Woman issues warning after years of gel nails: ‘I thought I would lose a finger’

Lisa Dewey, 36, had been getting her nails done regularly for years without issue but in February, everything changed

A woman can barely use her hands and says her confidence has suffered after developing a suspected allergy to nail products.

Lisa Dewey, 36, had been getting her nails done regularly for years without issue.

But in February a set of gel nails became inflamed and started peeling away from the nail bed.

At the time it was put down to a bacterial infection, and Lisa she was given a steroid cream and antibiotics to fight it.

But after deciding to get a set of acrylic nails put on last month, the mum-of-two found she was hurting again.

Once more, her nails became “very aggravated” and she could barely move her hands due to the pain.

The NHS cleaner struggled to wash her daughter’s hair, do up a seatbelt, hold a pen and wash up.

Now, despite years of nail treatments with no issues, she can never again have gel or acrylic nails, and believes it’s an allergy.

Lisa, from Pattishall, Northants., said: “I’ve been getting my nails done all my life for acrylics or gels.

“So 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.

“It has knocked my confidence so much too. It’s so embarrassing and I’m always hiding my hands away.”

(Lisa Dewey / SWNS)

Lisa, a mum of two girls aged three and 12, first noticed a reaction after getting gel nails applied in February.

Despite getting the same treatment she had been having for years, within a matter of days her nails had began peeling up from the nail bed.

One even went PURPLE - while the others became itchy and extremely sore.

She never suspected her manicure could be the problem - and doctors prescribed her a round of antibiotics for what seemed to be an infection.

Lisa 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.”

After having the gels removed and taking a break from nail products, she thought it was over.

But after getting a set of acrylic nails put on again in April, the problem reared its head once more.

But not only did her fingernails begin to lift again, but the skin around her nails became “like paper”.

(Lisa Dewey / SWNS)

She has recently been prescribed a different round of medication to treat her.

Lisa explained that being a mum to a young daughter poses issues.

Her hand and nail pain makes everyday tasks tough and she is constantly having to ask for help from husband Lee, 45.

She said: “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.

Now Lisa has vowed to stay away from nail products for good - and warned others.

She added: “People can get their nails done for years with no issues until one day it hits them.

“I am going on holiday in August and I was booked to get my hands and toes done. Now I’m not getting them done.

“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.

“I just want to do my bit in trying to get the word out that things might not be as good as they seem.”