Hep c concern after manicure please give advice.

[Scaredella]

Hello I was in Cuba and received a manicure at the resort I was staying at. They had a booth setup for tourists in which they perform manicures. I told the lady that I wanted my nails painted and as I was looking at polish she began quickly cutting my cuticles, as there was also a language barrier I didn't know what to do. It caught me off guard so I let her complete the cutting of the cuticles with the manicure set she had at her station. I didn't see any blood during the procedure, but one of my cuticles was a bit sore later that evening. And later it appeared as though i had a small nicked area on my cuticle about (3mm long perhaps, but shallow)that had a small scab at the end of it (not a scab on the whole area, more like broken skin on the rest).What concerns me though is I did not see her clean the instruments after using them on me! I didn't even think that they might use unsterilized instruments,until she just packed then up without cleaning them, and I am freaking out now thinking I may have contracted hep c. The manicurist used finger bowl, cuticle clippers,a file, and the wooden stick none of which she cleaned after using on me and, therefore, i assume were not sterilized prior to use on me.The resort that I stayed at is a five star resort with mostly elderly people generally between the ages if 30-60 with max of 750 people staying at this resort. What are the chances I contacted hep c? Would it be similar contraction rates as a needlestick say 1.8-3% or would the chances of contacting be lower, as I didn't see that I bled? So can I therefore assume that it was more like a non-intact skin exposure? Anyone able to give me an idea about my risk and if I should be concerned about testing? Has anyone contracted hep c through a manicure in this way or does it usually involve a large cut?

[Scaredella]

Sorry when I said freaking out I may have gotten hep c I don't mean to offend anyone. I mean I am scared, and thus, would appreciate any responses. I realized my statement might be viewed negatively. Please give me you'd opinion on my manicure risk and concerns, as stated in the above topic I would appreciate it.

[lporterrn]

Your risk is so remote that it isn't worth the worry. However, worry is what we humans do - there is one way to find out - get a hep C test - but wait at least 8 weeks after the exposure.

[Scaredella]

Thank you for your response. I tried to look online but had no idea if it was a common mode of transmission or not since a lot of sites say don't share personal items and manicures are risky etc.. Well I don't think I will be getting a manicure again, but definately didn't know the tools used on me were unsterile until after the fact, which made me angry! It's good to hear that my chances of contracting in this way are remote!

[scaredwife]

Thank you Mike for all the info. Its very hard to stay strong for the both of us. My husband is more of the hold fashioned who believes he supports and I take care of the house and family. Hes just so negative. I try telling him about all ive read to keep him informed but hes just not interested.he keeps referring to 'hes dieing' just face it. Im sure hes shocked, scared and resentful.  But so am I . The long wait for the GI appointment for answers is making it rough.

[Mike]

@ Scaredwife,

I'm sure your husband probably shell-shocked. I remember when was I diagnosed - I thought I was going to die - and had one foot in the grave.

I remember waiting for my first GI visit, which was 3 months post-dx. Then I had to wait another 2 months for a liver biopsy. I got depressed and I'm sure that wore on those close to me. Then came treatment (48 weeks worth), which ended up not working.

15 years later, I started the new treatment protocol (approved 12/6/13) and it is going really fast (12 wks v. 48 wks). I'm getting some good results without all the side effects. Basically I have hope; which wasn't there when I first treated.

Your husband is probably depressed, which is very common with a Hep-C dx. You might want to talk to him about this, in little doses, and encourage him to understand that this is  a normal feeling. You might want to discuss this with the GI as well. Once your husband gets over the initial shock, he'll roll his shirtsleeves up and take this thing on.

As for you, I would encourage you to make sure you take care of yourself and stay focused. Things will get back to normal. Don't baby your husband - but be understanding. This a family issue and a process. Be positive - as you know there are great treatments available. Take some "me time."

Best wishes. Things will get brighter, Mike

[lporterrn]

Dear Scaredwife,
Mike is giving you such wonderful responses, I really have nothing more to say, other than you are not alone, it is a process, and the feelings you and you husband are experiencing are typical and natural. These will pass in time. For now, it is just going to be hard, and we'll help you through the hard part. 

[Scaredella]

Hello Iporterrn,
I was hoping you could tell me the accuracy of testing at 8 weeks as you suggested, after the manicure incident mentioned? Thanks so much for your help.

[lporterrn]

I don't know that off the top of my head - I suggest you do an internet search. Antibody can appear as late as 26 weeks, but I don't know the percentages. You can always request a viral load test which is accurate at 2 weeks. Keep in mind that we have never had a documented case of hep C acquired from manicures in the U.S., which has more than twice the hep C rate than Cuba does.

[Scaredella]

Thank you