A UK content creator has revealed how what she believed was a painful ingrown hair after shaving her bikini line rapidly developed into a serious health scare, with the lump eventually swelling to around the size of her phone.
Christy Collins said the painful lump became so severe that she struggled to walk or sit down before she was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. She later learned that she had developed sepsis and spent five days in hospital receiving treatment through an IV.
From Ingrown Hair to a Growing Boil
Collins first opened up about the ordeal in a video shared on 14 August, writing over the footage: 'When you go [to the] doctors about an ingrown hair, but you DON'T have an ingrown hair... you have SEPSIS.'
In a follow-up video shared on 20 August, the content creator explained that she had initially thought she had developed an ingrown hair from shaving her bikini line. A 'gumball-sized boil' then appeared beneath her skin. After it came to a head, Collins said she squeezed it.
That same day, she experienced a frightening episode in which she fainted, losing her vision and hearing and finding herself unable to walk.
'It was very scary,' Collins recalled. She said she had some chocolate and water and initially blamed the episode on the heat before going home. However, her symptoms did not simply disappear.
The Lump Swelled to Phone-Size
Over the following week, Collins said the boil continued to grow until it was approximately the size of her phone. She described the area as red and hot, while the pain became so intense that she could no longer walk or sit comfortably.
The growing lump was not her only concern. Collins also reported experiencing shortness of breath, stomach pains and lightheadedness. At that point, she sought medical attention and was prescribed antibiotics. But rather than improving, her condition became worse the following day.
Collins was then rushed to hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove the cyst.
Five Days in the Hospital
Following the operation, Collins remained in the hospital for five days while receiving treatment through an IV. It was during this hospital stay that she learned she had developed sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening response to an infection that can cause the body to damage its own tissues and organs. It requires urgent medical attention, and symptoms can vary depending on the underlying infection and how the body responds.
Collins' account does not establish that shaving itself caused the infection. Rather, she initially believed the lump was an ingrown hair that had developed after shaving.
Her Difficult Recovery
The health scare continued even after Collins left the hospital. In an update shared on 21 August, she revealed more about the wound left by the surgery, saying it measured five inches long and two inches deep.
She also said she had returned to antibiotics after the infection came back. Collins added she expected to be left with a 'massive scar' following the operation, giving her followers an insight into the physical aftermath of the ordeal.
Her experience highlights how quickly what appears to be a relatively minor skin problem can become more serious, while also showing why worsening symptoms should not simply be dismissed.
A Frightening Health Scare
Despite the ordeal, Collins continued to share updates with her followers, including videos around her birthday in September, when she showed herself buying a birthday cake and opening presents.
Her account has focused on the progression of the health scare, from the initial belief that she was dealing with an ingrown hair to the increasingly painful swelling, emergency surgery and eventual sepsis diagnosis.
For Collins, what began as a seemingly ordinary shaving-related concern ultimately resulted in a hospital stay, surgery and a significant wound to recover from.
The experience also left her facing an extended recovery, including further antibiotics after the infection returned and the prospect of a substantial scar.
