A mother claimed the acrylic nails she put on her daughter became so badly infected that she was forced to have the nail surgically removed.
Rebecca Scott, from Runcorn in Cheshire, paid £45 for an outfit for 15-year-old Laylah Crane ahead of her Year 11 prom in June.
But after hitting two fingers days later, Laylah’s acrylic nails ripped off part of her natural nails.
It was only after visiting Ms Scott’s nail technician friend that she discovered “yellow pus” under her thumb and was rushed to an urgent care centre.
There, she was told to attend Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where doctors confirmed the acrylic nails had triggered the infection, Ms Scott said.
Rebecca Scott (left), from Runcorn, Cheshire, paid £45 for a set of nails for 15-year-old Laylah Crane ahead of her Year 11 prom in June. But after hitting two fingers days later, Laylah’s (right) acrylic nails ripped off part of her natural nails.
It was only after visiting Ms Scott’s nail technician friend that she discovered ‘yellow pus’ under her thumb and was rushed to an urgent care centre.
There, she was told to attend Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where doctors confirmed the acrylic nails had triggered the infection, Ms Scott said.
Now, she is urging women to check the products they use on their nails before going ahead with treatment, for fear a dangerous chemical could be to blame.
Recalling Laylah’s ordeal, Ms Scott, 37, said: ‘The Sunday after prom she stubbed her finger.
‘There was a little bit of blood around it so it looked like it had lifted her natural nail a little bit, but it wasn’t really noticeable and since she wasn’t in much pain she kind of forgot about it.
‘But the following Tuesday he hurt his thumb.
‘The acrylic hadn’t been damaged at all because it was very strong. But the natural nail on her thumb had broken and it didn’t look good at all.
‘One of my close friends is a nail technician so I called her and she told me to go to the salon to soak off my existing nails so I could see the damage done.
‘She soaked her nails. When she got to the finger, she filed it slowly because it hurt and she didn’t want to apply any product.’
He added: ‘When he filed it down, he discovered there was an infection and a lot of yellow pus under the finger.
‘Laylah has had her nail removed. She had to be given general anaesthetic and put to sleep to remove her natural nail.
‘They can’t guarantee that your thumbnail will grow back. It may, but sometimes it won’t, so you may be left without a thumbnail for life.
Ms Scott now believes Laylah’s infection was caused by the chemical methyl methacrylate (MMA) used by the original salon.
The potent substance used to make some types of nail extensions has been branded “poisonous” by some industry experts. It is banned in the US and Australia, but not in the UK.
Instead, technicians are advised to use ethyl methacrylate (EMA) or a less hazardous substitute.
Chemicals found in nail polish, known as methacrylates, can cause an allergic reaction if they seep into the skin, which can cause nails to loosen and the skin to develop a severe, itchy rash.
Once the skin is exposed to methacrylates, the body no longer tolerates acrylates, meaning that anyone with an allergy cannot undergo medical procedures that use these chemicals.
Ms Scott now believes Laylah’s infection was caused by the chemical methyl methacrylate (MMA) used by the original salon. Pictured is Laylah’s acrylic nail after she was hit
Ms Scott claimed that when Laylah hit her nails, her acrylic nails should have come off. However, the strong substance used caused her natural nails to come off.
Experts have previously warned MailOnline that the allergy can occur in traditional nail salons if the technician does not hold the client’s hands under the ultraviolet (UV) light for long enough, either because they are in a hurry or poorly trained.
There is no single qualification required to be a nail technician, but professionals often have a beauty apprenticeship or a diploma in manicures.
But in some cases, obtaining the diploma can take as little as one day.
Ms Scott claimed that when Laylah hit her nails, her acrylic nails should have fallen off.
However, the strong substance used caused her natural nails to peel off.
She added: ‘The (second) nail technician suspected that (the original technician) had used MMA on the nails.
‘When you soak regular acrylic it should turn into a flaky substance, but when he soaked it it turned into glue and he said he thought it was MMA.
‘The doctor said I had an infection under my nail and the nail had been bruised, they said because the acrylic was so strong it lifted the natural nail underneath.
‘If you hit an acrylic it should chip off and separate from the natural nail, but the acrylic used on Laylah’s nails was so strong that it ripped out her natural nail bed and this is because they used the substance MMA.
“Her nails didn’t even last a week. That’s a lot of money to throw away.”
She added: “It’s annoying because there are many nail technicians who charge the same price but use genuine products.
‘Then you have salons that use cheap products and charge ridiculous prices and that’s not good.
‘You should do your research before getting your nails done and go to a reputable salon.
‘People need to research where they get their nails done.
“I think this has put Laylah off for life. I don’t think she’ll ever get acrylic nails again.”