Grace Garcia: LA woman sounds alarm on 'toxic' manicures after doctor says it may have given her cancer
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A woman recounted her horror tale about discovering she had developed cancer beneath her nail. Her doctor told her, it may have been caused by a toxic manicure. Grace Garcia hadn't an inkling that her last-minute manicure at a salon on Thanksgiving 2021 would change her life.
"It was a new salon. I did not want to go to my original place because they were booked. The tech was aggressive with my cuticle...it hurt a lot. It looked like a blister," the mother-of-three told Fox 11. She said she knew something was wrong after her right ring finger didn't fully heal in three months.
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Garcia recalled how her doctor sent a dermatologist to biopsy her finger. "On my way to the car he called me. That scared me. He said I need to come back," she said. The Los Angeles resident subsequently went to UCLA health to see specialist Dr Teo Soleymani, whom she credited with potentially saving her life. "She had squamous cell carcinoma. Hers was caused by high risk HPV," Dr Soleymani told Fox 11, adding that her manicure may have triggered the cancer to develop. While it's uncelar how many of such nail cancers are caused by HPV, Dr Soleymani said he was seeing an uptick in the number of cases worldwide. "Interestingly almost every single skin cancer I’ve dealt with that involved fingers or nails …have been associated with high risk HPV. That is alarming - and it’s in younger patients," he added.
Up to 85% of squamous cell carcinomas of the fingers or fingernails are due to high risk HPV and an estimated 80,000 cases occur worldwide, per the Skin Cancer Foundation and American Academy of Dermatology. These can potentially spread throughout the body if left untreated. That said, a 2019 study at the University of Colorado found that nail salons had higher levels of some harmful and cancer-causing chemicals as compared to auto garages and oil refineries. The study reportedly looked at levels of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in nail products. While the dangers of these chemicals had been documented before, the study was among the first to form definitive links.
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However, Dr Soleymani told Fox 11 that he'd only come across a handful of cancer cases stemming from manicures. "Rarely do we see high risk squamous cell carcinoma arising from this but I have had half dozen with this phenomenon," he explained. "I couldn't believe it... something as simple as a manicure could've killed me," Garcia added. The California Department of Consumer Affairs told the outlet that a state board has "established disinfection procedures for all tools" used in a salon environment and "conducts random and targeted inspections."
Any consumers who believe the regulations are not bein adhered to are urged to file a complaint with the board at barbercosmo.ca.gov or by calling 1(800) 952-5210.
