The woman warned others that the manicure could cause her cancer

LOS ANGELES – The woman was shocked to discover that she had developed cancer under her fingernail. More shockingly, her doctor believes it was caused by a manicure.

It was Thanksgiving 2021, and mother-of-three Grace Garcia had no idea a last-minute manicure would change her life.

“It was a new salon. I didn’t want to go to my original place because they were booked. The technician was aggressive with my cuticle… it was very painful. It looked like a blister,” Garcia told FOX 11.

Her right ring finger did not fully heal, and after three months she realized that something was wrong. Her doctor sent her to a dermatologist who biopsied her finger.

“On the way to the car, he called me. This scared me. He said to go back.”

Garcia then traveled to UCLA Medical Center to see specialist Dr. Soleimani, who she said could have saved her life.

“She had squamous cell carcinoma. It was caused by high-risk HPV,” said Dr. Theo Soleimani.

He says that her manicure could provoke the development of cancer.

It’s not clear exactly how many of these nail cancers are caused by HPV, but Dr. Soleimani says he has seen a growing number of cases across the country.

“Interestingly, almost every skin cancer I have dealt with that has involved fingers or nails… has been associated with high-risk HPV. It’s worrisome – and that’s in younger patients.”

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology, up to 85% of squamous cell carcinomas of the fingers or nails are associated with high-risk HPV. They can spread throughout the body if left untreated, and there are an estimated 80,000 cases worldwide.

Dr. Soleimani says he has only seen a few cases caused by manicures.

“Rarely do we see high-risk squamous cell carcinoma arising from this, but I have had half a dozen cases with this phenomenon,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe it… something as simple as a manicure could kill me,” Garcia exclaimed.

The California Department of Consumer Affairs told FOX 11 that the state council has established disinfection procedures for all tools used in salons and is conducting random and targeted inspections.

Any consumer who believes Council rules are not being followed is encouraged to file a complaint with the Council at barbercosmo.ca.gov or by calling 1(800) 952-5210.