The phenomenon is called the toe-tourniquet syndrome or hair tourniquet, which is more common than you think. It happens when a piece of hair, thread or similar material gets tightly wrapped around an appendage. It can result in pain, injury and sometimes loss of appendage. It can happen in any of the following: toe, wrist, penis, scrotum, tongue, vaginal labium, earlobe, or nipple.
Molly’s mother removed the hair with tweezers and a magnifying glass within a few minutes. They don’t know how long it took for the hair to get wrapped around her toe, but the hair did manage to cut through Molly’s skin. Luckily they noticed it in time otherwise it could have been worse.
Doctors recommend to always check babies toes, especially when a baby is inconsolable. It’s always good to inspect your baby in other parts of their body, since this can happen almost anywhere. If you can’t remove it easily, be sure to call 9-11 or visit your pediatrician as soon as possible.