A SINGLE MUM-OF-TWO who spent a whopping £10,000 to fund her acrylics addiction has told how a shock warning from doctors made her quit for good.
Abby McMullen, 28, from Berkshire, got her first set of false nails when she was just 17-years-old – and it spiralled into a decade-long obsession that cost her over £1,000 a year.
While the lengths and designs got increasingly more dramatic each time, causing prices to soar, it wasn't long before Abby was struggling to complete even the simplest of everyday tasks – from flushing the toilet to putting on her own shoes.
It was only when she gave birth to her twins Ava and Isla, now 18 months, that a doctor issued a warning that was to change her way of thinking forever…
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Abby, who had acrylics applied to her nails for 10 years and used them as a way to cover up her short nails, says: "I'd shake it up with the design every time.
"I really liked getting neon bright pinks, but then I'd also get French tips."
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"Then I started going to a new lady who did loads of different designs like croc patterns which I absolutely loved – and that's when things started to get extortionate.
"I was paying £55 for a custom set every other week, without fail."
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But despite the hefty price tag, giving them up altogether just wasn't an option for Abby.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I felt really bare without them," she admits.
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"My fingers looked really fat.
"I was so used to them and I thought they made my fingers look skinnier."
The mum-of-two, who worked a full-time job to help fund her pricey habit, continues: "I'd get them ridiculously long, too.
"They nail tech would put the extension on and then they'd always go shorter than I wanted.
"I'd always be like, 'bit longer, bit longer' and they'd ask, 'really?'"
"Everyone always said they didn't know how I used to get anything done with them on."
But truth be known, Abby was struggling to complete simple tasks because her acrylics would just get in the way.
"I struggled to flush the toilet and would have to use my knuckle," she admits.
"Even when my acrylics were eventually removed, I was still using my knuckle because I wasn't used to having no nails on."
Abby continues: "I also had to buy a shoe horn because I couldn't put my shoes on.
"I couldn't get my nails in the back of the shoe because obviously they'd just break."
Then when Abby was aged 25, she fell pregnant with twins.
She had them prematurely on 29th May 2021 after going into labour at 26 weeks and five days, meaning the girls, Isla and Ava, had to stay in NICU for longer.
But Abby was left heartbroken when she was told she couldn't touch or hold her daughters in intensive care – and it was all because of her acrylics.
"When the twins came along and they were in NICU, I was told I wasn't allowed to touch them with my acrylics on," she says.
"I was told I had to wear gloves because the bacteria underneath my nails could increase the risk of infection."
I struggled to flush the toilet and would have to use my knuckle…I also had to buy a shoe horn because I couldn't put my shoes on
The mum-of-two admits: "It was heartbreaking.
"I was desperate to get the nails off but at the same time I didn't want to leave them.
"I even took to Facebook and wrote a status and asked: Can anyone come to the hospital and remove my acrylics for me?
"Unfortunately nobody was available so I actually left the hospital early one day and got them removed, then I went back up to the hospital after."
On 3rd June 2021, five days after the girls were born, Abby held her precious daughters properly for the very first time, without the need to wear gloves.
"I can't even explain how it felt," says Abby.
"There's no feeling like it.
"It really opened my eyes and made me realise just how dirty acrylics really are.
"Even with a fresh infill you don't know what's collecting underneath the nail."
Ava and Isla were discharged from intensive care after 58 days – but back home, the new mum's willpower quickly wavered and she soon slipped back into old habits.
"We came out of hospital on 26th July and I had acrylics on by 1st August," she admits.
"I just felt so ugly and my hands just looked so fat.
"I was so used to seeing my fingers with such long additions to them that without acrylics, my fingers just looked like sausages.
"It was a confidence thing.
"They made me feel better and if I had my tan done with my nails too, it just looked so much nicer than having a tan with no nails done."
But in October 2022, Abby decided enough was enough.
After becoming a mum and with the cost of living rising, she decided to ditch the acrylics for good – her nails were weak, marked and constantly broke.
"I was using the tips of my fingers to change nappies," she explains.
"I'd undo the nappy with the side of my finger and then I'd have to use a wipe with the side of my finger, too.
"That way I wouldn't be making much contact with my nails on their skin – I was so worried about catching them."
She continues: "We had a Tommee Tippee prep machine and my nails were so long I couldn't press the buttons on the machine.
It's ridiculous looking back I'm like, why did I put myself through it? I've made my life so difficult!
"I'd have to use the side of my finger and knuckles.
"It's ridiculous looking back I'm like, why did I put myself through it? I've made my life so difficult!"
Abby decided to use products from the Mavala nail range – including Scientifique K+, Mavastrong and Nailactan – and she quickly saw a dramatic improvement in the condition of her nails.
“Honestly the condition of my nails is amazing," she enthuses.
"I never thought that I’d be able to move away from acrylics for as long as I have but they really haven’t been in such good as condition as they currently are.
"The products were so easy to apply, it really made the world of difference.
"I’m usually quite stubborn and if I don’t see results imminently I struggle to stick by it however the results were pretty quick and I noticed a change within the first couple of days!
"My nails prior to using any of these products were so brittle and would snap constantly.
"I think this was due to the damage caused by the constant application of acrylics but also due to a hormone imbalance and lack of vitamins, within a few days my nails were so strong and were growing really well.
"Because of the instant results this gave me faith in the fact that my nails were actually going to repair quite quickly."
She adds: "I’ve had comments about how healthy my nails look and someone even asked me which nail shop I’d been to as they looked like they’d been done properly using gel applicator…they couldn’t believe it when I said I’d done it myself using just nail polish!”
But not everyone was convinced Abby would stick to her guns this time round – and she herself admits the temptation is still there….
"People aren't used to seeing me without them and were like 'she's going to crack', but I've still got my nails without them!" she says.
"Part of me does want to still go to the nail salon but I'd just be undoing all the hard work I've done.
"The products have made my nails so much stronger.
"Although being honest, I'm desperate for a pedicure! But I don't get acrylics on my feet so I'm fine to go in there just for a pedi!"
To date, Abby has spent a staggering £10,000 on acrylics over the course of ten decades.
"I'm not embarrassed and I wouldn't say I regret getting them," Abby explains.
"Maybe now I regret knowing how much I've spent on them.
"I could've still had that money and spent it on something else."
She adds: "I'd never actually sat there and worked it out.
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"Every time I was going I always changed the design and it was just getting more and more expensive.
"I've got other priorities now and my nails aren't one of them."
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