Diseases of the Fingernails From Fake Nails

There are many reasons women opt to abandon their natural nails and invest in artificial nails in order to get the look that they want. Their real nails are sometimes brittle or too short. Whatever the case, if the artificial nails are not applied or treated properly, they have the potential to cause severe pain and several diseases.

Nail Fungus

• Imagine getting your nails done at a salon and a few days later your nails turn a hideous green. That's exactly what happened to a woman in Illinois, according to an August 2000 article in "The Daily Journal." Apparently, water seeped through a crack in her artificial nails causing mold to develop in the moist, warm area underneath the nail. It took months for her nails to heal.

Skin Diseases

• Some artificial nail products cause allergic reactions if applied improperly. One compound used in some acrylic nails, methyl methacrylate (MMA), has caused allergic reactions so severe that people have lost entire nails. MMA is banned in many states, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation website.

Cancers

• Some of the chemicals used to apply artificial nails are dangerously toxic. Among them are toluene and formaldehyde, which have been linked to both reproductive harm and cancer, according to the Woman's Voices for the Earth website. If fake nails are applied on a frequent basis, the exposure has the potential to cause various health problems.

Viral Infections

• Manicure tools used in salons to apply artificial nails are used on many people and, sometimes, they are not properly sterilized after each use. As a result, this sometimes causes serious infections such as HIV, hepatitis B or C, or warts.