TikTok personality and comedian Elyse Myers is urging her millions of followers to seek advice from board-certified dermatologists after discovering that what she thought was acne was actually something entirely different.
Myers took to Instagram, sharing a selfie with a detailed caption about her unexpected diagnosis alongside an important PSA. “This is your friendly reminder to go to a dermatologist if you have acne that won’t go away because I learned today I don’t actually have hormonal acne. I have STAPH INFECTION ON MY FACE,” she wrote. “And no amount of washing and no 20-step skin-care routine sold by an ad would have fixed it. So as my right eye is nearly swollen shut, I’m cursing myself for not just going to a dermatologist sooner. Literally the moment I walked into the doctor’s office I felt like I didn’t have to have all the answers and could just ask for help from someone that could help me.”
When a follower asked how her infection was diagnosed, Myers provided more insight. “Culture swab and my doctor looking at the acne saying ‘I know you think this is hormonal but I promise this is an infection’ and then we pieced together all my medical history that should have made this obvious for me from the very start but because I don’t know how skin works I couldn’t have done that on my own,” she replied. “But now knowing, it makes TOTAL sense.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, staph infections are caused by Staphylococcus bacteria and most often appear as skin infections. “This can produce boils, blisters and redness on your skin,” its website notes. “These infections can be anywhere on your body, including your face, often around your mouth and nose.” Getting diagnosed requires consulting a professional and receiving antibiotics—which is certainly a different path than a skin-care routine.
Dermatologists and fans alike have praised Myers’ transparency, flooding the comments section with support. “Thanks for this PSA!” New York dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD, commented. “So glad you were able to get checked out and get a diagnosis and hopefully are soon on your way to recovery!”
