‘I could have lost my eyesight’: Aussie model calls for industry changes
MODEL Anthea Page contracted golden staph backstage at Sydney Fashion Weekend. Now she’s calling for more hygienic practises.
AUSSIE model Anthea Page has called out the fashion and beauty industry after contracting golden staph from a makeup brush backstage at Sydney Fashion Weekend.
If untreated the highly contagious staphylococcus aureus can cause meningitis, blood poisoning and even blindness.
Page, who has been on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmopolitan Bride, didn’t experience symptoms until four days in.
“I thought I had just been wearing too much makeup, fake eyelashes and feeling a bit tender so I went to work anyway at 5.30am,” she told Metro.
“I was shooting a campaign out in the middle of the ocean and next thing I know, I’m facing a monstrous looking right eye. Thankfully the photographer was a good sport and shot me on my left side but the next day, it just grew until I couldn’t even open my eyelid halfway!”
The infection meant she had to cancel a month’s worth of bookings.
She told Metro “It doesn’t happen at every fashion show … but I have seen unhygienic things happen at a fair few and there is always backstage chat about it.
“In my experience, most artists are very careful and aware that the spread of many skin conditions can occur … however, there is a noticeable trend of girls who are practising makeup without proper infection control education.”
While recovering on a course of strong antibiotics she decided to speak out about the dangers that models are exposed to with an open letter on Instagram:
The post read:
A letter to makeup artists and those getting their makeup done... I’m not going to sit here pretending I don’t like modelling or isn’t awesome because it really is and I do almost always have fun on jobs. Models have it good most of the time, especially in Australia however there are health/hygiene risks involved for models and anyone using testers or getting their makeup done people can overlook.
I have just been on a fashion show job for the past 4 days and unfortunately even though I had observed unhygienic practises and confronted the qualified artists (who I will not name) I still ended up taking home a nasty eye infection from fashion weekend. I do feel my safety concerns were dismissed as if it was part of my job to put up with these unhealthy conditions.
My message is not intended to critique the women who I trusted with my eye and skin health but to raise awareness of importance of hygiene practises amongst artists.
If you are getting your makeup done or using any testers, check everything has been cleaned to your standard even if someone scoffs at your concerns. This is not my first time receiving an ailment from a dirty makeup brush and unfortunately in my line of work I doubt it will be the last but please be aware of this if you ever come close to a makeup kit so you can keep yourself safe and healthy.
Ps - It been diagnosed as a staff infection by the doctor and I’m now on medication
“I normally only post very positive things but this is my eye and my health and I do not want other girls to suffer as I have and worse than me,” she wrote on Facebook.
“If this is in line with your interests/industry give it share so we can work to make a positive change as a community.”
Page wants everyone — whether or not they’re in the industry — to demand more hygienic practises.
“If you are getting your makeup done or using any testers, check everything has been cleaned to your standard even if someone scoffs at your concerns,” she said.
“This is not my first time receiving an ailment from a dirty makeup brush and unfortunately in my line of work I doubt it will be the last but please be aware of this if you ever come close to a makeup kit so you can keep yourself safe and healthy.”
“Every model has a story about pink eye, staph, school sores, etc, but if your face was your job would you want to publicise your issues and draw attention to the parts of you that are f***ed?” “This happens ALL the time but the only other girl I’ve ever seen say anything about it is [Hungarian model and actor] Barbara Palvin,” she told Pedestrian.