WHEN hopping in the shower, the last thing most of us expect to happen is our nipple being ripped off.
But that nightmare became a reality for 19-year-old Tilly Yeats after a miscalculated step saw a chunk of flesh ripped from her nipple.
The university student was getting ready in her “small” hall’s bathroom when she caught her nipple piercing in the shower door.
When she opened the door, it tore the piercing out – taking a chunk of flesh with it.
“Half of my nipple was flapping off and the piercing was completely ripped out and hanging by a thread of skin,” Tilly says.
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“I didn’t know what to do and grabbed my towel to compress the blood.
“I messaged a group chat asking for someone to come to my bathroom and a couple girls from a different flat came to mine.
“There was so much blood.
“I’m quite good with blood, but I thought I was going to pass out.”
Her friends had to cut the piece of skin that was hanging from the piercing off, and plaster the nipple back on.
While the student, based in Exeter, was keen to continue on with her night after the shock, she continued to bleed and was told by 111 to go to A&E.
“My nipple was still bleeding and half off,” Tilly recalls.
“I was in and out of A&E in an hour and I think this is because I was bleeding so much still.
“When I was taking the plaster off, I was so worried my nipple was going to come off with it.
“The first nurse I saw had never seen this before and the other nurse had seen it once, and the girl needed surgery, so I was terrified.
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“All of the pieces of my nipple were still there – just not attached and flapping off – so no surgery was required.”
Luckily, the nurse was able to stitch the nipple back together.
“I was concerned my nipple would look dishevelled, but it doesn’t,” Tilly adds.
“There is a slight tear still where the pieces of the nipple were put back together and you can see the lines where it ripped.
“I’m feeling absolutely fine now.
“I am upset I only have one nipple pierced but it’s okay, I have a funny story to go along with it.
“It does sometimes hurt but I assume that’s normal because it is still healing.”
Incredibly, the experience hasn’t put Tilly off further modifications.
“This definitely has not put me off getting any piercings – it just makes me more aware getting in and out of the shower,” she says.
“I’ve had multiple people who were contemplating getting them pierced [say they] now wouldn’t, but what happened to me is quite rare and was completely a fault on my behalf.
“They [the piercings] brought me so much confidence and I wish I could get it redone.
“I encourage anyone who wants to get them done – just safely in a piercing shop.”
The student shared the tale in a TikTok which has garnered over 90,000 views, calling it the “worst day of her life”.