Myths about nails

[yogacat]

I was talking in another internet community about how to remove stains from nails, and came across this comment:

Her comment:

"1) You can try bleaching them with some hydrogen peroxide. I don't know how well it will work, but it's something to try. Polish, no matter what kind, will make them weak, though and ultimately they will get thinner and more brittle."

My reply:

"I'm going to respectfully disagree with 1) from you, (name)
Polish does not make nails weak or brittle.
The nail plate is dead, and painting it will not alter the way it grows.

Using nail polish remover does dehydrate the nail, although this can be rectified by suitable moisturising treatment."

Her reply:

"The polish does not alter the way it grows. Nail polish adheres itself to the outermost membrane of the nail. When removed with polish remover or chipped off, this layer is lost. You lose one layer each time you polish your nails. This can be a real problem for people with very thin nails and does make the nail weaker. Using polish also cuts off oxygen to the nailbed (which IS alive) and can result in nail fungus."

I know that what she's saying isn't true, but i don't know how to explain it - thoughts?

 

[Trinity]

I think you need to use GMG's analogy of 'mouth to nail' resusitation - it cracks me up everytime I think about it and does kind of explain it well :lol:

There's a fab thread somewhere about how for something to breathe it must excrete waste (that doesn't sound right - waste as in exhaling, not waste as in poo - Oh blimey I'm digging a hole now :o ) too which quite obviously nails don't do - I'll see if I can find it for you.......brb

Trin
xx


I found GMG's 'mouth to nail resusitation thread for you

http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=220&highlight=mouth+to+nail

but I'm not having much luck with the other one - hopefully Geeg or GMG will be on later today and they'll be able to explain it properly for sure

Trin
x

 

[mum]

Where do you start!!!

Didn't know remover also removed nail plate layers If we have around 100 layers then some people must be into the 'negative score' by now cos that's less than 2 years of changing polish once a week (but maybe as nails take about 6 months to grow they've been replaced?)

What is the site? Would love to visit :evil:

 

[ADiva1]

Wow, this is the strangest one I've ever come across.... Its quite annoying that we actually stumble across people like these who are let loose on the public's nails and brain washes them with all this nonsense!

Good question, where do you start to explain to this person that nails consist of keratin and are non-living???

 

[Envy]

=
"The polish does not alter the way it grows. Nail polish adheres itself to the outermost membrane of the nail. When removed with polish remover or chipped off, this layer is lost. You lose one layer each time you polish your nails. This can be a real problem for people with very thin nails and does make the nail weaker. Using polish also cuts off oxygen to the nailbed (which IS alive) and can result in nail fungus."
I know that what she's saying isn't true, but i don't know how to explain it - thoughts?

Is is right. The nail bed IS alive, but it is under and protected by the nail Plate. It is fed and nourished by from the body underneath. Ie. Nerve endings and blood. It does not require nourishing from above and it does not need oxygen!!
If anything by blocking off the nail plate with an oil (such as solar oil) you are allowing it to naturally moisturize from the body.

The nail plate does not have a membrane, unless she is refering to the cuticle. Which is a layer of dead skin anyway and should carefully be removed.

To think you lose a layer per polish removal is bizarre....
I hate to think what type of remover is she is using to have this happen.
Polish removers work to dissolve the bond in the enamel, allowing them to be easily wiped away. NOT to remove the layer of nail with the enamel on it.

HTH - Envy

 

[Jeni Giles]

Explain to her just what you did here, you were simple concise and easily understood. The nail plate is not living tissue, and it's purpose is to provide rigidity to the ends of our fingers allowing you to perform delicate tasks, grasp objects and pick things up. The keratin is actually a waste byproduct, and you can function with out fingernails. (obviously that would hurt and some tasks would be more difficult to perform)

The brittlenes or weakness she may be taking about may come from the polish ingredients. Depending on the quality of the polish, some contain more formaldehyde or formalin esters that have been shown to dry out the nail plate. There has been a great deal of research on this and you can get loads of information from a variety of sites.

Possibly this person has bought into the media scare tactics that are prevelant when dealing with the cosmetic industry and going back to "all natural". There have been quite a few posts on another nail site about the evils of polish. Perhaps she has taken them to heart and missed the information about the vast quantities quantities of the chemicals must be injested before causing damage to the person. An example if you drank 72 bathtub (about 35 gallons each) full of hair color per day for at least 30 days you will get cancer of the liver, ok if I drank 2400 gallons of anything everyday, I might have a few problems with my liver. Seems like every few months a "new" study comes out on the effects of chemicals on our bodies, and the result is that people panic and spread these fears, to shift the consumer away from one type of product to another.

Hopefully you can set this individual straight, so that misunderstood information isn't passed along.