Turns Out, Dip Powder Manicures Can Give You Herpes and Other Serious Infections
I have never been more itchy and disturbed in my whole life.
Did you know that if you get a dip manicure — you know, where you dip your fingers in that little pot of acrylic powder — you are setting yourself up to get an infection known as Herpes Whitlow.
Yuck. So, if the person before you had an open wound, a nick from the nail file, or a sore, it can contaminate that pot of powder, thereby spreading their infecion to you.
I am so grossed out right now. Do you know how many times I have dipped my nails in that little manicure powder, and didn’t think a thing about it. *Gag*
It’s crazy what we will do in the name of pretty nails. Well, buddy, next time I’ll think twice about getting that dip manicure!
We just NEVER know what has been in there BEFORE us. The powder may LOOK clean and pretty, but it may be laced with infection.
“Herpes Whitlow is caused by herpes simplex virus 1 which is a very common virus and what it is, it’s that virus. Instead of manifesting on the mouth, like you would think of like a cold sore, it’s manifesting on the fingers,” Dr. Lourdes Norman-McKay, a microbiologist with the Florida State College of Jacksonville said.
CBS 47, Fox 30, Action News Jax
“Herpes Whitlow is very obvious, with these really dramatic oozing lesions that anyone should say, ‘We’re not going to do your nails.’ But we do know that they still will do nails in many cases, because they don’t know necessarily what they’re looking at,” Norman-McKay said.
CBS 47, Fox 30, Action News Jax
Like Cold Sores on the mouth, Herpes Whitlow on the fingers is HIGHLY contagious. Once you get it, you have it in your system forever. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Ugh!
There are a few ways to ensure you get an awesome manicure, but don’t get a disgusting infection. First, and foremost, make SURE the nail salon you go to is clean. Don’t sacrifice a cheap manicure for a CLEAN manicure!
Just like at tattoo studios, it is better if your manicurist uses all single use products — files, dips, WHATEVER. Watch them open their tools of the trade right in front of your eyes. No questions.
Also, it is SUPER IMPORTANT that your nail tech washes their hands before and after each client. Even if they wear gloves during the manicure, washing their hands is the MOST important part of the process.
Please stay safe out there. There are about eleventeen other things you need besides Herpes on your hands!
If you want to be really safe, you can just buy your own Dip Nail Kit on Amazon and do them yourself at home.
Speaking of manicures, would you get these tiny feet and hands on your nails?
I would advise you to please do some research on HSV and then edit your post. #stopstigma
I have been doing nails for over 45 years and have never seen such disgusting infections on anyone”s nails. The moral of the story is sanitize, wash hands, sanitize and don’t share implements. I used Mylar files that could be sanitized.