AF&A Blog

As a youth, I spent some time around the family auto body shop. The smells of thinners, paints, and various chemicals were overpowering and I was required to keep my distance. These memories were triggered recently by similar scents coming from a nail salon. Walking past such an establishment recently, the door swung open and the strong chemical scent caused me to become a little light headed. I thought this an excellent topic for this week’s blog as nail polish is used so frequently.

The strong chemicals contained in polish (formaldehyde), removers (acetone), and the like may help complete your style, but may also be damaging your nails. Repeated and frequent use can weaken your nails and make them more prone to infection. But, you are just covering up that unsightly fungal nail? You may only be making the problems worse. Fungus tends to grow in warm, dark places and by covering your nail with polish you have just helped it become darker. Additionally, the removal and reapplication may have weakened enough to allow the fungus to spread.

If you have concerns that you may have a fungal nail, make a visit to AFAS. Many over the counter treatments are ineffective and seeking out a professional will be better to rid you of this problem. There are multiple treatment options that you can discuss with Dr. Thomajan and he will be able to plan which will be most effective for you. If fungus is not an issue, you should still consider using a more ‘nail friendly’ polish than the ones commonly found at your local salon. Products such as Nova Nail Rx actually help to strengthen your nails and as well as avoid fungal infections. Nova Nail Rx is available in a variety of colors and can be found in the office as well as our online store. Other ‘nail friendly’ polishes and removers can be found at our online store.  Healthy nails mean happy feet. Until next time, stay happy and health Austin!