Teenager Says She Almost Had Her Finger Amputated After Biting Nails

***WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF INFECTED FINGERS***

A teenager in the US has warned people not to bite their nails, claiming she almost had to have her finger amputated.

In a video posted on TikTok, Lauren Nichols, a college student from Texas, revealed how her finger became infected and almost had to be removed completely.

At the start of the video, she said: "To my fellow nail biters, stop what you're doing. I almost had to get the tip of my finger amputated because I bite my nails."

She then went on to explain how her ordeal began with a 'green spot' on her cuticle, which she first noticed on 8 January.

The next day she went to the doctor and was prescribed antibiotics for paronychia, a skin infection that occurs around nails and is caused by irritation or injury.

However, the green spot only became bigger and the finger became increasingly sore, to the point that Lauren decided to 'pop it' on 13 January.

TikTok/Lauren Nichols

The popping didn't do the trick though and she ended up having surgery, though luckily for her the infected finger was spared.

She said: "I go back to the doctor, and it turns out I have to have a surgery.

"I dead a** almost had to have my fingertip amputated because I bite my nails."

The video has since been viewed more than 2.3 million times - so hopefully Lauren's near miss may help to put others off the occasional seemingly harmless fingernail nibble.

Speaking to BuzzFeed News, she said: "He [the docotor] told me that he has to amputate the tips of people's fingers because the infection gets too bad, and that I'm lucky I came when I did.

"Since this has happened to me, I have stopped biting my nails because I never want to have to go through that again.

"I made the TikTok to educate people to not bite their nails because it can have serious consequences."

Last month, a woman from Scotland posted a similar warning on Facebook, sharing some pretty grim pictures of a friend's finger which got so badly infected that the nail-biter had to be rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

SWNS

In the post, she said: "A message to nail biters out there STOP!!!

"Someone I know who prefers to remain nameless who bites their nails ended up having to get rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary today for emergency surgery because they had bitten their nails down too far and had got an infection in the finger.

"This person had been to two chemists and spoken to two separate pharmacists over the past few days who had advised to use magnesium sulphate and keep it covered. It still got worse and when finally went to A&E this morning was told if left much longer it could have been fatal as the infection was travelling up the arm hence the emergency surgery!

"So please please stop biting your nails!"

Topics: Viral, Community, Health, tiktok

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey