She Allowed Her 7-Year-Old To Get Acrylic Nails, And It Turns Out That Was The Answer To Helping Her Daughter’s Anxiety

Emily Chan |

May 23, 2023

marigo- Stock.Adobe.com, illustrative purposes only

Do you think acrylic nails are appropriate for an elementary-aged kid? Most parents would be totally against the idea of a young girl with a full set of acrylic nails.

But there are exceptions to everything, and perhaps this mom’s story will help others gain a perspective they hadn’t considered before.

TikToker Emily Boazman (@emilyboazman) is explaining her reasoning for letting her 7-year-old daughter get acrylic nails.

Three years ago, Emily would never have imagined taking her daughter to a salon to get her nails done.

However, her tune changed when she figured out that acrylic nails were the answer to helping her daughter with her anxiety.

Her daughter has severe, debilitating anxiety, and one of the ways she showcases that anxiety is through picking.

She constantly picks at any wound or scab on her body, preventing them from healing and leaving scars all over her arms and legs.

For example, her daughter had mosquito bites last summer that carried over into the new year because she kept reopening the wounds by scratching and picking.

Emily did not know how to make it stop. No matter how short she cut her daughter’s nails, her daughter always found a way to pick at the scabs.

marigo- Stock.Adobe.com, illustrative purposes only

So finally, Emily turned to acrylic nails as a solution. She gets acrylic nails herself and realized that her daughter wouldn’t be able to pick at her skin with the nails on.

And what do you know? It worked! She has not been picking, so her scabs have had a chance to heal. Instead of a wound or cut lasting for months, they close up and go away.

In the video, Emily includes footage of her daughter showing off her freshly polished white manicure. So while it may be a rather unorthodox method, it is very effective.

If you ever see a little girl with a full set of acrylic nails, think twice before judging them because you never know why they might have them!

Many TikTok users commended Emily for taking her daughter’s anxiety seriously and seeking out a solution for her.

“Usually, I would be concerned because she’s so young, but I LOVE the reason you did it, and I think the length is perfectly appropriate for a 7-year-old,” commented one user.

“I’m 26 years old, and I still struggle with picking when I’m anxious, so thank you for going out of your way to help her. All I got was yelled at,” wrote another.

“My mom used to let me wear long press-on nails when I was 10 so I’d stop biting my nails. Now I made it a business! Whatever works, mama!” shared a third.