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Summer is fast approaching. As sandal and flip-flop weather brings regular trips to the nail salon for pedicures, I wanted to give some tips on nail health. Watch the video from the AAD below for tips on nail salon safety. In addition to the great tips found in the video, I instruct my patients to keep an eye on their fingernails and toenails for new growths or discolorations of the nail plate or skin around the nails. Especially if you keep your toenails covered with polish year round, I suggest looking carefully at your nails while you are at the salon after the polish has been removed and before the new polish is applied. Any new dark spots or growths should be evaluated by a dermatologist. Also, ideally, come to your annual skin check visits at the dermatologist without nail polish on so that we can thoroughly check your nails. Also a word on gel manicures. While gel manicures are very popular due to their increased durability and resistance to chipping, the UV light used to set the polish does cause skin damage and photoaging of the finger and hand skin. This could increase your risk of skin cancer in these areas so apply sunscreen to the tops of your hands or buy sun-protective gloves with the fingers cut off to shield your hands from the UV damage. The gel manicures also result in nail thinning, possibly due to the process of removing the polish. Moisturizing your nails daily with cuticle oil while the polish is on will help prevent destruction of the nail plate when the polish is removed. Wishing you happy and healthy nails this summer season!
6 Comments
Monique Mangini
6/9/2018 05:50:18 am
Is it also possible to become infected with a fungus and/or parasite on other areas of my foot from the footbath. I have a condition on my heel in which it is very red and skin peels in big patches. It will look like it's healing then the process starts over again. I've used every lotion and over the counter foot cream but nothing is working.
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10/22/2020 04:53:08 pm
Thank you for this article. I am hopeful that it will help me with my neuropathy. I will share this info with my community as well
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7/28/2021 01:24:37 am
You make an interesting point that when considering to have our nails done at a nail salon, it is important for us to ensure that they are certified. In doing so, we will be certain that the nail parlor is operating legally as well as hiring trained therapist. My daughter is looking to have her nails done and since we just moved to a new town, I think I will look into reliable nail salons for her to go to.
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10/4/2021 05:54:11 pm
With regular manicures and pedicures, the chances of your nails developing fungi and other infections are reduced.
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11/10/2021 05:16:33 pm
Apply a cream to moisturize your nails, especially after removing nail polish is contain chemicals that dry the nails. To prevent infection, never cut or forcefully push back your cuticles.
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Thanks for helping me understand that moisturizing the nails would be best for us to keep them from being damaged when the nail polish is removed. I will keep that in mind especially when I get a pedicure spa this weekend for the first time. I just wanted to match the color of my nails with the outfit that I will wear on an even that I will attend soon.
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AuthorKathryn O'Reilly, MD, PhD Archives
May 2016
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