A woman who had her nails done religiously ‘for years’ claims she's been left barely able to use her hands. Lisa Dewey feared she would lose a finger after developing a sudden suspected allergy following a manicure.
At first the 36-year-old believed she was suffering from a bacterial infection after noticing her set of gel nails had become inflamed and started peeling away from the nail bed.
Her finger even began to turn purple while the others became itchy and extremely sore.
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Lisa was given a steroid cream and antibiotic to fight it off, however after deciding to get a set of acrylic nails put on last month, the mum-of-two found she was hurting again.
"I've been getting my nails done all my life for acrylics or gels. When it first happened after a set of gels in February, I thought it was a bacterial infection.
"My nail bed even started going purple and I worried I would lose the whole finger. When I had them done again recently - this time acrylics - the same thing happened.
"Now my skin is like paper tearing away from my fingers and I can barely move my hands from the pain,” she said.
The NHS cleaner from Northamptonshire says she struggled to wash her daughter's hair, do up a seatbelt, hold a pen or do the washing up.
Despite years of nail treatments with no issues, Lisa can never again have gel or acrylic nails, due to what she believes is an allergy.
Lisa, who is the mum of two daughters aged 12 and three, said: "It happened suddenly - I feared I might even lose a finger when it went purple around the nail.
"I feared it might be starved of oxygen - but it ended up being something completely different."
She explained that being a mum to a young daughter poses issues as it makes everyday tasks tough and she is constantly having to ask for help from husband Lee, 45.
"Washing my daughter’s hair is hard because you have to bend your fingers.
"Even strapping her in the car - if I catch my finger on the belt, I jolt from the pain because the skin is raw.
"It gets so aggravated but wearing gloves doesn't even help because sweaty hands aggravate it too.
"Anything scented or fragranced makes it worse - I can't put a conditioning treatment or mousse in my hair,” she said.
Not only that, but Lisa’s confidence has been totally shattered by the ordeal and admits she finds herself hiding her hands away from people.
"This has knocked my confidence so much - I don't normally care what people think of me, but now I hide my hands away.
"It's just embarrassing to have hands like this…” she said.
Now Lisa is warning others who get gel and acrylic nails done to be weary of what may happen.
"People can get their nails done for years with no issues until one day it hits them.
"I just want to do my bit in trying to get the word out that things might not be as good as they seem."
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