Nail beauty therapy: an attractive enhancement or a potential hazard?

Nail coatings which harden upon evaporation and coatings that polymerize may produce some reactions at the site of application to the nail itself, and distant reactions when small amounts of nail cosmetics are transferred by the hand to other areas of the skin. Nail cosmetic hazards may be occupational, or accidental, especially in children. Individuals wearing artificial nails tend to wear their nails longer, and are more careful about their nails when washing their hands. The sanitary conditions for the application of artificial nails are therefore paramount in preventing nail infections.