A Portland nail salon is facing a $2.5 million lawsuit after a customer claimed she contracted genital herpes during an acrylic manicure. The complaint alleges she is the second person in two years to catch the infection from the business, pointing to state records of past health violations.
For most patrons, a trip to the salon is a routine self-care errand. For a 31-year-old Portland mother identified in court papers as J.S., a visit to PDX Nails on 122nd Avenue upended her life with a diagnosis of an incurable disease. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in connection with an acrylic manicure from last year, seeks $2.5 million in damages and names both the salon and state regulators as defendants.
The encounter began with a standard acrylic manicure and a hand massage using lotion or oil. According to court documents reported by the local press, the nail technician did not wear gloves during the service. Within 24 hours, the customer felt an unusual burning and stinging sensation on her hand and pinky. By the following day, an itchy, fluid-filled blister had formed.
J.S. told the local publication that the situation was quite embarrassing, adding that she just went to get her nails done.
When she showed the hand to acquaintances and asked what might be wrong, the conversation took a shocking turn. As the reporting notes, people immediately asked where she had gone. When she named PDX Nails, they told her the business had already faced a legal battle over a similar infection.
Prior Legal Battles and State Inspection History at PDX Nails
The current complaint is not the first time the Portland salon has faced severe allegations. A month before J.S. booked her appointment, PDX Nails settled a lawsuit with another customer, identified in court documents as S.R., who contracted the identical infection in 2023. That earlier customer filed a $1.75 million lawsuit in 2024 and settled the following July for an undisclosed amount.
A trip to the nail salon allegedly ended with a herpes infection. A new lawsuit claims a Portland nail salon employee failed to wear gloves while applying acrylic nails, resulting in a customer contracting the virus.For more information: https://t.co/vNkWQh7unw
State records show that the business operates two locations within Portland. In 2021, the state’s Health Licensing Office and Board of Cosmetology penalized one of the shops, issuing a $500 fine for failing to disinfect used tools that come into direct contact with clients. Inspectors also discovered used drilling bits on a workstation and issued a second $500 fine for failing to properly clean foot spa equipment.
Despite those historical infractions, state officials confirmed that the salon has not received any official violations or fines since 2021.
Alleged Regulator Incompetence and Ongoing Medical Toll
Beyond targeting the salon itself, the $2.5 million lawsuit casts a wide net by naming the Oregon Health Authority and the Health Licensing Office, alleging incompetence. The complaint argues that state regulators failed to strip PDX Nails of its cosmetology license or take other preventative steps after the first customer contracted the virus in 2023.
For the plaintiff, the physical and emotional fallout has been relentless. The suit states that she had no prior exposure to the virus before her manicure. Because herpes has no cure, she now relies on antiviral medications to manage flare-ups, yet continues to experience new outbreaks.
I’m worried that I might mess up somebody else’s life because of this.
J.S., plaintiff
As a mother, she lives in constant fear of transmitting the virus to her child through everyday touch, prompting her to wear gloves even while changing diapers.
Broader Context of Genital Herpes Infections
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two primary types: type 1, which is typically associated with oral herpes episodes, and type 2, which is commonly linked to genital herpes episodes, although both types may cause genital infections. Research indicates that research on real-life experiences of herpes simplex virus type 2 genital herpes is scarce, prompting researchers to better characterize signs, symptoms, and impacts on health-related quality of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in 2018, approximately 572,000 new herpes simplex virus type 2 genital herpes infections occurred in the United States among people aged 14 to 49 years. Additional risk factors associated with seroprevalence include non-Hispanic African American or Mexican American ethnicity, a history of sexually transmitted infections, sexual behaviors that increase vulnerability, and low socioeconomic status and education level.
Qualitative research examining patient experiences identifies various signs and symptoms categorized into domains such as pain, sensory issues, dermatological changes, gastrointestinal and urinary issues, and feeling generally unwell. Among individuals surveyed in related studies, frequently reported symptoms include itching, sores or lesions, blisters, and body pain. Furthermore, patients frequently report impacts on health-related quality of life affecting psychological, emotional, social, and sexual well-being outside of acute episodes. Real-world studies examining patient experiences have noted that individuals frequently report behaviors such as abstinence from sex and using condoms to avoid transmission. Several individuals also report avoiding casual sex and experiencing a lack of enjoyment of sex due to the condition.
Unanswered Questions as Responses Remain Pending
As the legal proceedings move forward, crucial questions regarding the salon’s day-to-day hygiene practices and the timeline of regulatory oversight remain open. PDX Nails declined to comment when contacted regarding the litigation, and the Oregon Health Authority did not immediately respond to inquiries about the allegations of oversight failures.
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