Beware flammable fingernails. case report: synthetic fingernails result in full thickness burn and terminalisation

Having long artificial (acrylic) nails is a current fashion trend, and they are becoming an increasingly popular cosmetic enhancement. We believe that they can be a potential burn hazard to their unknowing users. We present the first reported case in medical literature of a woman whose acrylic nail ignited from a cigarette butt a short distance from the nail while she was taking the final puffs. She sustained a full thickness burn to her dominant left thumb, resulting in terminalisation. Acrylic nails are very flammable and, once ignited, they burn to completion, with the source of flame removed. The temperature at the end of a cigarette can reach 900oC when the smoker takes a puff, which would explain how the artificial nail in our case study ignited. The flammability hazard of artificial fingernails is apparently well known in the beautician community. There are multiple beauty websites and blogs raising awareness of the danger of synthetic nails catching fire. We feel this potential risk should be further highlighted to the public.