text: A woman who bought cheap hair extensions in a bid to look glamorous ended up with an infection and a hole in her head. Tina Campbell, from London, paid £100 for the weave but was forced to seek urgent medical attention after her scalp became infected. However, Tina, who spent the day of her 29th birthday in bandages, said the incident has not deterred her from hair hair extensions again. Scroll down for video . Tina Campbell paid £100 for hair extensions - and was left with a hole in her head . A close up of one of the boils which developed on her scalp . Miss Campbell, who works as a showbiz writer, said: 'Everyone wants luxurious locks like Kim Kardashian and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, but what if you could get them at a fraction of the cost?' said Miss Campbell. 'That was the proposition when I met up with a friend who suddenly had the most amazing, long, flowing blonde hair. 'She told me it’s a weave and she got it done at an African hair shop. 'I asked whether it was just for Afro hair but she said it was fine, adding that they would put my hair into cornrows and then sew the extensions in. Tina Campbell looks glamorous with her new glossy hair extensions . A few weeks after having the weave, she developed painful boils . 'I couldn’t believe it when she told me the cheap price – it was £45 for a full head, while some salons charge hundreds, or even thousands. 'Having struggled to grow my own hair and often experimenting with clip-ins, I soon found myself getting it done too. 'Being able to go to bed with perfect hair and wake up with it was a revelation. People would always comment on how nice it looked and I was hooked.' Miss Campbell said that after the extensions had gone their course, instead of going back to the same place that she had them done before, she decided to save time and go somewhere closer to home. Tina spent her 29th birthday in bandages after her hair extension nightmare (left and right) 'The stylist at the salon in Welling, South East London, did not fill me with confidence,' she said. 'She was vague when discussing the price, and simply waved me to sit down so she could start there and then. I could see the needles sitting on the side in blue antiseptic liquid. 'I didn’t have a great feeling about the place but I wanted them done for an event that night so I bit the bullet. 'They ended up charging me £100 – way more than last time.' However, Miss Campbell said that a few weeks after having them put in, her scalp started to itch unbearably and she started to notice small lumps forming. 'Concerned, I took them out, but the lumps – one on top of my head and a cluster lower down towards my neck – seemed to grow and harden,' she said. 'The doctor said they were boils, which I’d never had before, and said to bathe them.' Instead of looking pretty on her 29th birthday, Tina spent the day in bandages after having the boils surgically removed . Miss Campbell said that days later, pus began oozing from the one on top of her head, which although looked disgusting, seemed to ease it. 'Not so for the others though,' she added. 'They were fusing together and causing the area to swell. The pain was excruciating and I’d stay up with my head in my hands, willing it to stop. 'Then, the night before my birthday, the lumps burst and thick red, lumpy liquid seeped out that burned as it touched the raw skin. 'Less than 24 hours later, I was lying on a hospital bed having a section of my head shaved. 'Fully awake and shaking with fear, I gritted my teeth as a doctor cut a hole into my skull to drain the infection. 'Despite having had nine needles injected into my head to try and numb the area, I could still feel it and the sound of scalpel on bone was like something from a horror movie. 'I told the doctor to shave it all off, but thankfully it didn’t come to that. 'I had to wear the bandage on my head for three weeks afterwards, making out-patient visits to have the hole in my head filled with a special material and the dressing replaced. Looking good: Tina, pictured on the red carpet while covering the Oscars, says despite her experiences, she has not been put off having hair extensions . 'The medical opinion was that the cause had been a dirty needle used to sew the extensions in. My doctor said that it could have nicked my scalp as the hair was attached to the cornrows.' Miss Campbell said that when confronted, the salon owner was adamant it was the hair itself that was the cause, and as the customer had provided it, was not down to her. 'Shortly afterwards, the salon changed its name and has since closed down,' added Miss Campbell. 'Since then, I’ve sporadically had similar abscesses develop on other parts of my body, including one which had to be cut out of my lower spine. It’s horrid as aside from painful, they leave scars. 'Doctors as yet are unable to find a cause and keep advising me get tested for diabetes every few months. 'Research online shows that my case is not an isolated incident. 'While one pointed the finger at extensions made from real human hair, I disagree as mine were synthetic.' Despite her grim experience, Miss Campbell said the experience has not put her off. 'Call me crazy, but after leaving it a while, I gradually began to experiment with extensions again,' she said. 'It’s a confidence thing I guess, especially when on a red carpet waiting to interview people who constantly have their hair coiffed to perfection. 'I’ve worn wigs in the past, but prefer extensions which give you so much more freedom. 'Ultimately, I think that the key is to just know who is doing your hair and if you get a bad feeling, no matter what the bargain, don’t take the risk. It's not worth it.'
target: Tina Campbell paid £100 for a weave at a salon  in London .
  Says a few weeks later her head began itching and lumps appeared .
  Night before 29th birthday boils burst and began oozing pus .
  Dashed to hospital where doctors removed infection with scalpel .
  The writer says despite her experiences it has not put her off .