'I'm a gym-goer and you should always clean weights before use – I learned the hard way'
A female gym-goer has urged people to make sure they're cleaning the gym equipment before and after use after getting a viral infection that made her go bald.
If you've ever been to a gym, you'll probably know about the spray bottles of cleaning spays and paper towels that are conveniently placed around the premises for users to clean the equipment after use. While wiping down the equipment used to be a requirement during the Covid pandemic, more and more gym goers have gotten away with not cleaning off the equipment after use in recent years.
While it might not seem like a big deal to not clean the equipment after you've finished with it, it could lead to some serious health problems. Hillary Nguyen took to TikTok to share how not cleaning the equipment at the gym before using it lead to her catching a contagious fungal infection that she said made her go bald.
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"If you aren't wiping down every single piece of equipment before using it, you're gonna wanna start," Hillary said at the beginning of the video, before explaining why.
"Three months ago, I discovered that I had scalp ringworm and it literally made me go bald," she claimed, saying she had a breakdown when she saw the thinning hair and rash on her scalp, which she demonstrated in a photo.
She went to the doctors the same day, who confirmed the diagnosis after doing some tests. "[The doctor] asked me if I go to the gym and I said 'basically every day', so that was most likely why," Hillary said. "Luckily I caught it fast so all I had to do was to apply this ointment on it every day, but if the case is more serious you're gonna have to take like an oral medication as well."
She also said she washes her hair with Nizoral dandruff shampoo, which can be used to treat and prevent the spreading of fungal infections, according to the NHS.
Hillary went on to show another photo of what her scalp looked like now, saying: "This is what the spot looks like now, you can see the little baby hairs finally growing in, but it's literally been three months and I've been applying this ointment every single day" and explained it could take at least six months for her hair to grow back properly.
"It looks so much better now, you can barely notice, but for a couple months I was super insecure about that bald spot. I used to be really lazy with wiping down equipment, but now I do it religiously because literally this sh*t can not happen to me again."
Viewers were shocked after hearing about Hillary's experience, with a lot of people sharing how they'll change their cleaning habits. "My gym doesn’t have sprays to clean equipment," one person complained, which others quickly replied was a 'red flag' for a gym not to have.
"Unfortunately if you need to disinfect it before using it then you have to let it sit for the manufacturers time. Most of the time that’s 10 minutes. Sanitising helps, but disinfecting is so much better," another user wrote.
A third person said: "I bring my own Lysol wipes and wipe the machine before and after for this reason."
According to NHS, the main symptom of ringworm is a rash, which may be scaly, dry, swollen or itchy. It can appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp. It can also cause patchy hair loss.
If you think you have ringworm, you should speak to a pharmacist who can recommend the best antifungal medicine.