Glasgow girl suffers horrific chemical burns after nail glue spill

Ava McMillan was rushed to hospital after the adhesive dripped and burned through her leggings, leaving her screaming in agony.

The 12-year-old will now have to wear a compress on her wounds for up to a year after surgeons performed a skin graft to try and repair her left limb.

Now Ava’s mum Diane is warning other parents to be wary of using ‘cheap nail kits’ and fears her daughter's confidence could be left shattered.

Diane, 38, exclusively told the Glasgow Times: “Ava’s a typical young girl and loves make-up and doing her nails. She’s very responsible and she’s used these types of kits before without any problem.

“She was sitting at the table putting them on when she turned around and the glue spilled onto her leg. Almost immediately it started sizzling on contact with her leggings as if it was toxic and just dissolving the material before her eyes.

“Ava was very upset and immediately in a lot of pain. We rushed her to hospital and a specialist told us her injuries were so severe that she’d need to have surgery. He said because the glue had dropped onto her leggings it caused a chemical reaction, and that’s why her injuries were so bad.

“He also said if Ava was wearing shorts and the glue spilled onto her bare skin it would have been less severe. It appears the adhesive coming into contact with the fabric is what caused the reaction. It just burned right through to her skin, creating deep holes in her leg, it was awful to see.”

Surgeons at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital performed a skin graft after removing tissue from Ava’s thigh.

Diane says the family bought the bond nail glue online and is now warning other parents to scrutinise labelling before using similar products.

Diane, from Mosspark, explained: “I had absolutely no idea that this could happen. I think people need to be made aware that if a strong adhesive comes into contact with certain types of material, then the consequences can be extremely serious.

“We are all in shock at what Ava has gone through, it’s been awful for her.  I would never have allowed her to use the kit if I had any hint of just how toxic it could be. It was like acid, I’m appalled that a tiny bottle has caused such damage and I’m worried about the long-term impact this is going to have on her.

“I don’t want anyone else to be put at risk and I’m speaking up to make people aware of what can happen. Please check the labelling on products before using them.”

Diane says that more needs to be done to alert parents to the risk some types of nail glue can pose.

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She added: “I’ll never allow my daughter to use these kits again, but there needs to be much stricter laws on what can be sold and the responsibilities manufacturers have to highlight the risks involved with their use.

“A lot of Ava’s friends use their pocket money to buy false nails, but seeing what has happened to my daughter has made them think twice.

“I’m still in complete shock about it all. You see stories like this online or on television, but you just never think something like this could happen to your own child. As far as I’m concerned, these types of products should only be available in professional nail bars. Clearly things need to change around how they are governed and regulated.”

Ava, who is a pupil at Bellahouston Academy, is recovering at home since the surgery five weeks ago. She will need to undergo regular check-ups to monitor how her wounds are healing.

The youngster will also be unable to take part in PE sessions at school for the foreseeable.

Diane, a mum-of-four, added: “Ava has been so brave throughout it all. She’s been told to rest to give the burns the best chance of healing. I think she’s just in shock about how it all unfolded so quickly. Seeing her in hospital is something that I’ll never be able to get out of my mind.

“Some of these substances can effectively burn through clothing, yet they are being sold to anyone via websites. It's just beyond belief that these products are so readily available.

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“Ava still has a lot of healing to do and will need regular hospital care. She’s going to have to be very careful to ensure the skin graft heals without any infection.

“She’s had to miss quite a bit of school because of this but we’re hoping she’ll be able to return soon.”