0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Jessica-Jane Clement and, when I'm not working as a model,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07or trying to protect you from being scammed on The Real Hustle,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11you'll find me in a beautician's trying out new treatments.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15But I've learnt from my own experience that it can be like the Wild West out there.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19In most parts of the country, you, me, or anyone can open up a salon.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22You don't need qualifications to practise.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27And I can tell you there's some shocking work out there.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I can't believe someone's done this to you.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33- It's just here.- That looks so painful. I'd be so angry.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Arrgh.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40These were days after. There's some really bad ones.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And I've fallen foul, too.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47A few years ago I had some lip fillers and ended up with two small hard lumps
0:00:47 > 0:00:50right in the middle of my lips. Attractive.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Now, I'm investigating beauty disasters to try and discover what went wrong.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00This week, a trip to a nail bar turns nasty.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05It was like a burning sensation. I said to them, "Ow", because it hurted.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Rather than go in like this to open your can, I've got to go like that.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Proof that splashing the cash doesn't always guarantee quality treatment.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I didn't think they were going to be this bad.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19I thought I'd been burnt and been burnt really badly.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24And I check out everyday tools of the trade that can end in tears.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28- Look how that's shaving through the skin.- Aargh. I don't like that.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It went green, black, purple.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- All the colours of the rainbow. - Yeah.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Getting your nails done is a fast and cheap way to get a glam new look.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47And with new nail bars opening up on the high street every month, the options are endless.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Business has boomed with over 17,000 nail technicians working here
0:01:51 > 0:01:55but a spot of buffing and a spot of polish comes with a risk
0:01:55 > 0:01:59as west country girl, Laura Penny, found out.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04I said to them, "Ow," because it hurted and he obviously like, didn't understand me,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06I was like, "That hurts."
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Spa town Bath is home to 22-year-old family girl Laura.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Even though she's a grown woman, she's still my daughter and baby.
0:02:15 > 0:02:21Laura's a care assistant and she likes to spend her well-earned cash pampering herself.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24# You can't stop looking at me staring at me, be what I be. #
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I like to feel nice when I go out, you know what I mean,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31your make up, your hair, nice clothes, it means a lot to me really.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33And her favourite treat is a manicure.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38So, every few weeks Laura's nails undergo a radical makeover.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I've had them painted, I've had them manicured.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44A lot of the time I've had acrylic, with the white tips on the end.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49Nine months ago Laura wanted to transform her short nails into long talons
0:02:49 > 0:02:52so she went to her local nail bar,
0:02:52 > 0:02:57American Nails Fashion, on the high street in Midsomer Norton, for a full set of acrylics.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I'd never had a problem in there before, so I didn't mind who done my nails.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Went on in, and I looked at the boy and the first thing I thought is, "Oh, my God, you're young."
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Obviously I thought he must be trained to be able to work in there.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11He asked me what I wanted, either a plain or white manicure.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13So, I had the white ones. He stuck them on.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Soon enough Laura had her full set of falsies
0:03:16 > 0:03:20but a few days later an acrylic nail snapped.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So, she went back to the salon and demanded a replacement.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27He stuck a tip on and he filed them down with this sander.
0:03:27 > 0:03:33He was just sanding it down so far that it was like a burning sensation.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It made me flinch, like when you get a pain and it makes you sort of pull back,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39edging away, but he still carried on doing it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I said to him, "Ow", because it hurted and he obviously sort of like didn't understand me.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44I was like that hurts.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Over the next few days the pain got worse.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Laura went back to the salon, again.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52This time to get her acrylics taken off.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It was agony, it was just so, so painful.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58The pain was making me sick, I thought, "This ain't right."
0:03:58 > 0:04:02And over the next ten days Laura's finger started to swell.
0:04:04 > 0:04:10Phoned the doctor, got an emergency appointment. Doctor literally went "A&E."
0:04:11 > 0:04:1415 days after Laura's trip to the nail bar
0:04:14 > 0:04:16she was admitted to hospital.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Put me on a drip, put me on Tramadol, which is like the highest painkillers.
0:04:21 > 0:04:27The smell was like a rotten old piece of meat. That's the only word I can use to describe it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33It was like a golf ball on the end of it. I was just so scared. I was thinking, "Oh, my God."
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Getting a false set of nails is all the rage.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Made from acrylic, gel, fibreglass or even silk.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45Put on correctly, they'll transform the stumpiest of nails for up to three weeks at a time.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50But beware, long term use can damage and weaken the nails you were born with.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55It's nine months since Laura Penny's visit to her nail bar
0:04:55 > 0:04:59and her finger is still not back to normal.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00She's come to London to visit me.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05If this happened to me after asking for a set of acrylics, I would be horrified.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10This cost Laura two months off work and the pain isn't only financial.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13She still doesn't have all the feeling back in her finger.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- Hello.- Hello, all right.- Nice to meet you.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- How are you?- Very well, how are you? - Not too bad, thank you.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22So, Laura, when did you notice that something was definitely wrong?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25When he went over the nails with the sander.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28He obviously burnt that and filed that nail right down.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30So, then he put the acrylic on top of that.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Did you actually let him know that the nail was hurting?
0:05:33 > 0:05:36I told him it hurt and what he did, I was like, "Ow", pulling away,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40but he pulled my finger back, like to carry on doing it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- So, he just kept grabbing your hand and pulling you back again.- Yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47The next day, when I was at work, I felt a real bad pain go up through my finger
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and it was that painful it made me physically sick.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53What did it look like? Describe to me...
0:05:53 > 0:05:58It was like really, really pink and sore. Looked like it had a lot of pus in it.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03When I went to the hospital she cut it all open with a scalpel and nothing was coming out, just blood.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06She wrapped it all up and told me to come back on the Monday.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12So, I went back on the Monday and she told me that she wasn't happy with the result of what happened.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17So, she kept me in and then it went black about a week, two weeks later.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22And that's when it started to heal and a lot of scabs came off of it.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It was just all dead skin that was on the end of it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29It was black and green and purple and scabby and horrible.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- All the colours of the rainbow. - Yeah.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32And how does your finger feel now?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Basically, the very, very tip of my finger I can't feel
0:06:35 > 0:06:39and my actual nail, my nail bed, that's dead.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41If I was to touch it now, can you feel that?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- No.- You can't feel that?- No.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48So, when you left the nail bar, did you imagine a few weeks later you'd be in hospital?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51No, obviously it's a beauty thing. You like to look good.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55You know what I mean, you go out and on a night out, to look nice with your nails done
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and you end up in hospital through beauty.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02I really feel sorry for Laura because I love getting manicures
0:07:02 > 0:07:07and I can't imagine walking around for two months with such an unattractive, infected finger.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11It's definitely made me rethink where I go in the future to get my own nails done.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15So, I want to get to the bottom of this and find out what's gone wrong.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21But it's not just cheap and simple salon treatments that have got my attention this week.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26We spend billions of pounds of our hard earned cash on spa treatments.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31Now, you might think that paying top price would give you top service, but you'd be wrong.
0:07:36 > 0:07:44# Going to the chapel and we're going to get married. #
0:07:44 > 0:07:4826-year-old Essex engineer Neil Thompson and Chloe Booth
0:07:48 > 0:07:50tied the knot earlier this year.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53We was getting married a couple of months after Christmas.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I thought it would be nice to chill out before the wedding.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58So, with weeks to go before the big day, Chloe spotted just the thing,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02a new luxury spa opening nearby.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I looked on the website, said to Neil, "Oh, look, it looks really nice."
0:08:05 > 0:08:09She sent me a link, I had a look and it was just some pictures of people doing some treatments.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13They had a romantic package getaway and I thought, "Let's go away together
0:08:13 > 0:08:16"and enjoy some time and be pampered before the wedding."
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So, eager to please his future missus,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21spa virgin Neil booked the couple's package.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26For his first treatment he plumped for the age old, hot stone massage.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28She prepares the hot stones, what have you,
0:08:28 > 0:08:34and laid them on the bench and asked me to lay on top of them, on my back.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I've had a hot stones massage before and I've never laid on the stones before.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Then I started to feel a little discomfort from the stones on my back.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I'd never been to a spa before, I kind of thought,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48"Oh, if it feels a little bit uncomfortable it might feel a bit nicer later."
0:08:48 > 0:08:53But unfortunately for Neil, his treatment was about to get worse.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58I must have laid on these stones for about half an hour,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02thinking, "This is not that comfortable but, being a bit of a man, I'm not going to complain."
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Neil thinks he spent a full 30 uncomfortable minutes
0:09:05 > 0:09:09lying on the stones, getting hotter and hotter.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I got up and thought, "That stings a bit,"
0:09:12 > 0:09:17and sort of gone like that and felt my back and felt like a big blister.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20In fact Neil had been badly burnt.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26It was just chaos. Didn't have a first aid room so they took me into this changing room.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Wearing my pants in front of all these people. It was quite embarrassing.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34I was quite shocked that it had been allowed to happen. So, it ruined the experience.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36It wasn't a romantic getaway.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39If you've never done anything like that before and you don't feel comfortable,
0:09:39 > 0:09:45- say something because it could leave you permanently scarred.- Yeah.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Hot Stone massage dates back 3,000 years to China
0:09:49 > 0:09:53but it was a hot favourite in ancient Egypt and Native America.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Most stones are made from volcanic rock, able to reach 1,000 degrees,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01they're used because they hold the heat.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05These hot rocks are placed on the skin to warm and sooth the area,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09making for a more medative state and a deeply, relaxing massage.
0:10:12 > 0:10:19But spa virgin, Neil Thompson's hot stone massage was so hot he ended up with blisters.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I want to find out how Neil is now and what I can do to help.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26I want to find out more about the treatment Neil received to work out what went wrong.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- Hi, I'm Jess.- Hi.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31I'd like to see what these blisters look like, have you got pictures?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I do have some pictures, there you go.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I can't believe, I didn't think they were going to be this bad.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42Very sore to the touch and it was on my back, I couldn't sleep properly or anything.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44They became infected afterwards, didn't they?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It wasn't healing at all and had lots of gunk in it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50So, what did they use to heat up the stones?
0:10:50 > 0:10:54They used this thing that looked like a hot plate in a restaurant.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57And there was no temperature guard, or anything?
0:10:57 > 0:10:59It didn't look like there was any controls on there at all.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00She was handling them with a towel.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04So, she wouldn't have had any idea of how hot they were anyway.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08It must have got about 15 minutes in and I was feeling a bit uncomfortable.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12I was thinking, "Oh, I've not done this before and is this supposed to feel like that?
0:11:12 > 0:11:17"One of those things that feels uncomfortable now and feels great later."
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I was being a bit brave and just sticking with it.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24It did get to a point where I did ask, it was getting a bit hot,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27could we put some more towels on there, which she did.
0:11:27 > 0:11:34I'm still in pain and she carried on to massage my back for half an hour.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39And then she leaves the room. So I reach round and feel that I have a big blister on my back.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- What was going through your mind? - I thought, "I've been burnt
0:11:42 > 0:11:45"and I've been burnt really badly. This is a big blister."
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Did you go and see your doctor?
0:11:46 > 0:11:50His reaction to the burn, he said, "That's a really bad burn."
0:11:50 > 0:11:54He said that it was infected and gave me a course of antibiotics.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57How's your back now?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It still has a scar there, still has a mark.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Oh, you still do have a big scar there, don't you?
0:12:04 > 0:12:11I can see that, yeah. That's still a pretty bad scar, to say you shouldn't have any scar at all.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- Neil, thank you ever so much for talking to me.- Thank you.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- You've told me everything I need. I'm going to look into it.- Thank you.
0:12:17 > 0:12:24Nail bar victim Laura Penny thinks her finger was damaged by a nail drill.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Now nail drills are increasingly common tools in nail salons.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31You see them everywhere, but exactly how safe are they?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34I want some expert advice.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35I'm meeting nail specialist
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Lally Quale.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39She's been in the business for 15 years
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and has built a star studded client list.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44Hello.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46We're here to take a look at the nail drill, aren't we?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- Brilliant, yes.- Shall we go? - Yeah, let's go.- Excellent.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54This is what we're talking about, these ones here. Where do they come from? What do they do?
0:12:54 > 0:12:59They come from the craft industry. Originally they were used on wood and metal.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Now, they have been adapted to be used in the nail industry.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07And they should be used to file down and reduce the length of acrylic nails.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Do people actually use these on natural nails?
0:13:09 > 0:13:13People do and they really shouldn't. I educate people in the first bit
0:13:13 > 0:13:16of my courses, "Do not use it on the natural nail."
0:13:16 > 0:13:20It's an absolute no-no. Imagine this piece of metal rotating quickly on your natural nail.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Straight through the hundred layers of nail in no time.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27And also it can pierce the seals, either end of your nails,
0:13:27 > 0:13:33and allow bacterial, fungal spores, viruses to go into your bloodstream and cause all sorts of reactions.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Even leading, in extreme cases, to amputation.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Oh, my God.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40I want to see the nail drill in action
0:13:40 > 0:13:42but I'm not about to offer up my little piggies.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Instead, I've got the closest thing to human flesh, a joint of pork.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Look how that's shaving through the skin.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Aargh. I don't like this.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57If this was a living creature,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00we would be in a blood bath now.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03That allows all the infections to go straight through to the body.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05That's the point of skin, to protect us.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10You pierce the skin and you open a playground for everything.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Now, bearing in mind this is a thick piece of skin.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15The skin on your fingers would be much more delicate than this.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Those pork scratchings could put me off nail drills for life.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I want to have a go myself, this time on an acrylic nail.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26If you turn the electric file round and reduce the length of my nail.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31- Like this?- Yeah.- So, just that way? - That way.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33You can see how it goes through, can't you?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35It goes really, really quick.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Keep it moving.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40So, people actually use...oh, God, I've just slipped.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I know, I can feel the heat.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46So people actually use these on natural nails?
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- Yes, they do.- Why?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Because they just can't be bothered to do it properly
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and they just want you in and out of the salon as quick as possible.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56So, obviously these are very powerful drills.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Do you need training before you use them?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02You definitely should have training but whether people get it is another matter.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07And strangely enough, in some areas, you don't have to take any courses before you offer nail treatments.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10What should you be looking out for?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12The moment you walk through the door, look on the tables.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Do they have sterilising solution?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Are they using sanitise on your hands?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Is there a bathroom with running water?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21And are they doing a client card?
0:15:21 > 0:15:26If they are not adhering to those simple rules, they're not doing it properly
0:15:26 > 0:15:30and you shouldn't sit down and let them anywhere near you with an electric file.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31Thank you very much.
0:15:31 > 0:15:38So, nail drills can be useful but they're also extremely powerful and potentially dangerous machines.
0:15:38 > 0:15:44Now, we don't know if Laura's nail technician had had training in how to use the machines properly
0:15:44 > 0:15:45but, if what she's saying is true,
0:15:45 > 0:15:50then it's not surprising that Laura's acrylic nail treat ended up in disaster.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Nine months on from the acrylic nail job
0:15:54 > 0:15:56and Laura's says her finger's never normal.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02You'd think, "Oh, it's only a finger, it doesn't matter," but, in fact, it actually does.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07If you're going to go like this, but with me I've got to hold the bottle and go like this.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Rather than go in like this to open your can and pulling it,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13I've got to go like that.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18I want to know what it is, I want to know why I ain't got no feeling in my finger.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23This is how I wrote before. This is how I write now.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27So, will Laura's hand writing ever return to form?
0:16:27 > 0:16:33To find out the long term effects, I've sent her to meet London-based hand surgeon Matt James.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Can you tell me what happened to your nail?
0:16:39 > 0:16:44- They sanded my nail down so far, that I could feel it burning.- Right.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Then they put the acrylic nail on top, on the end.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Was it painful when the glue went onto the nail?
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Oh, yeah, it was awful painful.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- So, at that point, when the glue went on it was painful?- Yeah.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58That's obviously a sign that the nail's been breached in some way.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00- Or the fold around it's been painful. - Yeah.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Matt wants to see Laura's photo evidence in order to make his assessment.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Laura took this photo on her mobile
0:17:06 > 0:17:09two days after her fake nails were removed.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13You've got shiny, hot red skin. It must have been very, very painful.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- You can see there's pus.- This is where they cut it open.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Pus forming around the nail fold and this is probably the area that you were talking about,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24- where you got the pain where the nail was breached and the infection got into the nail.- Yeah.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26You can see that the skin is already breaking down there.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Laura took this photo on her mobile
0:17:28 > 0:17:32three weeks later, once she'd been discharged from hospital.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36What we can see on here is that the nail is probably going to come off at this point.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41It's got black blood underneath it. Some of the skin looks like it's dead.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43A big thick scab around the end of the finger.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45That just come off all in one, that.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Then, normally, providing there hasn't been too much death of the actual tissue,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51the nail will regenerate OK.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55I can see yours is actually OK. It's got a slight ridge in it where I think the nail was filed down.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59I think what happens, was your finger very, very swollen?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Yes, very sore.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06That throbbing pain and sensation can then actually lead to, once things have healed,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08numbness and sensitivity in the fingertips.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10I've got no feeling, it's numb.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- It's completely numb, the fingertip? - Yeah.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16This is fairly common after a significant injury to the finger or infection.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- The big question is, are you going to get the sensation back to your fingertip?- Yeah.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24About one in three patients have ongoing pain and cold intolerance
0:18:24 > 0:18:27but hopefully after two winters that cold intolerance will settle down.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Right.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I can advise you to just massage and use that fingertip as much as you can,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36so that it reduces the risk of it developing this cold intolerance.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37Right, thank you very much.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Fingers crossed that Laura will make a full recovery.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45But Matt James agrees that nail drills are bad news in the wrong hands.
0:18:45 > 0:18:51This thing really shouldn't happen but, unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous practices out there
0:18:51 > 0:18:53that this might be happening without training.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55And Laura's scars aren't just physical.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00She's been left with a fear of ever treating herself to a manicure again.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I shan't be getting my nails done again.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05It's frightened me of all beauty things, really.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I'm back on blistered bridegroom Neil's case.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Ten months ago his prenuptial treat of a hot stone massage
0:19:15 > 0:19:19gave his romantic mini break the wrong sort of sizzle factor.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Before I go to Neil's spa, and try and get some answers, I want to find out more about this treatment
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and find out what went wrong.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33So, I've booked an appointment with one of the country's top hot stone massage experts
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and she's going to tell me exactly how it should be done.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40Debbie Thomas has over a decade of experience in bodywork therapies
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and specialises in hot stone treatments.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48She practices at a top London health club
0:19:48 > 0:19:52so I'm meeting her there to get her expert opinion.
0:19:53 > 0:19:59I've come armed with the photographic evidence from Neil's encounter with those hot rocks.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Wow. That's terrible.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And he's still scarred now.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Neil alleged that his therapist actually held the stones in a towel.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16Picking the stones up with a towel is clearly because you can't pick them up because they're too hot.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21We only take the temperature to the maximum 60 degrees and that really is the maximum.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25We generally work anything between 50 and 55 degrees.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28What method did they use to heat the stones?
0:20:28 > 0:20:34Neil said that they used a hot plate and it looked more like something you'd find in an Indian restaurant
0:20:34 > 0:20:36rather than something you'd get in a luxury spa.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Do you think that has something to do with the fact that he was burnt?
0:20:40 > 0:20:41Absolutely, definitely.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43In fact, I've got a hot plate with me.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46We got it at a homeware store
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and it's similar to the one Neil saw used at the spa.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I mean, it just looks wrong, doesn't it?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Yeah, there's only an on off switch, there's no temperature gauge at all.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00So, there would be no way of knowing how hot the stones have got.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05If the unit's going to 100 degrees, the stones are going to reach those temperatures.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11Boiling water obviously boils at 100 degrees and it would be like pouring boiling water over somebody's back.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Oh, that's awful.
0:21:12 > 0:21:18The basalt stones are volcanic, so they will keep heating up
0:21:18 > 0:21:23probably up to 700 to 1,000 degrees, before they'll actually start to melt,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26because they are literally from a volcanic substance.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I want to see how hot this hot plate gets.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Already the wax is just coming off of that.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Wow.- And it's been sitting on there for literally two or three seconds.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41A few seconds, you can see it moving down.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47So, if you ever go to get a hot stone massage and you see one of these,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- what would your advice be for the person?- Absolutely, no.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53So, what are the correct ways to heating up these stones?
0:21:53 > 0:21:58I would definitely use a digital, thermostatic controlled unit.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Debbie uses a water bath to heat her stones
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and, crucially, it's controlled by a thermostat.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07How many stones have you got here?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11We normally use up to about 70 stones in a treatment.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13This is a digital temperature gauge.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17The maximum it ever goes to is 60 degrees. You see it won't go any further than that.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22But we generally would use around about 54, 55 mark.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25It's going to be safe for the therapist to put their hands in, get the stones out
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and then obviously apply them to the client.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Debbie's convinced me, I think it's time I gave hot stones a go.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37OK, so we've got some hot stones here.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42These have been heated up to about temperatures of 54, 55 degrees.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Oh, that's lovely.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51My experience couldn't be more different to Neil's.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53I love the warmth of the stones.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59She can easily hold the stones in her hands, no gloves or towels needed here.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06We use our stones as tools in the treatment, as opposed to just putting them onto the body and leaving them.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10You know, it feels really cosy.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15And I am won over, I could get used to this.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Well, if I hadn't met Debbie, after meeting Neil,
0:23:17 > 0:23:22I would never have known how wonderfully relaxing a hot stone massage can be.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26But you always must remember to check the training of your therapist and who trained them.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32You don't want to book a wonderful relaxing, holistic experience and end up with a burnt back like Neil.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Right now, it's time to get some answers.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42So I'm writing to the businesses that treated Neil and Laura.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47I'd like to meet them face to face to get their side of story.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54Laura wanted a set of shiny, acrylic nails and what she ended up with was an infection
0:23:54 > 0:23:59and long term damage that she thinks was caused by a bad nail job.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Neil wanted a spot of romantic R&R with his wife-to-be,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06instead ended up alone in his room with blisters.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I want to talk to the people responsible in both of these cases.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15So, let's find out if they want to talk to me.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20Laura Penny's nail bar nightmare has left her with a self-confessed fear of salons.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26So, whilst time may prove to be the best healer for her on-going finger problem,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30I want to help her overcome her wariness of salons right now.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38- Hello, Laura.- Hello. - How are you?- I'm all right.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41How are you doing? You know what, that looks a lot better.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- It looks like it's healing very well.- Yeah.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So, today, Laura, I've got a little bit of a surprise for you.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52I've arranged somebody very special to make your nails look beautiful again.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Don't worry, I'm not talking about your fingernails, we're not going to be touching those today.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- I'm talking about your toe nails. - Oh, lovely.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Come on then. How exciting.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I've brought Laura to meet Sophie Robson.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08She's behind high fashion nail-art for the likes of Tom Ford, Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Who better to get Laura back on track with a spot of nail indulgence.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21Sophie has done the nails for the likes of Gwen Stefani, Kylie, Kate Moss, Ellie Goulding,
0:25:21 > 0:25:27you name them, she's done them and today she's going to be doing your nails.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Right.- Can I come, too?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32OK, so I'm going to start with sanitising your leg
0:25:32 > 0:25:37to get rid of any germs or bacteria that might have been picked up along the way.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Oh, that's lush.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40- It's what?- Lush.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I'm going to remove your old polish.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- So, Sophie.- Yes.- I've had a drill used on me quite a few times.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53What are your opinions on drills because I've noticed that you're not using any?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I've just never needed to use one.
0:25:55 > 0:26:01I'm not convinced that you can use one safely and effectively without causing damage to the natural nail.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05We're ready to start painting your toe nails.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- Oh.- Ohh.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19I've done like three colours and now I'm doing the pattern over the top.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I want to see something different like no-one else has got.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24You've got that.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Right, I think we're ready to show you your new toes, Laura.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Are you ready, Laura? One, two, three.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Ohh.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Oh, I like them.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38THEY CHEER
0:26:38 > 0:26:40They're perfect colours too, aren't they?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42They're your favourites colours that you picked?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Yeah. I like those, thank you very much.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48All I want to know is, after today,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51have I a little bit made you feel like you could at least go into a salon
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and get your nails done again?
0:26:53 > 0:26:58I'd have them painted but never would I have acrylic done, no matter what way it was done.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00- You'd get a little mani and a little pedi?- Yeah.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Good. We've got her there, eventually.
0:27:03 > 0:27:10Laura's toe nails look fabulous and I definitely think we've restored her faith in the beauty industry.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Laura decided to take legal action against the nail salon that
0:27:14 > 0:27:16carried out her acrylic nails.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20When we contacted American Nail Fashion in Midsomer Norton
0:27:20 > 0:27:22they said they were keen to defend their position
0:27:22 > 0:27:28but had received legal advice not to appear on camera or comment whilst the case was ongoing.
0:27:28 > 0:27:34And I've also heard back from the spa where Neil received his hot stone treatment.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36They say...
0:27:43 > 0:27:47They say they ensured he received medical attention and...
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0:28:28 > 0:28:32E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk