Woman Contracts A Life-Threatening Infection From Wearing A Hair Tie On Her Wrist

Hair ties are a woman's most valuable accessory. We usually sport one, okay let's be honest, five, on our wrists in case of emergency. You never know when you'll have to throw your hair up in a quick pony or messy bun. And when you only have one left you take care of it like it's your first born child. But after hearing what happened to one woman, you should seriously reconsider wearing them on your wrist.

Audree Kopp, from Louisville, Kentucky, is recovering from surgery due to a dangerous infection she contracted from wearing her hair tie on her wrist. Kopp, like most women, wore a hair tie on her wrist for convenience until she started to notice a small red bump in the same area as the hair tie. At first, she shrugged it off, thinking it was probably just a bug bite. But as the abscess grew to about the size of a quarter she realized something was seriously wrong.

She visited Dr. Amit Gupta, a hand surgeon at Northern Healthcare in Louisville, who discovered the large bump was the result of a bacterial infection, most likely caused by the hair tie. Bacteria from the hair tie was able to penetrate the skin's surface through pores and hair follicles. Gupta prescribed Kopp antibiotics to clear the infection, but the bump continued to grow in size.

The infection spread so rapidly that Kopp had to undergo an emergency procedure to remove the abscess. Kopp told CBS Philly, "It could have been a whole different ball game. Once it gets into your bloodstream, people have been known to go into a coma, your body shuts down. It could have been worse."

Kopp is now recovering from the infection and the surgery. She will not have any lasting effects other than a scar and new perspective on hair accessories. An infection from a hair tie is very unlikely, but doctors recommend making sure they do not fit too tight on the wrist, not to wear them for an extended period of time, and to wash them occasionally. Keep an eye out for the warning signs of an infection, which include redness or swelling and fever.