Confused... light or dark nail varnish during chemo?

Hey Beachwalker19

Welcome to the nut house........ No, seriously, sorry you've found yourself here dealing with the shocking rollercoaster this disease puts you on.

Dark polish. You want to keep UV off your nails basically. I wore false ones throughout. I had some flaking of top layers on the T part - one ridge that flaked for each cycle, but I never lost any. And be gentle with your hands too.

Hugs xx

Thank you toxophilite

Some articles were saying not to use dark varnish as you can’t see if there is any damage.

Others say the darker the better due to uva, uvb and then lots about water based and nail strengthening etc, my head is spinning

Sending hugs x x

I never wore any nail varnish and did not have any problems at all.

Bit weird though, several months after chemo, one of my toe nails came off, and there was a little one underneath!!!

Cwtches,

Gay xxx

Any polish is good it forms a barrier on your nails but dark is best. I was told DO NOT have gels or extensions as they can lift your nails and cause infection which is the last thing you, and don't forget the tootsies

Protect as best you can

I didn’t !!! Only 3 of 12 chemos done

But .... nails grow no more than 3mm per month!!! No joking

So mine are now ridged and flakey. 6/7 months on

Im lathering hand cream on and cutting them back regularly

if only I had listened

Grrrrr

Leolady56

Hi Beachwalker19, 

definately dark - following female oncologists advise , I treated myself every three weeks , the day before chemo . Black nail polish on fingers and toes then Sometime I would have other colours put in top . I had Troll stickers , flower stickers etc applied too then a top coat to keep longer . I would also buy a colour similar to what beautician had applied , so that I could top up. I also found any polish with glitter in it lasted longer too. 

I now have a vast array of polish ! I do them myself now as the girl who did mine is now battling breast cancer too !!

never lost a finger nail , 6 months on and my nails are getting healthy again , I had a ridge in each finger nail for each chemo I had ! All grown out now . I did loose a big toe nail but there was a new one half grown under it . 

Still do my nails , Love all the colours and sparkles . I also applied cuticle oil through out treatment .

so if anyone wants to treat you - manicure , pedicure , or file and polish , buy you nail polish etc . Or ask them to do it for you .  

Wishing you well

Love 

1. Ruby Rose  

Thank you for your advice! Much appreciated ... what kind of nail varnish do you use? What I mean ... ordinary nail vanish or is it gel based varnish? Over many, many years I used to have Gel nails. I stopped and now use nail strengthener only. So far so good! Phew though reading in the forum I will now have dark nail varnish just don't know which type of this makes sense? Thank you again. 

Hi - just ordinary Nail Polish and ones marked gel but don’t need cured by light NOT gel that’s needs cured. I put a base coat of nail strengthener on first and I also use a top coat as lasts longer . I always had strengthener , then black, then any colour that I liked , sometime a glitter coat then a top coat .

I used to put on in the evening or even at bedtime as I’m so impatient and during the day I would rush it and smudge it! 

I buy from boots , Tesco and the original factory shop bargains . Buy quick dry ones . You will also need remover and pads . 

Be daring ! 

Love 

Ruby Rose  

SOME of my collection !!!

This is really helpful, Ruby! Thanks for your quick response. I appreciate it. I am off to have a manicure now. I will be daring ... I used to wear red nails for 2 decades! From red to black to gold : )

Much love,

Claudia