In an article published by the Huffposttwo specialists – the dermatologist Dana Stern and the McCullough nail prosthetist – sound the alarm: scraping her varnish is to tear down essential layers from the nail, at the risk of weakening it permanently. A gesture that many adopt when the varnish flakes or that you have no solvent on hand, but which can cause damage much more serious than it seems …
Scraping your varnish: what you really remove from your nails
To understand the danger, you must first know how a nail is built. “”The nail plate is made up of several layers of nail cells, which make it a hard and keratinized plate“Explains Dr. Dana Stern, a specialized dermatologist. Basically, cuticles act as natural barriers against external aggressions, including humidity and bacteria.
When you scratch a varnish instead of removing it with a suitable dissolving, you remove much more than the colorful product. “”The varnish adheres to the upper layers of nail cells. By scraping it, these layers leave with it, leaving an unequal surface and white spots called keratin granulations“, Specifies McCullough, nail prosthetist. And the more the nail is damaged, the more it becomes vulnerable to the environment: breaks, cracks, fungal infection … A vicious circle settles.
Can we repair a nail damaged by varnish?
The good news: an isolated gesture is not catastrophic. It is the rehearsal that poses a problem. “”Whenever you scrape your nail, you remove layers from your nail plate, except that there is only a limited number of diapers with which to work!“Recalls Dr. Stern.
To restore a weakened nail, the priority is to leave it alone. “”The nails of the hands grow back in a few weeks. Those of the feet, on the other hand, take several months to reconstruct themselves“Adds the dermatologist.
During this period, you can support regeneration with a few simple gestures:
- Apply hydrating oils (such as castor oil or jojoba) to strengthen keratin;
- Use mild exfoliating care dedicated to nails;
- Avoid putting a new varnish right away;
- Protect your hands with gloves during household chores.
“”It’s always a good idea to let the nails recover before diving back in cosmetic products for nails“, Concludes Dr. Stern. The watchword: patience and sweetness, to find healthy, smooth and resistant nails.