Influencer almost reduced to tears over pedicure appointment

A Gold Coast influencer has been left “holding back tears” after she went to get a pedicure and the woman working at the salon fixated on her legs.

A bikini designer has been left close to tears after an interaction as a nail salon while she was getting a pedicure.

Gold Coast woman Karina Irby suffers from eczema and pityriasis, and has been open about the impact those skin conditions on her life, calling out nasty comments she gets online about her legs.

“My skin doesn’t look like everybody else’s. I’ve got lumps, bumps and scars. I get it – I look different,” Karina, who has also spoken out about having cellulite, said in a recent video.

Karina Irby is a swimsuit company founder and body positivity activist. Picture: Instagram

She recently went to get a pedicure, labelling it the “worst” experience of her life, saying a woman looked at her like she had a “pure disease”.

“When I woke up this morning and looked down at my legs. I was like ‘you know what, my skin looks great. I’m finally going to go get that pedicure I really wanted’,” she said.

“I didn’t feel self conscious – boy was I wrong.”

She said the woman came over to do her pedicure and took one look at the Moana Bikini founder’s leg without looking at her face.

Karina said she had an awkward interaction when getting a pedicure. Picture: Instagram

Karina said the woman then looked her up and down before asking if it was OK to touch her legs.

“I was mortified. Like I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole,” she said.

“I know they put rubber gloves on anyway but she’s putting on her gloves and just staring at my gloves with this face – like this really concerned and confused face,” she said.

“And I’m just trying not to cry. I feel like everyone is looking at me even though they’re probably not.”

Karina often talks about her skin online. Picture: Instagram

She said for the rest of the treatment she couldn’t get comfortable or relax, saying the woman kept touching the textured part of her skin.

Karina said it would probably be the last pedicure she got for a long while.

“I was that tense during the 45 minute pedicure that I now have a pressure headache at the back of my head and my neck is so tense,” she said.

“Like, not that I have to prove myself but I feel like my legs aren’t even that bad right now.”

She said it was definitely lumpy but at the end of the day it was just skin.

“I’m not a walking disease,” she emphasised.

Originally published as Influencer almost reduced to tears over pedicure appointment