PDX Nails in Portland, Oregon (KPTV/YouTube).
A Portland nail salon is facing another lawsuit alleging that a customer contracted herpes during a manicure.
PDX Nails, at 11946 NE Glisan St. in Portland, is being sued for $2.5 million in Multnomah County Circuit Court by a 31-year-old woman who says she contracted the viral infection during an acrylic nail treatment in August 2025. The case is the second herpes-related lawsuit filed against the Glisan Street salon since 2024.
The latest complaint, filed Monday and obtained by local CBS affiliate KOIN, says the woman developed an “unusual burning and stinging sensation along the lateral side of her right hand and pinky finger” the day after her manicure. She later became itchy, according to the filing.
“A fluid-filled blister began to form,” the complaint states.
The woman reportedly visited her primary care clinic on Aug. 12, 11 days after her appointment. According to the lawsuit, the technician who performed the treatment was not wearing gloves.
Clinic staff allegedly determined that the blister was connected to the genital herpes virus.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Amity Girt, who filed a comparable lawsuit against PDX Nails in 2024. That case involved a 23-year-old woman who alleged she contracted herpes during a 2023 manicure at the same Glisan Street location. The lawsuit sought $1.75 million and was settled in May 2025. Girt alleged in that case that the technician failed to wear gloves and kept drill bits in an Altoids tin.
The earlier plaintiff reportedly became ill soon after her manicure and developed swelling around two fingers. Blisters later appeared, and a test came back positive for genital herpes, according to the complaint obtained by Law&Crime.
Both lawsuits state that the women had not previously had herpes before visiting the salon.
“The infection was painful, and the diagnosis caused S.R. a great deal of distress,” the 2024 lawsuit said. “She was told the infection could continue to come back, and that there is no cure for herpes.”
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PDX Nails has previously been cited for allegedly failing to properly disinfect its tools and was fined for the violations, according to reports.
Salon owners Tam and Hai Nguyen are accused in the lawsuits of negligence, including failing to adequately train employees and follow required sanitation and safety procedures.
The complaints describe the effects on both women as lasting and disruptive.
“There is no cure,” the 23-year-old plaintiff’s complaint stated. “She must, for life, monitor outbreaks for the safety of others, including any partners or future children. The outbreaks, which have continued to occur, require bandaging to prevent spread, are unsightly and painful, and take weeks to fully clear up.”
The woman told The Oregonian newspaper that she has received manicures since she was about 8 or 9 years old. She said questions about the bandages on her fingers have left her feeling embarrassed.
“People have asked, ‘What happened to your finger?’” she said. “I don’t want to tell them what it really is because it’s really embarrassing.”
The Oregonian reported that although transmission during a manicure is uncommon, herpes can be spread in that setting. In a separate case, a Colorado woman was awarded $3.1 million after alleging she contracted herpes during a manicure.
PDX Nails has not responded to requests for comment.
David Harris contributed to this reporting.
The post Nail salon accused of giving a customer herpes during a manicure — again first appeared on Law & Crime.
