Have you ever shared beauty products or make-up brushes with your friends before? You should think twice before doing it again—or you could end up in the hospital. This may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s exactly what happened to a 27-year-old mom from Australia.
It started with a make-up brush
In February 2015, Jo Gilchrist was hospitalized because of a pain so crippling that she described it as being worse than childbirth. What started out as a dull ache escalated into severe pain. Eventually she lost feeling in her legs.
After an emergency operation, she was diagnosed as having contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, an infection caused by an antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria strain. Before the pain struck, she had borrowed her friend’s make-up brush to cover a pimple, and this was pinpointed as the source of the infection.
Jo Gilchrist spent months in the hospital, requiring strong doses of medication to rid her body of the bacteria, which caused much damage to her spine. What’s worse is that she was told that she might never walk again, and will be confined to a wheelchair for life. At best, she may be able to walk for about an hour a day.
She has also lost all feeling below her navel, and will never again be able to control her bladder or bowel movement. Still, she sees the positive in her situation, feeling that she was granted a second chance at life. If it had gone undiagnosed, the infection could have spread to her brain, causing total paralysis, even death.
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Staph infection – all you need to know
MRSA, the infection that Jo Gilchrist was diagnosed with, is a deadly form of staph infection. This is caused by the staphylococcus bacteria, a kind of germ typically found on the skin or inside the nasal cavity of people. These bacteria can even be found on people who are healthy, and oftentimes only cause minor skin problems.
In the case of MRSA, the infection is difficult to treat because it cannot be cured by commonly used antibiotics. It also invades the body more deeply, passing through the blood stream and attacking vital organs like the spine, lungs, and heart.
MRSA typically starts out with just a bump on the skin that resembles a pimple, and progresses into painful abscesses that may require surgery. It is not uncommon for people to mistake a staph skin infection for a mere insect bite. Sometimes MRSA manifests as more severe skin infections, and even infections on surgical wounds.
MRSA is commonly spread through skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the infection or has the MRSA bacteria living in his or her skin. It may also be contracted through contact with objects that are contaminated with the bacteria, like towels, doorknobs, and other surfaces.
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MRSA types and treatment
There are two types of MRSA infections: a hospital strain known as HA-MRSA and a community strain called CA-MRSA, which is what Jo Gilchrist was infected with. HA-MRSA can be contracted when you are hospitalized for a long period, and medical practitioners are prone to being infected by it.
CA-MRSA, on the other hand, is spread through touch. Activities like contact sports, being in unsanitary living conditions, and even sexual encounters could lead to contracting this infection. Sharing personal care items, like the make-up brush that Jo Gilchrist borrowed, towels, and even clothing with someone who is infected may get you sick as well.
One way to prevent breeding and spreading bacteria like staph is to make sure that you regularly clean your make-up brushes and tools.
Treatment for MRSA requires prescribed antibiotics and possible hospitalization and surgery. This is one of those illnesses where prevention really is a much better option than treatment. To prevent spreading or contracting MRSA, here are some things you can do.
- Keep all of your wounds clean and covered until they are completely healed. Also, avoid exposure to swimming pools and communal showers when you have broken skin.
- Wash your hands frequently using an antibacterial soap. Keep alcohol or hand sanitizer in your bag to use when water and soap are not readily available.
- Use an antibacterial laundry detergent to wash clothes, towels, and sheets, and make sure these are dried completely before putting them away.
- Clean your make-up brushes and tools often to prevent breeding bacteria and germs.
- Do not share personal items or beauty and make-up products even with people who are close to you.
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Make-up tools you should never share
Did you know that lipstick doesn’t only carry germs from the skin, but also bacteria from saliva as well?
Other than a make-up brush, learning from Jo Gilchrist’s experience, here are seven other make-up tools that you should never share.
1. Tweezers
When you pull out hair follicles, microscopic amounts of blood come with it. This puts anyone who shares tweezers at risk of contracting bacterial infections. The same goes for tweezers at the beauty salon, too. Make sure that the tools used are thoroughly disinfected between clients (check that the spa has sanitizing equipment for their tools such as heated sterilizers or UV sanitizers).
2. Nail clippers
Nail clippers, buffers, cuticle pushers, and nippers may cause the spread of infections or nail fungus when they are shared. If you enjoy getting mani-pedis, you may want to invest in your own set of tools.
3. Soap
Soap is, in fact, not self-cleaning. This means that a bar of soap could be a haven for disease-causing bacteria. For hand washing, especially in public areas, it is best to use liquid hand soap from a dispenser.
4. Deodorant
Your armpits are a haven for bacteria because they are moist, warm, and usually covered. This alone is reason enough for deos to never be shared.
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5. Razors
Even the tiniest scratch while shaving could cause the spread of viruses and bacteria. This goes for razors used on your legs, armpits, eyebrows, and most especially your private parts.
6. Make-up
If it is potentially harmful to share a make-up brush, the same goes for sharing make-up. Bacteria can live on the surface of powders like eye shadow, foundation, and blush. Lipstick and gloss, on the other hand, don’t just carry bacteria from skin but from saliva, too.
7. Hair brush
It isn’t only lice that can be contracted when you use someone else’s hair brush. Staph infections are potential health risks, as well. Remember that the owner of the brush may not even know that they are carrying bacteria on their scalp, so it is best to be safe and avoid sharing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan
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