It happens to all of us. A few weeks after getting a nice manicure at home or in the salon, it starts to get damaged and the paint starts to flake. And, to keep our hands from looking “neglected,” we make it our mission to remove every last bit of polish left on every nail.
However, according to experts, it is a very bad habit, even worse than biting your nails.
A deterioration in the quality of the nails
In an article published on the American version of HuffPost, Vanessa Sanchez McCullough, manicurist in Los Angeles for the nail polish brand CND, explains that scratching the nail polish risks permanently damaging the nails:
“Think of your nails as a notebook and imagine that every time you remove the nail polish, you tear out the pages of the notebook”details Vanessa Sanchez McCullough.
By regularly scraping the nail polish, with every manicure that begins to deteriorate, you risk altering the structure of the nails: not only the hard and keratinized plate (onychocytes) that constitutes the external part of the nail, but also what we call the root of the nail, i.e. the soft tissue structure under the keratin plate, and which is the production center of the nail. Scraping the nail polish also risks damaging the cuticles which act as a protective seal to prevent moisture and infections from penetrating the nail.
“When removing nail polish, the top layers of onychocyte cells may also be inadvertently removed along with the nail polish, leaving the nail with an uneven surface and white spots called keratin granulations.”, explains dermatologist Dana Stern to Huffpost US. She explains that while keratin granulations themselves are not harmful, they are a sign of dehydration and deterioration of the nail.
Scraping off flaking nail polish, in addition to dehydrating the nail, can thin the nail and therefore make it less resistant. Finally, this bad habit risks causing a pathology called onycholysis, that is, a separation of the upper layers of the nail, which is very painful.
Take care of your nails every day
If you've gotten into the habit of peeling off nail polish (semi-permanent or otherwise) that gets ruined, it's best to stop now. As Dr. Dana Stern explains, it's important to let your nails recover by leaving them exposed, while the keratin granulations develop and the nail recovers from damage.
If your nails are particularly damaged, you can try gently exfoliating them with glycolic acid to remove any dead cells.
You can also use cuticle oil to avoid having drying and therefore brittle nails. “Keeping the nail plate and cuticles hydrated will promote healthy nail growth and help keep them in better shape,” emphasizes Vanessa Sanchez McCullough.
Finally, be careful with cleaning products: when cleaning, make sure you wear gloves, otherwise the active ingredients of these products will damage your nails, even more than the nail polish.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
