Woman issues warning about cleaning makeup brushes after she breaks out in ringworm
A woman who contracted ringworm from sharing her makeup brushes with friends has spoken out to vow she would never make that mistake again.
Louaira Dela Cruz took to TikTok to share videos of her face, where a painful looking rash had broken out.
The 22 year old said: "Sorry guys, I’ve been a bit quiet because my skin’s flared up.
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"I don’t know what it is and doctors don’t know what it is, but — trigger warning — this is what’s been going on."
Once she showed two circular pink rashes on her chin, it didn't take long for viewers to give her a diagnosis.
One commenter wrote: "That is ringworm. How do the doctors not know that? Wow!"
Unfortunately for Cruz, the commenter was right, as she would upload a follow up video two days later.
In the video, Cruz said: "Skin update. I know sharing is caring, but you best believe I’m not letting anyone touch my makeup brushes or sponges ever again, because this is ringworm."
Ringworm is caused by a fungus and spread through towels, bed sheets and other personal items - such as makeup brushes.
Once contracted, it causes the sufferer's skin to break out in reddish rashes.
The Centre for Disease Control says that, if treated with creams or lotions, ringworm usually disappears after two weeks.
However, it's apparently not an easy road to recovery, as some of Cruz's commenters testified to.
One wrote: "Ringworm is an absolute nightmare to get rid of.
"Need to be religious with the application of cream, and change towels daily."
Thankfully for Cruz, she appears to already be in the recovery process, as subsequent follow up videos showed that her skin was improving.
Cruz has vowed never to share a makeup brush again, and going by the results of a recent study, she certainly has good reason to be wary.
A study conducted by cosmetic tools brand, Spectrum Collections, found that the average makeup brush has bacteria equal to or greater than a toilet seat.
Yikes.
A doctor on TikTok has stressed that people should be regularly cleaning their makeup brushes to avoid infections.
In a video on his channel, TikTok user MadMedicine said: "A lot of times, people don't realise that these tools can actually grow bacteria.
"And if you are putting these tools right next to your face and applying make up right next to your eyes, your mouth and your nose, that bacteria can go into your body.
"It can even travel into your brain.
"That's why it's really important to really wash and disinfect those tools."
Ben Thompson