HOUSTON -- Many Houston-area women love to have beautiful, long nails. But there may be a hidden hazard with acrylic nails, News2Houston reported Monday.

Darla Frenny wanted long, flaming red nails for a hot date after her divorce.

She wanted sparks to fly, and they did, from her nails.

In front of her date, Frenny accidentally set her acrylic fingernail on fire with a cigarette lighter.

"I was kind of scared because it did flame kind of high and I thought my real nail caught on fire. But it didn't. I put it in a glass of water," Frenny said.

A scientist at Lamar University tested artificial nails and found that acrylic, painted, plastic press-on nails and plain press-on nails ignited within 1.1 seconds near a flame, on average.

Frenny learned the hard way that chemical-based nails are combustible.

"I watch what I do. I wear them a lot shorter," Frenny said.

Lighting candles is the most common way women find out that their fingers can be fire-starters.

Women also discover the fire hazard with fake fingernails while working in the kitchen.

An electric burner, not a gas burner, sparked a frightening experience for Monica McNeill.

She went with some girlfriends to a nail party at a salon and got acrylic overlays.

"When it was finished, it was gorgeous. I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'I can't believe I lived like this for years without beautiful nails,'" McNeill said.

Later that day, she prepared afternoon tea at her home.

"When I went into the kitchen, (I) took the kettle off and my fingers brushed against the coil," McNeill said.

She said that all of her nails caught fire and burned, scorching the tips of her fingers.

Four fingers burned in about two seconds, according to McNeill.

McNeill said that she would never get acrylic nails again.

"I can't imagine -- what if my fingers were burned even more? They were scorched, but what if it had gotten more severe burns on the fingers? No, I would never ever do it again," McNeill said.