Some doctors warn that polish locks in moisture, creating the perfect environment for fungus.
Others claim it acts as a barrier, blocking infection in the first place.
A new study in Mycoses put this to the test.
The researchers took nail samples from eight volunteers (half under 70, half over 70).
Half of the nails were coated with clear nail polish, while the other half were left bare.
Then, they exposed the nails to six different types of fungus and let them sit for up to eight weeks.
The results were surprising…
-
• The worst fungus: Neoscytalidium dimidiatum was a beast. It invaded 94% of nails within two weeks and 100% by four weeks.
• The weakest fungus: Candida yeast barely managed to infect 6% of nails after two weeks.
• Nail polish helped — but only a little: It stopped Candida completely but failed against stronger fungi.
• Aggressive fungi still won: Neoscytalidium penetrated 88% of polished nails within two weeks.
• Age didn’t matter: Older nails weren’t any more vulnerable than younger ones.
So… should you wear nail polish?
It won’t stop serious fungal infections, but it might help against weaker ones.