The manicure from hell: Woman, 23, in Oregon sues nail salon for $1.75 million, claiming treatment gave her HERPES

A woman in Oregon is suing her nail salon for $1.75 million after claiming a manicurist gave her herpes.

The 23-year-old customer, who has not been named, visited the salon in June 2023 for the beauty treatment that saw her nails cut, filed and shaped.

But immediately afterward, she noticed inflammation and swelling on two of her fingers and said she started to feel sick.

However, four days later, painful blisters broke out from her skin – with the patient being rushed to hospital and subsequently diagnosed with genital herpes.

The woman, who filed the lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court, which covers the capital Portland, said she had not previously had herpes but was infected at the salon.

She says she contracted the virus after getting a manicure at PDX Nails in Portland, Oregon

In the lawsuit, she says the technician was not wearing gloves — which could have prevented the spread of infection.

The technician also allegedly stored drills used to help shape the nails in an Altoids brand mint tin.

The woman is seeking damages from the salon – PDX Nails in Portland – saying the infection has caused her pain and frequent flare-ups in her hands.

As a result, she is forced to wear bandages on her fingers to cover the sores that have sometimes raised questions.

The woman, known only as SR, also fears she may never get rid of the infection and will have to be careful with any future children – where herpes can remain dormant in the body for decades.

She said Oregon Live: ‘The flare-ups can be super, super painful. It’s always on my mind.

‘People have asked, “What happened to your finger?” “I don’t want to tell them what it really is because it’s really embarrassing.”

The lawsuit names Tam Nguyen, who is listed as a salon manager, and Hai Nguyen, who is listed as a salon owner, as defendants.

Neither responded to requests for comment.

The woman also talked about how she had been getting manicures since she was about eight years old and regularly accompanied her mother to salons.

On many occasions, she said she visited the businesses for fun, such as birthday parties and girls’ nights.

Plaintiffs have previously received compensation after injections in a nail salon.

In 2002, a woman in Colorado received $3.1 million after discovering that she had contracted herpes from a manicure that used non-sterile instruments. And in 2021, a woman in Florida was paid $1.75 million by a salon after it was discovered she had contracted an infection that led to her leg being amputated.

In 2012, a Multnomah County jury also awarded a Portland woman $900,000 after she contracted herpes from her date, who had sex with her without informing her of his status.

Herpes is usually transmitted through sexual contact, but the virus can also spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, such as toilet seats and bedding.

Warning signs appear within two to 12 days of an infection and may include painful blisters, fever, swelling, and muscle aches.

If left untreated, it can lead to more serious blisters on the infected area, usually in the mouth or around the genitals.

Doctors say this can cause patients to struggle with daily activities, such as eating, drinking, sleeping and speaking, due to the pain and discomfort.

Treatment options include antivirals and over-the-counter pain relievers, but patients may experience repeated flare-ups because the virus can lie dormant in the body for years.

Data shows that approximately 570,000 herpes infections are recorded in the US each year.