This woman suffered a 'life-threatening' infection after getting her eyebrows tattooed


A Detroit woman was hospitalized for three days after getting microblading — a semi-permanent treatment that tattoos the eyebrows by making shallow cuts on the skin.

<i>Getty Images</i>
Getty Images

The woman, who identified herself as Jennifer, told WDIV-TV that she got the treatment done for $250 (sessions can typically cost upwards of $800). When she first left the beauty salon, she was happy with the results. But as the days went by, she noticed little lumps on her eyebrows. They soon became red, swollen and painful.

“At urgent care, they diagnosed me with cellulitis, gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way,” Jennifer told told WDIV-TV. But the skin infection got worse. She visited the emergency room and spent three days in the hospital. Doctors put her on antibiotics and steroids.

“I was terrified. I didn’t know. My face is swelling up — my eyes are closing. I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.’ ”

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Thankfully, Jennifer’s infection is now clearing up. She’s seeing dermatologist Dr. Stephen Gretkin for treatment. Gretkin says Jennifer’s situation was potentially “life-threatening” and if it wasn’t treated, the infection could have “spread to her brain” through her sinuses.

He notes that Jennifer might have been allergic to the tattoo ink or something used to prep the skin.

“I now regret going in there and getting it done. It is vanity,” Jennifer says. “You want to look good
and you don’t ever think that’s going to happen to you.”

Let us know in the comments below if you have considered microblading treatment.

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