Health

Young woman suffers irreversible damage after a routine body wax causes a severe skin infection

“My poor girl is a MESS!!”.

After attending a run of the mill body waxing appointment, Jessica Curran started to notice red bumps on her legs. Initially writing the bumps off as just ingrown hairs, Jessica became worried when the red spots grew in size and number and turned into sores, spreading all over her body.

A doctor told the self-employed tattoo artist to take antibiotics, but still her sores and abscesses spread and became worse and spread to her scalp, causing her hair to fall out.

Jessica had developed a skin infection that would eventually see her hospitalised, hairless and unable to work.

Jessica with her skin infection on the right, Jessica normally on the left.

Jessica’s mother, Petrina Curran, started a fundraiser on the website ‘Give a Little‘, in her daughter’s name to help raise money for Jessica’s rent, expenses and a human hair wig while her scalp recovers and her hair grows back.

On fundraising page, Petrina shares a very emotional account of the moment her daughter became so ill, she had to be rushed to the hospital.

“Finally, on Sunday (10 June) her body became overwhelmed by the infection and she was rushed to Middlemore Hospital. Her face was swollen, she couldn’t see out of one eye and the other was almost swollen shut too. Her skin is covered in sores and abscesses. Her scalp has been shaved to allow the abscesses on her head to drain. My poor girl is a MESS!!”

Jessikah Curran celebrating her 24th birthday earlier this year.

Jessica has since woken after being “dead to the world for a week” and has made sure to thank her friends and family for their support on Facebook.

“Thank you all so much for the love you’ve shared and for the amazing generosity!”

“I’m blown away! I can’t thank you enough for everything that is being done to help me get through this.”

In an update on Jessica’s fundraising page, it’s revealed the 24-year-old’s recovery time may also be longer than initially anticipated, but luckily donations continue to pour in.

Keep updated on Jessica’s progress here.

Related stories