Stacey Wilson of Benton said she felt when the nail technician went a little too rough on her feet with the pumice stone, cutting her foot near her pinky toe.
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"She knew she had hurt me a little bit," Wilson said of the tech. She went home, but the pain got worse and by Monday her entire lower leg was red and she developed a fever of 102 degrees F.
"I was like, it's time to go to the ER," Wilson, a nurse, told news station KATV. She was diagnosed with an infection called cellulitis.
Cellulitis can be caused by one of three different bacteria — group AB-hemolytic streptococcus, streptococcus pneumoniae or staphylococcus aureus — and typically affects the face, arms, legs and feet. Treatment is usually administered through antibiotics, either through pills or IV, depending on the severity.
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"Pedicures and manicures aren't the only things that cause it, but we definitely do see it associated with that," said Dr. Michael Pafford of Saline Memorial Hospital told KATV.
The best way to deal with cellulitis, though, is to prevent it. Don't get a pedicure if you have cuts or abrasions on your feet and legs, and wait for at least a day after you shave or wax to go. Be sure to ask about cleaning procedures before you sit down and observe their cleaning practices. If you're not sure, don’t get one.
As for Wilson, she's on the mend but won't be forgetting the painful infection anytime soon. "It feels like you're sitting too close to a fire and you just cannot get away from it, that's the way it feels," she said, adding that she plans to notify the Arkansas Health Department when she gets out of the hospital.
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