With some species the nails can indeed hurt (like a Meller's or Parson's). Some of the nails make little indentations in your skin and they itch after. Some chameleons always have a very light grip.
Some chameleons will come out of their cages willingly and tolerate the handling....others never will no matter how often you handle them.
I had one veiled chameleon from about 2 months of age until he died years later and no matter how often I handled him, he would still attack me when I put my hand in the cage and he did not calm down even when he was taken out of the cage. To handle him I had to wear a long sleeved sweat shirt so that when he bit all he would get is a mouthful of shirt. The minute my hand went into his cage he would race after me and attack me. However, he did have one redeeming feature...he was the best producer I ever had.
I had one graceful female that I had to give back to the person I bought her from since she would go absolutely crazy whenever she saw me....and I felt that if I kept her she would eventually die from the stress. The (male) person I bought her from, she had no reaction to at all.
