Cuticle infection after manicure....help! Updated post#23

[DVCJones]

Hi,

I had a manicure a week ago. (I was in a wedding) During the manicure, the manicurist cut me twice while cutting my cuticles. Once on the ring finger and again on my thumb. My thumb is now infected. It hurt a lot at the time, but I figured it would heal in a couple of days and it wouldn't be a big deal. But, now I am not so sure. My thumb is now red, swollen, and oozes puss.

Has this happened to anyone? Did you end up having to go to the doctor? Will it clear up? Should I contact the salon and tell them what happened?

I'm thinking I should call my doctor, but, I will feel like a fool going in there if it is just a sore finger.

I have had manicures and pedicures many times and this has never happened. I am angry and scared at the same time.

Thanks!

 

[bgirldeb]

If it's getting worse vs better, I would go to the doctor right away! That being said, I have to worry about any infections. I've been hospitalized twice.

 

[mariolatry]

I would also be calling the Board of Health or Licensing Bureau to report that salon.

 

[AshleyW]

Hi,

I had a manicure a week ago. (I was in a wedding) During the manicure, the manicurist cut me twice while cutting my cuticles. Once on the ring finger and again on my thumb. My thumb is now infected. It hurt a lot at the time, but I figured it would heal in a couple of days and it wouldn't be a big deal. But, now I am not so sure. My thumb is now red, swollen, and oozes puss.

Has this happened to anyone? Did you end up having to go to the doctor? Will it clear up? Should I contact the salon and tell them what happened?

I'm thinking I should call my doctor, but, I will feel like a fool going in there if it is just a sore finger.

I have had manicures and pedicures many times and this has never happened. I am angry and scared at the same time.

Thanks!

Well, first off, my friend dragged me to get a manicure this past weekend (my first ever!) and I was TERRIFIED of this happening, especially after I saw the girl cut my cuticles. Sorry it happened to you!

I'm by no means an expert, but I would think it's just like an infected cut or scratch. You could probably just soak it in some water with epsom salt and it should draw out the pus and help with the swelling. Also use some neosporin on it with a bandaid to help keep it clean.

 

[DVCJones]

I probably should have mentioned that I have soaked it for and have applied neosporin and a band-aid on it for 3 days now.

 

[NewCrew42]

Yikes! If I get a nick during a manicure, I just neosporin it when I get home or if I forget, I neosporin it as soon as it starts to hurt.

That being said, mine usually clears up right away, like one application of neosporin and it's better the next day.

Sounds like it is time to see the dr.



Hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[andymattmom]

Please contact the State Board of Health, Licensing Board and find out if the recommend the State Attorney Generals Office. I have learned this from experience. I had tips and they were filled weekly at a very nice salon in my town. To make a horrible long story short I had fungus under ALL 10 NAILS..they continued to fill. I lost ALL my nails all the way down ( I would post pics but they are gross). I had to go to doctor and was on meds for a long time. I contacted the Board of Health and they told me who to contact. Keep records. Almost 2 years after the incident there was a suit filed by the state attorney general based on my complaint and a couple others. We are still waiting the outcome. This salon had very poor sanitizing procedures (which I paid no attention to before) and the tech (owner) obviously knew what was going on with my nails and continued to fill. They need to be held accountable for what happens to you.

Go to doctor, get documentation of why you went. Take pictures. Do NOT go back to the salon...they will tell you it is NOT their fault. I called the salon and they hung up on me when I told them.

Good luck!

 

[monkey68]

And that's why I always take my own manicure kit when I go to the salon. But if it's not getting any better, and getting more red and inflamed, I would see somebody. Some of the stuff that can grow on shared manicure kits can be pretty nasty, since you don't know what the person before you had, and if they had some sort of bug that might have been resistant to their sterilizing procedure.

 

[Magic Mom]

I would go to the doctor. It might be nothing, but then again, what if it's something from another salon patron? or a staph infection. To me, oozing puss means a trip to the doctor.

 

[minkydog]

I probably should have mentioned that I have soaked it for and have applied neosporin and a band-aid on it for 3 days now.

Then it's definitely time to go to the doctor. The trouble with nail infections is that the infection can get deep under the skin, under the nail where soaks and ointments aren't effective. If it's oozing pus, there's infection. Be sure you're wearing gloves whenever you prepare food or handle babies because you very well could have a staph infection. Don't feel foolish about going to the doctor abouth a hurt finger. An untreated infection is not only painful, it can be dangerous to your health.

 

[Linzybrooke]

There are stories locally here every few months about people getting severe infections from local salon manicures and pedicures. Generally the tech failed to properly clean the tools, and it is a big deal! Go to the doctor, and as others have advised contact the state.

 

[iggbees]

when i was young i had an infection in my pointer finger that had exactly the same symptoms that you describe. my parents brought me to the dr's office and i actually had to go to the hospital to have some of the skin removed and the puss drained from the finger. all i remember was not watching the dr and watching my dad and i had a huge bandage on afterwards. i also had to soak my finger in betadine for a couple of weeks until the skin healed. my finger looks like normal now as an adult.

i wouldn't wait any longer if i were you. infections can cause a host of other problems.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had a paper cut that got weirdly infected and we noticed it at a time when I could do nothing other than scrub my hands with hot water and soap. I did this several times and when I finally got home, I was able to do the neosporin. The infection did finally reverse. But at its worst--it was pretty bad.

Since you have done what you can and it is getting worse, you will need medical attention to get it better I believe.

 

[Stacerita]

Go to the doctor and get it checked out. My DD got an infection on her thumb and it got really bad. She didn't show me when if first started getting bad, so when she finally did, it was horrible. The doc was worried it had gone down to the bone. She was perscribed some meds for the infection, and had to scrub the thumb with listerine a few times a day. It was gross. It started from her peeling a cuticule off her thumb. Get it checked.

 

[ginna74]

was watching oprah the other day and it was about flesh eating bacteria and mersa (I think it was) and from what I remember they say wash wash wash your hands and be sanitary because it can get into little cuts and so forth. Am NOT saying you have any of those but what I am saying is infected cuts can really get bad quick and you should know the signs.
I had a razor cut when I was 16 and ended up in the hospital for a few days getting an iv because the pills weren't working and my leg was all red and hot and I was having a hard time walking. I was thinking because you got the cut while doing your nails you just just be careful and watch it.

Mersa Staff Infection Secrets

If youve only heard it mentioned on TV or the radio, you might wonder what mersa staff is. It is actually MRSA, which is a Staph (bacterial) skin infection. MRSA stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

Normally Staph bacteria can be found on our skin and is harmless; unless they enter the skin through a n opening like a cut, scrape, burn, surgical opening or wound. Bacteria that enter our skin can cause serious infections that can make us ill, some like MRSA can even be fatal.


What Does It Look Like

MRSA may first look like a spider bite, boil or abscess. It may even resemble a turf burn. Left untreated the MRSA infection rapidly progresses.

The MRSA infection is spread by skin-to-skin contact with someone who has MRSA. You cannot spread the MRSA infection through the air. You can have contaminated surfaces or personal hygiene items that can spread the infection.

You can protect those you love from MRSA by practicing and teaching good hygiene. It is important to wash your hands properly and often including after exercising or after participating in any kind of sport.

Surfaces like those in locker rooms and weight rooms need to be cleaned after every use. Sports uniforms should be washed in hot water after each use. Sports equipment and weight benches need to be wiped down before and after each use.

Do not share personal items like bars of soap, razors, deodorant, towels and clothing.
General guidelines to follow to help prevent the spread of the MRSA skin infection:

• Frequent and proper hand washing

• Cover all open wounds

• Daily Showers

• Do Not Share Personal Items like towels, bar soap, razors

• Wipe down exercise and shared equipment before and after use

• Seek immediate medical attention for any reddened skin areas especially if they are painful, swollen or draining liquid or pus

• Commonly used equipment should be cleaned on a regular basis with approved cleaners

• If you have an open wound, do not use whirlpools, hydrotherapy pools, cold tubs, swimming pools or other common tubs.

• Cover all wounds until healed

• Learn how to recognize the signs of wound infections

• Educate everyone using the facilities (home, work, school) about how to follow these guidelines

Cleaning Surfaces:

Alcohol and chlorine bleach have both proven to be effective topical sanitizers against the MRSA infection.

MRSA can survive on surfaces and fabrics, including curtains and clothing therefore complete surface sanitation is necessary.
Spreading MRSA

The spread of MRSA infection can occur in any setting where there is crowding, skin-to-skin contact, individuals with open skin areas (cuts, abrasions etc.), contaminated items (clothing, equipment) and surfaces, and a general lack of cleanliness.

These settings described above can be in schools, military barracks, households, dormitories, daycare centers and also correctional facilities.


Prevention

Prevention includes good hygiene, washing hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering skin wounds, avoid sharing personal items, use a barrier (clothing, towels) between your skin and shared exercise equipment (weight-training benches).

 

[bumbershoot]

I probably should have mentioned that I have soaked it for and have applied neosporin and a band-aid on it for 3 days now.

First off, yowwwwwch.

I've had one manicure, ever, and HATED the look of my nails when they did the cuticle thing! It took ages for that skin to grow back; never again will I have my cuticles messed with. Especially not now.


If you want to wait before you have it checked out...rather than putting goop on it and closing it all up, I personally would clean the goop out (both the stuff you put there AND the stuff your body is making (the pus)), I'd put hydrogen peroxide on it, and I'd leave it uncovered. I wouldn't be doing any gardening, might be keeping my hand away from anything that might be icky, but I'd want it open to the air, the oxygen, to help it heal.

And if it continued to stay the same or get worse, then I might go see someone.

In some of the other circles I "travel" in, they might suggest using colloidal silver as a sort of antibiotic...I personally am good with H2O2 (peroxide), but thought I'd put it out there.


Oh and YES I'd tell the salon, at the very least.

 

[Disney Doll]

See a doctor.
It could be bacterial.
It could be fungal.
It could be both.
You need medicine.

Call the salon and let them know what happened and that you expect that they will pay your bills.

Call your state's health department and let them knwo as well.

 

[LMC]

You need to go to the doctor. I had one of these this summer and it throbbed, and had a blister looking spot on it and was really red. Neo sporin did not clear it up after a few days but I did have an ointment that one of my kids used when they had a staph infection so I used it and it cleared up in about 5 days. I learned something in a class I took this summer and what I had is called acute paronychia. I thought I was going to lose the nail as it separated from the cuticle on one side but it is now regrowing (although it looks a little funny) so it should be fine once it grows out and I can cut away and shape it. GO get some meds!!! A dermatologist can help you.

 

[npmommie]

See a doctor.
It could be bacterial.
It could be fungal.
It could be both.
You need medicine.

Call the salon and let them know what happened and that you expect that they will pay your bills.

Call your state's health department and let them knwo as well.

I second what disney doll said.

this happened to a friend of mine, it was a pedicure though, she got a small cut, that got infected just as yours did, but hers progressed deep to the bone............she ended up on IV antibiotics for weeks, and out of work for weeks, she is a nurse, she couldn't walk on the infected foot it was so painful

go to the doctor.

 

[metime]

I will second the MRSA info.

Your Dr. should do a culture on the puss which is standard. It takes a few days to get back but if they give you regular antibiotics it might work for a bit and then flare up later. MRSA can become systemic and cause death if not treated properly. I am not saying it is MRSA but they should do a culture to make sure you get the right antibiotics.

My daughter had a MRSA infection in her cuticle last year ( she bites her nails). Same exact symptoms.

Also MRSA can remain colonized on your body, so if you do have it you may also need to get a 5 point culture after it clears and possibly use a topical antibiotic.