A chemical cocktail on your fingertips

From brittle nails, fungal infections, and allergic dermatitis to even skin cancer, doctors warn of the potential risks that nail art can pose to your health

- SREYA DEB

NAIL ART IS becoming popular not without a reason. From simple looks to complex 3D designs, the creative application of colours on your fingertips is now a sought-after form of self-expression and wearable art.

However, as pretty and impressive as they might look, medical experts warn of the potential risks that nail art can pose to your health - from brittle nails to fungal infections, allergic dermatitis to even skin cancer. The professionally filed and painted talons involve application of carcinogenic gels and ultraviolet radiation for drying, among other chemical contents, that can have an adverse impact on your health.

Dr Unmesh Mukherjee, consultant, radiation oncology, HCG - ICS Khubchandani Cancer Centre in Colaba, Mumbai, says that while nail art is generally safe, “the professional systems to apply and remove it (gels and acrylics) carry legitimate health risks”. Nail art, according to him, has two main risk factors - the cumulative DNA damage from UV curing lamps and the aggressive chemical thinning of the natural nail plate during removal.

In a recent article, Adam Taylor, a noted columnist, writes that the nail glue used to attach acrylics to the natural nail is typically a mixture of alcohol, cyanoacrylate and photo-bonded methacrylate, with other ingredients including formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.

Regular users face risks ranging from brittle nails to fungal infections and allergic dermatitis. The most damaging factor, however, is not the application, but the removal process. “Soaking nails in 100% pure acetone for extended periods and then scraping the softened product off strips the protective keratin layers. Overtime, this makes the natural nail as thin as paper,” he writes.