Nail damage from gel polish manicure

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Nail biology

Background:

• Manicures, including artificial nails and polish, can cause nail damage.
• Gel polish is a popular manicure system with potential adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report nail damage associated with a specific gel polish system.
• To illustrate the use of ultrasound and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in assessing nail plate thickness.

Main Methods:

• Case report of five subjects experiencing nail changes after gel polish application and removal.
• Clinical examination noting pseudoleukonychia and onychoschizia lamellina.
• Ultrasound and RCM measurements of nail plate thickness before and after gel polish application in one subject.

Main Results:

• All five subjects reported nail weakness, brittleness, and thinning after gel polish removal.
• Nail plate thickness was reduced after gel polish application, as measured by ultrasound and RCM.
• Clinical signs of nail damage were observed upon examination.

Conclusions:

• Gel polish manicures, particularly with acetone and manual peeling for removal, can lead to significant nail damage.
• Ultrasound and RCM show potential as objective tools for measuring nail plate thickness and assessing damage.