Hairstylist's 'Girl Boss' Mentality Nearly Proved Fatal After Holiday Sepsis Scare
A dedicated hairstylist from Scotland has issued a stark warning about the dangers of overworking after her relentless 'girl boss' schedule led to a life-threatening bout of sepsis while on a family holiday in Turkey. Justine McLellan, a 38-year-old salon owner from Paisley, Renfrewshire, believes that years of punishing 12-hour shifts, during which she frequently skipped toilet breaks to accommodate back-to-back clients, ultimately triggered a severe kidney infection that developed into sepsis.
Holiday Horror: From Sunbathing to Hospital Bed
The terrifying ordeal began in July while Justine was sunbathing by the pool at her holiday home in Didim, Turkey. Initially dismissing discomfort as potential sunstroke or constipation, her condition rapidly deteriorated. "I started feeling ill and I said to Frasier that I needed to go inside, that's just not me," Justine recalled. Despite the scorching 40-degree heat, she began shivering uncontrollably and then convulsing, prompting her husband, Fraser McLellan, 39, to urgently seek medical help.
Rushed to a local hospital, Justine was diagnosed with a concurrent kidney infection and sepsis—a critical condition where the body's response to infection causes widespread tissue damage. She was immediately hooked up to intravenous drips and administered a strong course of antibiotics. Striking footage from her hospital stay shows a visibly distressed Justine curled under sheets, her teeth chattering from the severe infection.
The Toxic Toll of 'Success' Culture in Hairdressing
Reflecting on the root cause, Justine attributes her illness directly to her work habits. "I ended up ill because I was working and not going to the toilet and peeing regularly," she explained. "That went into my kidneys then it spread into my blood and I got sepsis. It was quite scary." She described an industry culture that equates being 'fully booked' with success, often at the expense of personal health. "We were taught you need to be fully booked if you're successful and that taking on nightmare clients, working when clients ask you to at 7pm was the thing to do," she said.
Justine admitted to consistently working 12-hour shifts, which she believes gradually broke her body down. "My back was in bits and I was exhausted but I kept pushing through because that's what hairdressers do," she stated. "That 'girl boss' mentality of always working can kill you if you don't listen to your body and slow down."
Life-Saving Intervention and a New Perspective
After a harrowing four-night stay in the Turkish hospital, Justine was discharged with a week's supply of antibiotics. She credits the medical staff with saving her life. The experience served as a brutal wake-up call. "I thought I wanted to be this fully booked busy person but then I realised my kids were losing their mum to a salon," she confessed. "I'm kind of grateful it happened because if it didn't I would still be doing that."
Six months on, Justine has fundamentally changed her approach to work and life. She has significantly reduced her hours at her salon, Be Pretty, and now focuses on specialising in hair-loss solutions like HaloBond, allowing for a healthier work-life balance and more quality time with her family.
A Vital Warning to Others on Workplace Health
Justine is now sharing her story to alert others, particularly in demanding service industries, to the severe consequences of neglecting basic health needs. Her advice is clear and heartfelt: "My advice to anyone in a similar position is to slow down and niche down. Find something you're good at and just be good at that, don't try to do everything. If you try to do everything you're good at nothing."
Understanding Sepsis: A Silent Killer
Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body's response to an infection spirals out of control, injuring its own tissues and organs. According to the UK Sepsis Trust, key symptoms in adults include slurred speech or confusion, extreme shivering or muscle pain, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness, and mottled or discoloured skin. Early recognition and treatment are critical for survival.
