Effects of Nail Lacquer on Transonychial Water Loss

Kim, Do Won; Paek, Seung Hye; Lee, Jeong Woo; Chung, Sang Lip

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Nail lacquer strengthens and protects the nail plate by preventing excess loss of moisture and providing a hard surface. On the other hand, it may produce allergic contact and irritant dermatitis, paronychial and nail bed inflammation and infection, dystrophic nails and onycholysis.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of study was to investigate the effect of the nail lacquer on the barrier function of the nail.
METHODS
The study populatian consisted of 25 healthy young subjects who had not applied the nail lacquer to the nail for the last 3 months. Nail lacquer was applied to the left thumb and middle fingernail for 6 weeks and then removed by acetone. Transonychial water loss(TOWL) of the treated left fingernails and the untreated corresponding right fingernails was measured with an Evaporimeter. Lipids of the nails were extracted from distal nail cuttings and analysed by thin layer chromatography.
RESULTS
1. Before application of the nail lacquer, there was no difference in TOWL between the left and right fingernails while the TOWL of the thumb nail was higher than that of the middle fingernail with a statistical significance(p<0.05). 2. The TOWL of the left fingernails, measured 1 day, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after application of the nail lacquer, was lower than that of the untreated right fingernails with a statistical significance( p< 0.05). 3. The TOWL of the left fingernails, measured 1, 3 and 7 days after removal of the nail lacquer by acetone, was not different statistically from that of the untreated right fingernails. 4. Lipid analysis demonstratcd that the cholesterol content was higher in the left fingernail which had been covered with nail lacquer than in the untreated right fingernail. 5. There was no clinical adverse effect observed during application of the nail lacquer or after removal of it.
CONCLUSION
According to the results of the study, nail lacquer has some occlusive effects on transonychial water evaporatior . Because increased cholesterol content may be due to perturbations of barrier function , further studies of the effect of the nail lacquer on the barrier function of the nail will be needed.