Woman whose popped 'spot' was a severe skin infection shares make-up brush warning

Katie Wright had contracted an infection, called cellulitis, from her make up tools

We all know you shouldn't, but sometimes you just can't help picking your spots.

That's exactly what Katie Wright did, but after the 'spot' she popped turned out to be a severe skin infection, which she believes was caused by a dirty make-up brush, Katie has set out to warn others.

Katie has shared photos of what happened when she squeezed what she thought was a spot next to her eyebrow, but it was actually an infection called cellulitis.

She said on Twitter: 'A week ago, I decided to pick at what I thought was a giant under-the-skin pimple because it had been hurting for a while and got too painful to ignore.

'Within an hour, my entire face swelled up and HURT. It felt like something was going to burst out of my skin.'

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Katie thought, like most, that the spot would clear, but told the Metro: 'I noticed it continued to get worse, spreading in diameter instead of forming a head and surfacing. It was hot and hard, more like an ingrown hair instead of a pimple.'

After eight hours Katie's entire face was swollen and she went straight to the hospital.

'It felt like something was going to burst out of my skin,' she said.

'In fact the spot turned out to be an infection called cellulitis, which affects the inner layers of the skin, and could be life threatening if untreated.

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'I expected the inflammation to go down, but it got hotter and more painful every minute. I tried icing it and going to sleep, but I couldn't.

'I went to the doctor within eight hours of noticing it, and my face had been disfigured by the swelling. The infection was moving so fast I was at high risk of it spreading to my eyes and brain.

'That was the worst part. I could get over my appearance, I couldn't get over the brain damage,' she said.

Once at the hospital the doctors put Katie on antibiotics, but it could have been fatal if she'd left it. She believes the infection was caused by a dirty eyebrow brush, and has shared her story to warn others about the importance of keeping your make-up tools clean.

'If you wear make up PLEASE make that a step in your cleaning routine,' she wrote.

'It's a small thing to do to avoid a painful, expensive and traumatising infection on your face.'

Sarah Finley
Freelance wrtier

 Sarah is a freelance journalist, writing for various women's magazines and national online consumer titles including the BBC and The Daily Mail, for over 10 years. Sarah has interviewed CEO's, real-life case studies and celebrities. Writing on everything from travel to fitness, and business to beauty - some of her features have been read by millions of people - in just one day.