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Scaled up: Snakeskin slithers into manicures - for a price

It’s a handbag staple, but is it fit for your nails?One adventurous mom gave snakeskin a new spin when she molded the exotic print for manicures. Creator Terri Silacci didn’t have to look to the wild for her idea – she was inspired by her own kid, who brought a snakeskin home from science class."One snake’s trash is a toenail’s treasure," Terri said of the new technique, available at her
(Christine Holding photography)
(Christine Holding photography)

It’s a handbag staple, but is it fit for your nails?

One adventurous mom gave snakeskin a new spin when she molded the exotic print for manicures. Creator Terri Silacci didn’t have to look to the wild for her idea – she was inspired by her own kid, who brought a snakeskin home from science class.

"One snake’s trash is a toenail’s treasure," Terri said of the new technique, available at her Monterey, Calif., salon, in a TODAY.com interview.

To be clear: No slithering pets are hurt in the beauty process. Terri uses real skin that was naturally shed and left behind by a healthy (and unharmed) reptile. After gathering the remains, Terri hand-cuts the skin to fit the client, delicately adheres it to the nail and coats it with Bio Sculpture Gel, which is then hardened with a dryer for a patterned manicure that can last up to three weeks and a pedicure up to 12 weeks.

"I find that the initial reaction from people is that’s weird, that’s disgusting," said Terri. “And then they say ‘I want it. And I want it right away.'"

The cost of the hiss-terical service, which takes a full two hours? A whopping $150-$300. You can experience it vicariously through our intrepid TODAY style editor Bobbie Thomas, who tested out the new technique in the video below.

Would you get this snakeskin manicure?

For more of Bobbie’s peculiar fashion trends – including lip tattoos and “paint” perfume – check out her style roundup.