection “on top of a fungal nail infection” that can “cause serious illness,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Nail infections can occur in various public or at-home settings, including locker rooms, public showers and nail clipper sharing — but nail salons are a place where chances of infection can be higher if sanitation procedures aren’t strictly followed.
Anita House, 59, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, believes it was a nail salon where her infection began – eventually leading to an amputation.
“When it just starts to get warm, you’re thinking, ‘sandals’ and you’re thinking, ‘pedicure,’” House told Fox News Digital.
House said that it was the last weekend in February 2019 when she and her sister headed to a local nail salon to receive pedicures.
House said she had frequented that same salon several times before with no issues.
It was a typical weekend day and according to House, staff used what appeared to be a clean, disposable liner in the pedicure tub.
There were roughly 15 customers receiving salon services that day – including House and her sister, House recalled.
The pedicure began and the salon worker who was handling House’s feet had proceeded to remove an ingrown toenail on the large toe of House’s right foot, a practice that’s arguably done often at nail salons.
“They would often see it and get it out,” House said of her ingrown toenail.
“I’ve never had an issue with it … but she cut it, and she cut deep. It bled.”
“That’s [my guess] of when bacteria got in,” she added. “I can’t prove it in a court a law, but if I was a betting woman, that would be my bet.”
House described what happened over the next few weeks, which turned into months, as “painful.”
Over the next four days, her toe became “red and puffy,” she said.
“I said, ‘If it’s not better in four or five more days, I’ll go to a podiatrist,'” House recalled.
House said she did end up seeing a podiatrist, who gave her antibiotic cream plus an oral antibiotic, which House was instructed to take for seven days.
The treatment didn’t work, and her toe became more red and swollen.
“That was the middle of March,” House said, adding that the wound became painful.
“Not to the point where you couldn’t walk,” she explained. “It was sore. It was tender.”
House decided to see a second podiatrist, who prescribed her another round of antibiotics, but things didn’t get better.
“He said, ‘OK, we are going to remove the nail,’” House recalled of what the doctor decided at the time. “I looked at the ceiling, talked to myself, prayed … It was not fun.”
Four weeks after House’s toenail was removed, she saw no improvement and met with Dr. Manuel Rodriguez, an infectious disease specialist.
Rodriguez told Fox 5 Atlanta that a culture was never taken of the bacteria inside House’s toe in order to determine where she contracted the infection.
Rodriguez told the station that he had seen the type of infection that House had in people who had other health issues like diabetes, for example.
“In Ms. House’s case, she didn’t have any of the typical comorbidities to say, ‘Wow, this woman is going to have a problem in the near future,'” Rodriguez told Fox 5 Atlanta.
“So, it was quite unusual in her case for it to advance the way it did.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Rodriguez for comment.
House said that she was grateful to have found Rodriguez.
She received IVs and when her veins had trouble, a port was placed into her chest in hopes to treat the bacterial infection.
“By that point he [Rodriguez] was getting concerned that the infection was going to spread [and] he didn’t want it in my bloodstream,” House noted. “He knew it was in the bone in the toe by that point.”
Still, House tried to live her life normally – even taking a vacation in September.
That same month however, she began to feel ill. And on Oct. 15 2019, House’s right toe was surgically removed in its entirety.
WARNING: Images included in this story may be disturbing to some viewers
“We decided to take it off in the joint into the foot, just in case [the infection] had jumped to the second bone,” House said, adding that the procedure was performed by a doctor (not Rodriguez) at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
“Going through it, it was very interesting,” she said. “I always thought of myself as strong in my faith. Let me tell you, that was a test. I did pretty good. There were only two times where I broke down and got pretty upset.”
House said that “God must have had a reason” for why she had gone through this. She credits her “fun and upbeat attitude” and leaning on her faith, which all helped her cope.
House’s husband Rob was also there to support her.
“Rob is so laid back. He never gets anxious, never gets upset, never gets worried. He’s just one of those guys,” she said.
“I’d rather lose a toe than lose my foot. Once we had that conversation, he said, ‘OK. That’s what we’ll do.'”
House said that Dr. Rodriguez told her that her infection had him “stumped,” since she had no underlying health conditions.
House also said another doctor who treated her for this infection had mentioned that he had seen other alleged nail service-related infections, but those incidents had been treated with antibiotics.
After her surgery, House was mobile four weeks later. She wore a boot for two to three weeks.
House said she feels self-conscious at the beach, and the loss of her toe has affected her hobby of practicing yoga. She now uses a dancer’s pad to help support the ball of her foot.
House did speak to an attorney after her incident as well as the county health department.
She said that the COVID-19 pandemic put a hold on pursuing action.
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She said that the nail salon where she believes the cause of her infection took place is currently “operating and running.”
“It’s not necessarily that I wanted them punished, but [rather], ‘You should be aware of what you’ve done,’” House said.
“I’m a walking PSA,” she added. “After three podiatrists, one infectious disease doctor, antibiotics and an amputation — please know what you’re walking into.”
“That’s self-care, I get it. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it tremendously,” House said of manicures and pedicures.
“Women be aware, conscious … If you’re getting that icky feeling, turn around and walk out.”
She added, “I would not wish this on my worst enemy.”
House offered advice to women who frequent nail salons:
Watch to make sure that salon workers are sterilizing. And when in doubt, she said, “bring your own tools.”
Don’t go to nail salons during busy times. House said she believes that since she went on a busy weekend, the staff might not have sterilized efficiently.
Nail safety: Protecting yourself
Dr. Dusan Sajic, a dermatologist and assistant adjunct professor of clinical medicine at McMaster University, a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, told Fox News Digital that fungus and yeast have been reported from nail salons in addition to “several bacteria.”
Bacteria that have been commonly found in salons include methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the germ that causes staph infections; pseudomonas aeruginosa, the germ that often causes blood or lung infections and mycobacteria, the germ that can potentially cause tuberculosis and leprosy.
“In the year 2000, there was a large outbreak of mycobacterial furunculosis in northern California, which lead to a public health crackdown that showed that most salons didn’t regularly clean the screens and filters that trap skin debris in these whirlpool baths,” Sajic said.
“This omission resulted in both large and small sporadic outbreaks of mycobacterial infections on the shins of individuals who had [gotten] a pedicure within two weeks of the procedure,” he continued.
“Mycobacterial infections tend to be the most common and also the most difficult to diagnose and treat.”
Mycobacterial infections are hard to detect because small red bumps are an early sign of the infection, which look similar to bug bites, according to Sajic.
The red bumps can reportedly grow in size, become tender, turn purple and develop pus in a few weeks or months.
If left untreated, Sajic said the bumps that have been caused by a nail infection can progress into an ulcer, which can lead to potential “permanent scars.”
Some lesions can progress to frank ulceration while others spontaneously resolve with substantial scarring, according to Sajic.
“Very rarely in immunocompromised individuals these can get into the bloodstream and become a potentially life-threatening condition,” Sajic said.
“One untreated, healthy patient had lymphatic disease dissemination, which resolved with a long course of antibiotic treatment.”
Nail salon questions and considerations
The Associated Nail Professionals (ANP), a nail salon and technician association that provides liability insurance and expert guidance from its Golden, Colorado headquarters, has been covering nail care advice to professionals and students since 1987.
Liz Kline, the ANP’s cosmetology program director, said there are many questions and considerations people should take into account before they get their nails professionally done.
Research before you go
Nail salon customers could benefit from looking at salon reviews before they request a manicure or pedicure, according to Kline.
“Just like checking reviews for a restaurant or any other place of business, it will give the client an idea of the look and feel of the nail salon to see if it may be a place they would like to go,” Kline told Fox News Digital.
Kline added that nail salon customers should make sure their nail technician has an up-to-date nail certification.
“In most states, it’s a requirement that licensing is displayed in an area that the public can see,” Kline said. “If you do not see any professional licenses displayed in a waiting area or near the technician’s station, that is a red flag.”
Ask questions
Kline said it’s not uncommon for nail salon customers to ask technicians about the cleanliness of tools.
Barbicide, a brand of disinfectant solution that’s used by barbers and cosmetologists, is a liquid that many nail salons use to sanitize tools, according to Kline.