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How a pedicure almost caused this woman to lose her leg

Utterly terrifying. - by Isabelle Truman
  • 25 Jul 2018

If you're reading this while relaxing at the nail salon, turn away now because it'll have you running for the hills, toe thong and all. 

A woman in the US has gone viral after revealing she almost had to get her leg amputated when she got an infection from a pedicure. 

Tracy Lynn Martinez from North Carolina took to Facebook to share her terrifying story to warn others of the potential risks involved in a pampering session. 

“I just wanted to share my story to save someone from going [through] what I’m going through, or even death,” she wrote, before revealing that the day after her appointment, she had chills, nausea, and was vomiting. 

foot
Getty Images

Martinez says that her leg started to swell, so she rushed to hospital where she was told she had developed a strep infection allegedly caused by “the scrapes on the outside of my heel from the callus cutter” that was used to remove rough patches from the heel.

Though doctors were able to save her life, Martinez says she is "still recovering after a 2-week stay at the hospital [and] will be on meds for the next 3 months." 

She said she will have to wear “compression stockings on this leg for life” to protect it from another infection.

Moral of the story? Be very careful if your nail technician uses anything abrasive on your skin, even minor irritations or cuts can result in an infection. 

This article originally appeared on Marie Claire.

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