With the arrival of good weather we began to remove layers of clothing, as if we were onions. We expose more centimeters of skin… and also the feet.
Flip flops, or sandals they become the footwear par excellence during the spring and summer, and we begin to pay more attention to one of the great forgotten parts of our body: the feet.
And when open shoes are worn, one of the most common fashions is to paint your toenails.
But although perhaps we had not considered it, it turns out that an abuse of nail polishes (especially if they are of poor quality) can affect our health.
That is why we have consulted the podiatrist Rosario Correapresident of the and we have transferred the question to her:
Does abusing this type of product have any danger to our feet?
The risk of painting your toenails
It is important to clarify that not a bad habit. The only important thing is that we must use quality products that do not contain among their ingredients aggressive elements that can damage our nails.
Reasonable use is also good.
In addition, as a first step, the specialist warns us something that should always be remembered: polish should be applied to a healthy nail and never use it to hide any anomaly. If there is something that we do not like, what we should do is go to a podiatry clinic to make an assessment and the treatment to be carried out.
And in this regard, he makes an important clarification:
“Special emphasis must be placed on aesthetic centers, because they are very good for many things, but they are not experts in pathologies suffered by the feet. So we must always go to a qualified and registered podiatrist to diagnose any type of injury “.
“The problem comes when enamels are used for days or weeks, and more so if they are permanent or semi-permanent, which are the most commonly used today,” says the podiatrist.
The most common problems
The most common consequences of these excesses are:
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Mycosis, which is the main one.
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Nail weakness.
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Cracks.
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Stains or discoloration.
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Malformations.
However, enamel by itself is not the cause. And this is how Correa explains it.
the lacquer creates a barrier on the nail that prevents it from “breathing”accumulating humidity inside for a longer time.
And it is precisely the humidity that is responsible for the proliferation of bacteria that cause fungi. Something that can trigger the appearance of a fungal infection.
“I always tell my patients that they can be painted without any problem, but that at least once a week they should remove the nail polish and leave the nail ‘naked’ for two or three days.”
is it good to use nail polish remover?
In the market we find two types of nail polish removers:
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With acetone.
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Products with new formulas that do without this compound.
“I always recommend the , because it is a chemical very aggressive that alters the growth of the nail.
In addition, you have to remove the enamel with specific products. Otherwise, we run the risk of the nail weakening and turning yellow.
Acetone is a colorless solvent that, in addition to being used in the cosmetics industry, is also used in the manufacture of plastics and industrial products.
Despite being a product that United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English) has determined as safe and with low toxicity, it is very aggressive for the nails and for the skin that surrounds them.
Mycosis: how is it treated? It has a solution?
Toenail fungus is one of the most frequent pathologies.
And not only due to the use of nail polish, but also due to excess moisture, due to not properly drying the feet after the shower.
The disease begins with a small white or yellow spot, and as the infection progresses causes discoloration and thickening of the nail.
In the event that the fungus also infects the area between the toes, we would be facing what is commonly known as ‘athlete’s foot’.
It deals with products antifungals They need a prescription, so you have to go to the podiatrist to assess the fungal infection.
“What the podiatrist is going to do is prepare the nails, eliminating the affected area and its thickness, so that the medicine acts correctly.”