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Subscribe to RSSWe’ve all heard of infectious laughs. But how about infectious eyebrows?
That’s what 12 women from Switzerland were left with after a freelance artist with a pot of tainted ink applied permanent makeup to the women’s brows, resulting in a serious mycobacterial infection.
This particular kind of nasty infection is becoming increasingly common as a complication of cosmetic procedures, according to the case study, reported in the Oxford Journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases.
They’re also nothing to sneeze at, says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a dermatologist and board certified cosmetic surgeon from Omaha, Neb., who didn’t treat the Swiss women (whose median age was 56, by the way).
“A mycobacterial infection is way more severe than a staph infection, and staph infections can be fatal in some cases,” he says. “Mycobacterial infections are just not as treatable. Once it takes hold, there’s very little that can be done to fix it other than a very long course of antibiotics or excision of the affected area.”
Of the 12 women infected, 10 had to undergo surgery. Some had to have a “partial paroditectomy” (meaning they had to have the lymph nodes in their neck taken out because the infection was lodged there). Others had to have their infected eyebrows surgically removed.
But that wasn’t all. All 12 of the women had to take a harsh triple-whammy of antibiotics (clarithromycin, cipoflaxacin and rifabutin) for weeks -- or months -- on end (some had to take the concoction for nearly a year).
Schlessinger says infections like this are often the result of “fly- by-night” medi-spas and salons that don’t adhere to safe, sterile practices.
“We see a lot of people enter this field with little or no training and less strict ideas of how they maintain their instruments,” he says. “They may share instruments between people without cleaning them or throw them in a very minimally sterilizing instrument bath for only a few minutes. Typically, sterility is the first thing to go in these operations.”
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Wow, what a horror story. Some poor women who were obviously concerned about their appearance enough to get cosmetic tattooing, wind up having their looks incredibly damaged by needing surgery to remove their eyebrows. Makes you think... maybe it's better to be happy with the way you are naturally. Or you know, just spend a couple of bucks on brow liner and leave it at that.
I have had my eyebrows, eye liner and lip liner done for over 15 years,(Looks great by the way and has saved me money & time).The problem is going to places that are not certified or worse yet, they are dirty. The people that I had do mine were certified in cosmetic tattooing. They also showed me each NEW needle they used. Each a different one for each area. That makes a HUGH difference. Some people will go to the FLY-By-Night places to save money. Well I guess you get what you pay for.
You are a loser, a jackass, and an idiot just like the stupid women mentioned in this story. I don't feel sorry for any of these vain dumb asses and if you have the same thing happen I would say you got what you deserved.
Get a life and age gracefully like the rest of us.
To tombones:
WOW!! What has happened in your life to generate so much hate? Do some deep breathing and think happy thoughts, maybe you can bring some peace into your life!
Translation of Tombones' comment:
"I call you a loser, a jackass, and an idiot because obviously you look better than me. I just wear a paper bag over my head instead of spending money on make up. You're a vain dumbass because you would spend money on this.
I've learned to cope with the fact that I'm ugly as hell (I call it 'aging gracefully'). Just so you know, even though I don't spend money on makeup and things of the devil, I still am VERY popular. I know this because I've seen my picture all over websites like uglypeople.com. Also peopleofwalmart.com.
Well, I'm far too intelligent to spend any more time on this, so I'm going to go braid my unibrow. Have fun being attractive, morons."
Very nice, Tombones. Very nice.
tombones,
you seriously have a ton of pinned up anger to be so judgemental of a complete stranger. as a woman, i can assure you that Nita is correct. the cost of getting her work done would be greater savings, compared to what it would cost her over time to buy the products to do it herself. not only does she save money, but she saves time for not having to have to meticulously apply her makeup each morning. beauty may only be skin deep, but your ugliness goes deep to the tom"bone"s.
@silentarian..."I'm far too intelligent to spend any more time on this, so I'm going to go braid my unibrow"
That comment right there just made my day. Thank you for the laugh!:)
tombones, you are suspended for a day for violating rule # 1 of the Code of Honor.
I agree, Nita. To get a tattoo, my local guy opens sterile needles, brand new inks in front of you so you know that its clean. After he's done, he has you watch him while he destroys the needle and flushes the leftover inks. That's the only way you could know you are not going to get hepatitis or anything else from the inks or needle. He is registered in our state, he has proven that he is very clean and has sterile supplies. Why would anyone go to any other type of tattooist?
Sounds to me like what we need here is less regulation. Clearly, if the fly-by-nights are simply allowed to operate with no rules, everything will work itself out.
Say what??? Is this an attempt at sarcasm?
No it's a successful attempt at stupidity!
I have to get my eyebrows tatted on because I suffer from Trichotillomania (obsessive hair pulling) and I have ruined my eyebrows by pulling them out over the years. I used to use brow liner, but it was never consistent and I couldn't do things like go swimming because it would come off. I also had to put it on anytime I left the house, even if I didnt put on any other make-up. I mean, who wants to walk around with little or no eyebrows? I did this for years, and it just got old and tiresome. So I opted to try the tatted eyebrows just to see how it was, and I love it! I made sure to go to someone who is certified in doing permanent make-up. If you don't go to someone who is certified, you are risking possible infection. Permanent make-up is just like any other tattoo, and if you don't go to a reputable artist you do risk the possibility of infection from tainted ink or dirty needles. I'm sorry these ladies are enduring this, but they probably didn't do any research before deciding who to go to for the permanent make-up. If you decide you want permanent make-up, it can be a safe procedure if you make sure to get a certified permanent make-up artist.
Oh, you must be a 'Joy' to be around. What other OCD do you have?
Don't judge anyone with any kind of OCD!! If you haven't been there, then you do not know what it is like. You know nothing about me except what I have said here. Keep your asinign comments to yourself!
I think tombones has much deeper problems than an OCD!
BTW tombones. Do you think you are a 'Joy" to be around?
Anybody want to place a bet on this?
Wow, someone sure pulled their head outta the wrong side of their ass this morning!
I am hypo thyroid - one of the side affects is hair loss - I have no control over this. I got cosmetic eyebrows tattooed to cover the bald spots over my eyes that used to be eyebrows about 10 years ago. My daughter did the research and found a certified cosmetic tattoo artist. Thankfully, I never had a problem and I love them. So to Tombones - maybe you should think before you blow your mouth off - some people have no control over things that happen to them in life and thank the lord above that when it affects a persons looks and how others look at them - we have the opportunity to fix what has gone wrong with our bodies. I am so very happy that you are perfect and have not suffered as some have - but instead of lashing out and being hateful to others you should thank your lucky stars. Just sayin!
I suffer from hypothyroid as well, but I guess I am lucky to have pretty thick, dark eyebrows. I have friends who have had their eyebrows tattooed and it saves them time from having to draw in their eyebrows every morning and unlike penciled-in eyebrows, they are guaranteed to be straight and just as thick today as they were yesterday, and they are waterproof, sweatproof, and rubproof. It's a shame that filthy places like this don't get fined and shut down.
In helping to drive my friend with breast cancer to her appointments, I met many women who lost their hair from their entire body, including their eyebrows, because of their cancer treatments. For those with access to these kind of treatments, their dignity can be maintained through a terrible ordeal. If you ever see someone with no eyebrows or eyelashes, it raises comments. This is the last thing you want when most of your life, time, conversation, thoughts are already overwhelmed by cancer and its side-effects.
This isn't just about vanity.
I'm hypothyroid, too. I'm fortunate that when I found a doctor who would increase my medicine that my brows started growing back, thin, but now I have a guide for my makeup. I fully understand how some women tuen to permanant make-up, even though I haven't myself. Still have to be careful how I style my hair because of thinning. It is not just about vanity, it is about not standing out as different. Being able to go to work, the store, church, without people wondering what is wrong with you.
lazy asses, why dont they just do like the rest of us ......use a datgum PENCIL!! This certainly makes one think twice before resorting to plastic surgery anymore! Unless its medically necessary, do it yerself
I've thought about cosmetic tattooing, but after reading this story, I'm thinking it through more thoroughly. I don't need it, I just want it. Maybe not want anymore.
isnt it called botox?
Actually a parotidectomy is removal of the parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands. It is possible that the infection invaded the parotid and needed to be removed. It is also possible that lymph nodes were removed too. However, parotidectomy has nothing to do with lymph node removal.... just saying.
I've been tempted to get permanent eyeliner - I'm missing some eyelashes, and due to the scar tissue there, pencils don't work well, they almost always smear within an hour or two. I'm too chicken to let someone come that close to my eye with a needle though. (I don't like wearing fake eyelashes - eyeliner alone makes it much less noticeable)
But honestly, what if you just have an unsteady hand, Parkinson's, or something that makes it very difficult to put on your own make-up? I see nothing wrong with wanting to look nice and feel confident in yourself. Like any good tattoo parlor, a reputable permanent make-up artist will prove they're sterile and will provide you with proper care tips for the tattooed area.
tombones you have some real issues that can't be addressed here. Chill out before you give yourself a stroke. (By the way, I don't have any makeup on and could care less what anyone else wears on their face.)
I think it is awful those women paid hard earned money for a tattoo that caused them pain & suffering. The tattoo artist was uncaring & careless with sloppy work causing these women so much pain & suffering. Physically & emotionally. I am surprised how many comments on this article were callus & hate filled for the women who had to suffer. Is there no compassion anymore?
I'm just curious how many people out there that have been critical of permanent make-up have tatoos? The process of permanent makeup is no different than getting a tatoo. So if you choose to go to get a tatto and go to a tatoo parlor then you are just as much at risk of getting an infection from tainted ink like these ladies in Switzerland. So stop judging women who get permanent make-up as vain, stupid or lazy. By the way, you can also get eye infections from using any of your own eye make-up - eyeshadow, eyeliner & mascara. So the temporary make-up isn't always the best solution either. It is a personal choice, and there were some of us who were just trying to get the word out there that if you want permanent make-up then make sure to go to someone who is certified and make sure they show you the needle so you know you are getting a clean one. I would hope that anyone getting any type of tattoo would do the same. There is probably more risk for infection in tatoo parlors than there are at salons that provide permanent make-up.
Um, a little defensive much? I dont wear makeup or have any tatoos, not that I would say the permanent make-up is either "vain, stupid, or lazy". I think wearing makeup is the opposite of vain, put on by women who feel they need to cover something up. Let the true you show ladies! :)
No offense to anyone, but these women should have known better. It's just like regular tattoos; you have to make sure a place is clean and sterile. I have 5 tattoos and I have never and would never get one in a shop that wasn't so clean I would feel comfortable having a medical exam including injections done. Any place you are going to be stuck with needles should adhere to the same standards of cleanliness and sanitation that a medical clinic does. And always watch the needles; you should see them taken out of the sterile packaging, and after use you should see them broken/bent and discarded. A reputable tattoo parlor or a spa/salon that does permanent makeup should have the same equipment and supplies a clinic that performs minor surgical procedures has, and any non-disposable instruments should be autoclaved after each use.
It is a shame to see the hostility generated from those who read this article. Those poor women paid for a service & the "professional" was irresponsible with dirty needles. Those poor women had to endure serious Infection, surgery,pain & suffering at the hands of a irresponsible person. This person gladly took there money & caused all this added pain & expense for these women! Not to mention ruining there face. I hope they catch this person & others like him. They need to be accountable for there actions. I don't think anyone would want this kind of thing to happen to them or there loved one.
It's shameful that anyone needs to feel self-concious about how they look regardless of Madison Avenue standards. That's what happens in a superficial culture where people are taught that even though beauty may be only skin deep it's still all that matters.
What I find more troublesome is that so many ridiculous opinons are being expressed by people with the intellectual depth of a mud puddle. Someone who calls themself "librarygirl" who can't spell and apparently doesn't have access to a dictionary? Sweetie, look into adult literacy before you embarass yourself again. (If you're still in elementary school, I take it back.)
To Angie: I thought the phrase "people with the intellectual depth of a mud puddle" was clever. I also thought that it was unfair. I read nothing that gave me sufficient evidence to warrant such an evaluation about any of the people who shared their thoughts.
You went on and made some sort of comment regarding a misspelling by "librarygirl." I couldn't quite pin down your point, because you referred to her spelling ability and dictionary skills in an incomplete sentence. Perhaps if you demonstrated a nodding acquaintance with commas, you would have parsed your three phrases correctly, then realized that you were missing an independent clause. In other words, you would have included your conclusion or observation in a clause that included a subject and a predicate. That is where you would have shared your opinion.
Don't call a kettle black unless you are a better informed pot.
(If I y'know didn't use good grammer and stuff Im the blamable pursen.)
Angie got owned by librarygirl on making a valid point so she resorted to grammatical errors. Hehe, nerd fights rule.
@Angie: I'd just like to comment that I teach learning disabled junior high students who have better command of grammar than you do. Also, it seems you did not read librarygirl's post closely. She is not some vain, older woman who is trying to fight the aging process by getting permanent cosmetics. She has a medical condition that causes hair loss. I also have a condition that causes limited hair growth and loss. As such, I had my eyebrows tattooed at the age of 24 to save time and money on brow pencils and powders that only served as a temporary fix to a long-term problem. Until you have suffered the embarassment that comes from the inconsiderate questions and strange looks from people who have no idea why you have no eyebrows or drawn-on eyebrows, you have no right to comment on another person's choice to get permanent make up.
You are overlooking that the ink was contaminated. Where did it come from? China, no doubt in my mind. The procedure was probably scrupulously clean.
The ink was most likely contaminated because he kept reusing the same container of ink, instead of pouring some ink to be used out of it's storage container, into a sterile working dish then disposing of any excess.
also your assumption that the ink was contaminated from a Chinese source is a bit racist
Unfortunately I agree with Trombone (his point, not his approach). their vanity got the better of them. wonder why it's considered a sin.
You're wondering or are you just quoting what the nice man in bible study told you?
Darwin award, death by vanity.
Why do so many people care so much about this article? If you don't want cosmetic tattoos, don't get one! I doubt these women are spending your money on their procedure, so why do you even care what they spend their money on?
I think there are times cosmetic surgery is vital to a person's mental and physical health. No issues with that. What I do wonder about is the current craze in Hollywood to surgically deform one's self upon the assumption it's attractive, however that is a question for a certified mental health specialist. Repeated surgeries and botox injections probably aren't real healthy. Perhaps we need to address the "it's okay to get older because we're all doing it" school of thought and quit with the glamorization of someone's idea of "perfection" Personally, there are so many different types of of beauty, it's sad to see it confined to such a small scope by the "anti-aging" faction.
Young people get illnesses and treatments that can alter their apperance as well. My friend was a teenager when she was treated with chemo and she considers herself lucky to have hair at all. So her choice to get permanent makeup was based on the fact she couldn't see her very light colored eye brows very well and the brows she had were thin. She wanted a normal appearance just like any other 20-something.
Very true that major brands do give out samples on their products, search online for "123 Get Samples" we just got ours today. You wont need CC.
I just now received my free product sample from name brand companies, quite a few of them from "123 Get Samples" online
The drug is actually "ciprofloxacin". M.hemophilum huh? That's a fast-growing relative of tuberculosis. Lovely! And no, it's not botox. That is a low dilution of the protein toxin made by the botulinum bacterium. Many of us wonder however how long it is going to take before botox users get enough of it to start making an antibody response and then how long it will take for their faces to fall off.
Some people get permanent makeup because even though they do not lack eyebrows or lashes, the ones they have are so light that they are hard to see. I have a friend who is a natural blond and her eyebrows have been enhanced with permanment makeup. On top of that, she has an autoimmune disorder and has been treated with chemo in the past. Permanent makeup gives her the chance of having a normal appearance despite the challenges she has faced.