A New Jersey OnlyFans model contracted ringworm from an unsanitary tanning bed, leaving her with bald patches and scars and has been left with bald patches and scars throughout her body.
Ava Louise, 24, contracted the skin infection, which is caused by a fungus, in April while using a tanning bed at a professional salon. She was left with no compensation and worries her hair will never grow back.
Ms Louise had been regularly scheduling tanning 12-minute sessions to prepare for summer.
While using the bed, she flipped around and noticed a small rash under her right breast. She initially thought nothing of it but sought medical attention a week later after it rapidly spread.
‘I had rashes all over my body in the shape of rings, they started to pus and were very uncomfortable,’ Ms Louise said.
Ava Louise, 24, was diagnosed with ringworm after using a tanning bed she claims wasn’t properly sanitized
Ms Louise first noticed a small rash under her right breast. After a week, it had spread to several other areas of her body
Doctors diagnosed her with ringworm, which she believes was from the bed not being properly sanitized.
‘I didn’t realize I had ringworm at first because I had never heard of it,’ she said.
Ringworm, also called tinea or dermatophytosis, is an infection caused by about 40 different species of fungi. It can affect several areas of the body, including the feet, groin, inner thighs, buttocks, scalp, beard, hands, nails, arms, and legs.
Symptoms generally depend on which parts of the body are infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They commonly include itchy skin, a ring-shaped rash, red or scaly skin, and hair loss.
Heat, such as that from a tanning bed, is a significant risk factor, as well as close contact with an infected person, sports involving skin-to-skin contact, and tight or restrictive clothing.
Tanning beds have long been shown to increase the risk of skin cancer. However, ‘tanning bed rash’ and infections are also common. These can be caused by the UV light from the bed sapping skin’s moisture or trap sweat, resulting in a rash.
The ringworm caused a bald spot on Ms Louise’s scalp (left), which she fears will never grow back and harm her business creating content on OnlyFans
Fungal infections like ringworm are becoming more common in the United States, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn last year that they becoming a ‘major threat’ to public health.
Though easily treatable, the condition is highly contagious. During this time, Ms Louise’s cat also contracted ringworm from her, which caused ‘a lot of distress’ in her household, including stress and vet bills.
The first doctor she saw prescribed an ointment, though she saw no improvement. This is when the infection spread to her scalp, causing a bald spot.
‘That made me go to another doctor who told me the first was negligent prescribing me cream as my infection was so widespread I needed an oral medication,’ Ms Louise said.
She brought up the issue to the salon, but just apologized and offered no financial compensation.
Ms Louise has lost income from her OnlyFans business since the scars on her body make it more difficult to create content
‘The salon just apologized and said they’d try to avoid it in the future, which to me wasn’t the best resolution,’ she said. ‘I used this place for two years before catching ringworm.’
‘This is a sanitary issue. Either they didn’t sanitize the bed at all or they didn’t do it properly.’
Ms Louise now fears lasting physical and emotional side effects. ‘I’m devastated by the hair loss caused by the ringworm and I’m scared it will never grow back,’ she said.
She has also lost income due to this experience, as she was unable to post on her OnlyFans site.
‘I haven’t been able to post sexy content online like usual because the ring worm was on very intimate parts of my body,’ she said.
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