Woman Discovers Foreign Object Inside Her Arm, Asks Internet for Help

A woman who discovered a mysterious 'hard' object embedded in her arm has taken TikTok by storm, sharing her journey from discovery to removal. Kelsey Pierce (@stepupstudios), 29, from Utah, initially noticed a small scratch on her arm but didn't think much of it. However, when she applied pressure to the area, she felt something unusual beneath the surface. "I assumed I had scraped it on something and brushed it off as a minor irritation," Pierce told Newsweek. However, as time went on, I noticed it was scarring unusually hard for such a small scratch. One day, out of curiosity, I gave it a squeeze and felt a hard, symmetrical object under the skin. "At the time, I didn't have insurance to get it checked out, and since it wasn't causing any pain or major issues, I decided to just move on with my life."

Despite her initial decision to ignore the object, Pierce turned to TikTok for advice, sharing her predicament in a now-viral video that has amassed over 62,500 likes and more than 1.1 million views. The video shows Pierce pinching her arm, visibly highlighting the object under her skin. Pierce's post caught the attention of Dr. Chidester, a plastic surgeon from Draper, Utah, who offered her a consultation and eventually performed the removal procedure. In a follow-up video, which also went viral with 189,900 views, Chidester can be seen using a needle to numb the area, making a small incision, and carefully extracting the object with tweezers. The mystery item turned out to be something resembling a tiny stick. Chidester suggested sending the object to pathology for further analysis, but Pierce has opted to delay this step due to financial constraints. Pierce's TikTok followers have been quick to speculate about the origins of the object. Some suggested it could be an RFID chip—a small electronic device commonly used for tracking and identification through radio waves. Others joked about more far-fetched possibilities. "Did you ever have an implant for birth control? I've heard those could move, but man, that would be a long way," commented one viewer. "I fear I would have done surgery on myself to get it out," added another. "The way I immediately thought alien abduction. I've watched way too much X-Files," joked a third. Dr. Steven Hanna, a plastic surgeon, explained the phenomenon to Newsweek. "Foreign bodies like splinters or small pieces of glass or metal are typically introduced during trauma, and, in most cases, patients can recall how the object became embedded under the skin. When left untreated, the body often reacts by laying down scar tissue around the material. "Interestingly, not all retained foreign bodies require immediate intervention," said Hanna. "Depending on the size of the object, the nature of the material, and whether there are functional or aesthetic concerns, small objects can sometimes be left alone without issue. "In some cases, these objects may naturally work their way out of the skin or remain stable as a mass of scar tissue without causing harm," he added. Larger foreign bodies, or ones that could become problematic, usually require surgical removal to minimize the risk of complication. Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.