North West, the 12-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, took to her Instagram Stories on March 12 to show off a dramatic new manicure featuring spikes and piercings-like embellishments, quickly sending social media into a frenzy.
While some viewers praised the edgy design, others questioned whether the style was appropriate for someone her age.
The moment came following the constant backlash about North’s increasingly experimental public image.
“How does she wipe?” one commenter wrote.
North West’s recent dramatic manicure featuring piercings and spikes sparked intense backlash online
Image credits: kimkardashian
North’s striking new manicure showed off long square-tip nails painted in a translucent shimmery blue shade.
The design featured silver embellishments resembling jewelry, including spikes and hoop-like piercings attached to the nails.
North also added a personal touch, with the text “North-chan” written in Japanese across the set. It was a reference to lyrics in her song Bomb, which she recorded with her father, Kanye, Ty Dolla $ign, and her sister, Chicago.
Image credits: northwest
In the video, she also credited nail artists Akemi Santiago and Noehmi Saldana for the bold statement.
However, the gothic look quickly triggered a wave of reactions online, with several users questioning how practical the style would be.
“Wonder how she does her schoolwork with those on? Like, how does she type and read books?” one user asked.
Several people compared the design to the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands, with one user commenting, “Giving me Edward Scissorhand vibes!”
Meanwhile, others focused on her age. “At 12 years old, I was still playing with Barbie!” one person wrote.
Another flock of online users blamed North’s parents, Kim and Kanye, for allowing such looks
Image credits: northwest
“You know, as a parent, you CAN say no,” another commenter argued, while another wrote, “Kim- please get this child to church- take your whole family.”
While several viewers criticized the manicure, a few defended North’s creativity.
“They’re just nails. I think they’re awesome,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “These are cool. My teenage self would’ve loved to rock these.”
Image credits: kimandnorth
Some people also pointed out that experimentation with fashion is common at her age.
“She is experimenting to find who she is, just like we all did as kids,” one commenter said.
Others suggested the backlash may be fueling the attention around her style.
“She does these things FOR the backlash. And she loves every minute of it,” one user claimed
This isn’t the first time North West has faced intense criticism for several controversial looks
Image credits: northwest
This is far from the first time North’s fashion choices have sparked online debate.
As reported by Bored Panda, the pre-teen debuted black grills, turquoise hair, and a bridge piercing in videos shared on the joint Kim and North TikTok account.
The piercing was later revealed to be a sticker rather than a permanent modification, though the look still sparked widespread recoil.
North also went viral in late 2025 when fans spotted what appeared to be a dermal piercing on her middle finger during a trip to Rome with her mother.
Image credits: northwest
Dermal piercings lie flat against the skin and can be more difficult to heal than traditional piercings, which caused a stir among viewers.
“She’s 12. Wtf is Kim doing?” one user wrote at the time.
The criticism intensified again when North later posted photos showing multiple finger and hand piercings, though it was unclear whether all of them were real.
Despite the consistent backlash, North has publicly defended her style choices
Image credits: kimandnorth
In one TikTok video posted in December 2025, she responded to criticism about her finger piercing. She lip-synched to the audio saying, “Why are you crying? How old are you? Just pull it together.”
She captioned the clip, “This is for everyone mad over a finger piercing.”
North also clapped back after receiving criticism for her black teeth. On January 26, she went live on Instagram, saying, “Why is my teeth black? Are we okay? I could take them out.”
Not only did North defend herself, but Kim had also repeatedly addressed the scrutiny surrounding her daughter’s appearance.
Image credits: kimandnorth
During an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast in October 2025, Kim described North as “really confident” and capable of handling online backlash.
“She’s really mature in one sense where she’ll be like, ‘Mom, I saw this, and I don’t really care that they don’t like… my blue hair or this or that. She’s really confident and is like, ‘I probably wouldn’t be hanging out with those people.’”
The SKIMS founder also acknowledged that raising children in the public eye can be challenging.
“As a mom, you’re kind of like learning at the same time.” She said, asking critics to show her “a little bit of grace.”
In January 2026, Kim addressed the parenting criticism again on her sister Khloé Kardashian’s podcast, Khloe in Wonder Land, clarifying that North does have rules despite what people assume.
“One misconception is like, ‘Oh, she lets her get away with a lot.’ Like, no — Northy actually has a lot of rules,” she explained.
However, Kardashian said fashion is one area where she allows her daughter to explore her creativity.
“That’s the one area I do let her express herself,” she added.
While Kim Kardashian has been supporting North, Kanye West has previously clashed with his ex-wife over their daughter’s public image
Image credits: northwest
North’s growing presence online has also sparked disagreements between her parents.
Kanye West has publicly criticized North’s use of social media in the past, especially TikTok.
“I said, ‘Never again,’” the rapper wrote in a post during an earlier dispute, objecting to their daughter appearing on the platform without his approval.
Kim later responded, stating she was supervising North’s social media use while still allowing her creative expression.
Image credits: northwest
“As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity,” she said.
Kim has also hinted that North’s love for fashion could eventually evolve into a business venture.
In January, Kardashian filed trademark applications for “NOR11,” a brand that could potentially include clothing, accessories, handbags, and cosmetics linked to her daughter.
“A disaster waiting to happen,” wrote one netizen
