British woman's holiday tattoo turns into a nightmare
A woman is sharing a stark warning to tattoo lovers after she contracted a bacterial infection that almost led to a foot amputation.
Turkey has become the go-to place for affordable cosmetic and medical procedures, but things can go wrong if you don't do your research.
Kirsty Griffiths didn't fly to Turkey to get a boob job or her teeth done, but she did decide to get a tattoo while on holiday in the country for £130 (R3,000).
According to the Daily Mail, the mom-of-five chose a beautiful flower design that she got inked on her right ankle. However, less than two days later, Kirsty contracted a severe bacterial skin infection called cellulitis.
It can spread to other parts of your body, and in Kristy's case, it ended up in her stomach and gallbladder.
"Two different surgeons came to visit me and one said if this doesn't clear up, I might have to have my foot amputated. I was crying and screaming every night in pain. It was morphine drip after morphine drip and I could still feel the pain through the painkillers," she told the Daily Mail.
The 34-year-old spent several days in the hospital and is now left with a tattoo that looks "scabbed, crusted and black". Kirsty regrets not checking the tattoo artist's credentials and warns others to do their due diligence.
"I feel stupid because usually when I go to Turkey, I always go to the people I know to get tattoos, and it was always fine. I didn't do my research or background checks on this person as I thought they were safe," she said.
Kirsty says the experience has put her off tattoos.
Tattoo warning after woman faces foot amputation following gruesome ink-related infection-
— MassiVeMaC (@SchengenStory) November 18, 2024
A mother of-five has warned those seeking tattoos to check the credentials of their artist beforehand — after a botched job almost cost her part of her leg.
Kirsty Griffiths paid £130 pic.twitter.com/q9qPAej63O
Tattoo Infection Signs
If you are worried about a tattoo infection after getting inked, several signs are worth noting.
Symptoms may vary depending on the type of infection, but according to Healthline, there are common signs to look out for:
- fever
- waves of heat and cold
- abnormal shivering
- swelling of the tattooed area
- pus coming out of the area
- red lesions around the area
- red streaking from the area
- areas of hard, raised tissue
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Main image credit: iStock (Dalibor Cerskov)