That smell was a chemical cocktail of endocrine disruptors and possible carcinogens I wanted nowhere near my kids, let alone my own lungs. After years of slapping on coat after coat of vibrant varnishes, it was time to give my nails a break. Along the way, I discovered a couple of other benefits to letting my nails go naked.
Your Nails Will Get Stronger
Without the glossy distraction, at first it felt like there was a giant spotlight on my finger flaws. My unflattering nail ridges, uneven half-moons, craggy cuticles, and brutally brittle, weak nails glared back at me. But it turns out it wasn't my naked nails that were to blame for the blemishes; it was all that polish remover. Nails are made of layers of keratin, similar to hair, and although fingernails don't actually need to breathe, the strong solvents in polish remover dry out the nail and surrounding cuticle, says Dana Stern, a dermatologist and nail specialist in New York City. "With frequent exposure, the nail can become more prone to peeling, splitting, and general surface irregularities." Gel polishes may be even worse. A study out of the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine used ultrasounds to demonstrate that gel manicures cause nail thinning.
