A visit to the nail salon is a nightmare for one woman!
according to Today.com50 years grace garcia went to a new salon in California for a manicure in November 2021 when she couldn’t make an appointment at her usual place. While finishing her nails, the manicurist accidentally scratched Grace’s cuticle on her right ring finger:
“They cut me, and the cut wasn’t just a normal cuticle cut. They cut me deep, and it’s one of the first things that’s ever happened to me. I’ve been doing (nails) for years and years and years. I’m pissed off.”
When Grace got home, she put ointment on the wound. However, the cut never got better after a few days. She returned to the nail salon to tell the story of what had happened, recalling:
“I was angry and I came back, and I told her that the woman cut me, and my finger was still bothering me. She said, ‘Oh, we fired her (after) many complaints.’ That’s it.”
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The woman then went to her doctor who prescribed antibiotics. But, Grace said, “it never got better.” His fingers felt so soft to the touch – that if he accidentally hit something, it would hurt. The cut eventually healed, but there was a dark bump. Grace soon went back to her primary care doctor for a checkup. They believe it is nothing more than “callus of writing” and recommended to keep an eye on it. It’s been months, he told me Today.com she continued to make several doctor visits all while the bump on her finger went from looking like a bruise to an open wound to a wart. You can see a TikTok video of her injury (below) – but the warning is very graphics!
@ggzella It all started w/ the wrong Mani/Pedi! The nail tech cut me with a non-sterile tool! ???????????? which within 6 months turned into CANCER!! #mohssurgery #mohssurgeryrecovery #uclahospital #cancerfree #selfscreening #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #viralvideo
♬ original sound – GG
When Grace went to the gynecologist in April 2022, five months after the nail appointment, and showed the doctor her finger, they recommended a dermatologist. He went to UCLA Health dermatologist Dr. AS Theo Soleymani, which determined that he had a rare form of nail cancer. He explained Today.com Grace has squamous cell carcinoma, which is less aggressive than melanoma. But in her case, the cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV:
“They are interesting because the timeline is about three months, which is very short with squamous cell carcinoma. It also makes sense that they have a high-risk strain of HPV that is not just a benign cut.
Soleymani said her cancer was growing rapidly, saying:
“It’s very rare for a number of reasons. In general, the strains that cause cancer from the point of view of HPV tend to be more sexually transmitted. In Grace’s case, she had a wound, which was the portal of entry. So the thick skin on the hands and feet is a natural barrier for infection and such has not happened, and the virus can infect the skin.
However, thankfully, Grace was able to catch it early and was diagnosed with stage 1 cancer. Soleymani performed Mohs surgery on her finger and was able to see “100% of the edges” of the cancer, meaning she did not need further treatment. While Grace’s experience is undeniable, Soleymani said Fox 11 Los Angeles Nail cancer caused by HPV is uncommon:
“However, almost all of the skin cancers I get are finger or nail … have been linked to high-risk HPV. It’s worrying – and it’s in younger patients.
However, he noted that the HPV vaccine prevents this type of cancer. For Grace? After the scare, he asked everyone to support themselves if they feel something is wrong with their health:
“I fought everything from day one because I knew something was wrong.”
We’re glad to hear Grace is doing okay after her health scare! Reaction to the crazy story, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below!
[Image via Grace Garcia/TikTok]