A TERRIFIED student was left with green rotting fungus sprouting from her nails for more than two months after she underwent back-to-back acrylic manicures.
Phoebe Sheppard, 21, had her initial set of nails done in October last year, and only got them removed in January. When they were removed, she discovered that her nails were covered in green “rot spots.”
The horrific photos show the student’s ten nails dotted with dark green spots, where fungi have grown underneath them due to water retention.
After making this horrific discovery, Phoebe went to the pharmacy for advice and obtained a fungal serum to apply to her infected nails.
But when her spots didn’t go away after using the ointment and trying several other treatments, the teen had no choice but to leave the spots to grow on their own.
Phoebe Sheppard had to spend more than two months with rotting green fungus in her nails after she underwent back-to-back acrylic manicures.
The horrifying images show the student’s 10 nails dotted with mysterious green spots, where fungus has grown underneath due to water retention.
Phoebe said she spent two months “embarrassed” while waiting for them to grow, and said her friends were joking about her having “rotten” claws.
The beauty-loving teenager has now urged others to give their nails a chance to “breathe” between manicures to avoid the same fate she suffered last Christmas.
Phoebe, from Birmingham in the West Midlands, said: “After getting my first set of acrylics in October for my birthday, my nail technician told me it was okay for me to keep filling them in rather than removing them every time.”
“Only after filling it twice, she suggested I wear a new set, and that’s when I found the green spots on my nails.
“I was using everything I could to treat it but nothing was really working so I just had to wait for it to grow.
“They didn’t hurt at all but it was a bit embarrassing to have funny looking nails for a while.” A lot of my friends joked that my nails were rotting.
“I think a lot of people looked at my nails and thought I was really dirty but I was washing my hands a lot and that’s what happened when moisture got trapped in my nails.
“It just wasn’t something very pretty to look at.” At first glance they looked moldy or dirty.
“It took a few months for them to fully grow out. I had a green spot on each nail, and it was in the same place on each nail.
Phoebe posted a video on TikTok to raise awareness about what happened to her, which received more than 800,000 views.
A distraught Phoebe said she received conflicting advice about her nails, with the technician reassuring her it was “normal”, while horrified social media users urged her to get treatment.
After researching her symptoms, Phoebe now believes the green spots were caused by moisture trapped under her nails, which is known as chlorosis or green nail syndrome.
Green nail syndrome is often caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes the green discoloration.
Phoebe, a student at Falmouth University, said: “My nail tech told me the green spots were normal but everyone on TikTok told me they weren’t and that I needed to get treatment.”
“It’s just water trapped under my fingernails.” This happens when the acrylic is not completely sealed on your nails and moisture gets in. It totally annoyed me to do acrylics.
Phoebe said she spent two months “embarrassed” while she waited for them to grow, and said her friends were joking about her having “rotten” claws.
Phoebe posted a video on TikTok to raise awareness about what happened to her, which received more than 800,000 views
Phoebe’s Christmas nails from last year that covered her fingers with green spots
“I would tell people not to file their nails more than once. You have to let your nails breathe [and have them taken off] So that moisture does not stick to it.
“Green color on your nails can be normal, but it is not normal for it to appear on every nail like it did and in the same place.”
“Your sign to change your nail technician,” one user wrote.
Another added: “It’s caused by moisture being trapped between the nail and the enhancements.”
A third commented: “This is due to the moisture under the acrylic, beautiful.” Nails don’t actually need a break.
A fourth added: “That’s why I draw them at home now.”
