Mom's Warning About Fake Nail Glue Dangers is a Must-Read

The downsides of certain Gen Alpha and Gen Z obsessions are well documented. For instance, stealing zipper pulls from other kids’ backpacks stems from a viral TikTok challenge that can land your child in hot water with school administrators—and even the law. And when it comes to beauty trends, parents are acquainted with the financial burden of raising Sephora-obsessed tweens and teens. 

But one mom’s story about how her daughter suffered second-degree burns after playing with seemingly innocuous fake nails, which you can buy for mere dollars at any drug store or supermarket, caught many parents off guard. Who knew this fun at-home manicure trend could be so hazardous?

This Mom's Story Has Gone Viral For Good Reason

The Rhode Island-based mom, Jessica Klick (@theklicklife), shared what happened to her 11-year-old, Sienna after just a few drops of nail glue landed on her sock when she was doing her nails at a friend’s home.

Her TikTok, shocked commenters who, like yours truly—a mom of three tween and teen girls—had no idea the glue could cause such a serious injury. The TikTok even came with a sensitive content warning due to the graphic nature of the burn images from Sienna’s injury.

Captioning her TikTok as a PSA for all moms out there, Klick encourages those whose kids play with fake nails to watch the entire video. Again, as a warning, she does show a photo of her daughter’s burns at the end.

“Apparently, nail glue reacts with cotton and wool and causes instantaneous heat,” the mom explains at the beginning of the short clip, going on to say that in her daughter’s case, the glue coming in contact with her sock caused a severe second-degree burn on her foot.

Horrified commenters were grateful to the mom for sharing this scary experience and incredibly, many shared similar stories of being unprepared for an injury from fake nail glue after it came in contact with clothing. Several TikTok users claimed nail glue is basically the same as super glue.

How Nail Glue Can Cause Skin Burns

The TikTokers’ claims hold water.

“Believe it or not, nail glue, which is just over-the-counter super glue, causes a chemical reaction when it contacts cotton,” explains Eric Shamas, MD an emergency room physician at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital.

He elaborates for Parents, getting a bit more scientific.

“This reaction is exothermic, meaning it releases heat, and in this case, it releases such large amounts of heat that it can burn skin and cause injury.” Making matters worse is that according to Dr. Shamas, “The glue quickly saturates fabrics which can increase the amount of skin that is contacted.”

Dr. Shamas says there aren’t any specific ingredients to look out for when it comes to purchasing fake nail glue.

“Rather, you must be very cautious when using nail glue or super glue to ensure it does not drip onto cotton fabrics because the combination can burn your skin,” he emphasizes. “We recommend using very small amounts of glue and using a clean surface away from your clothing and body.”  

What To Do If Your Child Suffers a Nail Glue Burn

Michael Levine, MD from UCLA Health tells Parents that he has not seen this specific type of injury personally.

However, he advises that when a child is burned by nail glue, "If there is redness or blistering pain, the parent should call the pediatrician or take the patient to the emergency department."

You can try to wash the area with cool water at home and gently attempt to remove residual glue, but Dr. Levine stresses, “If there is too much pain with the removal, seek medical attention."

As for Sienna, the girl in the TikTok, her mom says she is recovering—but suffered through a few weeks of pain and is still sore.