Sandhya Raghavan
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Written By: Sandhya Raghavan | Published : November 6, 2017 12:01 PM IST
Every girl loves a well-manicured hand with nails filed to perfection and painted in trendy colours of the season. But have you ever looked at the fading nail colour on your fingers and wondered whether the chipped bits went into your stomach? If you have ever had that thought, you ought to know what nail polish could do to your health. And if you are the type who'd always go for the long-lasting, branded nail colours, beware. Some of the chemicals added to nail colours to make them last longer end up doing more damage than the regular ones. Most nail polishes contain four dangerous chemicals: dibutyl phthalate, toluene, triphenyl phosphate and formaldehyde, each of which is capable of harming your health if you use nail varnishes regularly.
#1 It can cause weight gain
The chemical triphenyl phosphate or TPHP used in nail polish is primarily a flame retardant or a plasticiser. Most nail polishes contain TPHP concentrations up to 1.68 percent by weight and sometimes, certain brands don't even list it as an ingredient. That speaks volumes about the safety of the chemical. Even if you don't happen to eat with your hands, TPHP can be absorbed through the skin and the nail bed. Women who apply nail polishes frequently end up with more TPHP in their system. And long-term exposure to the chemical could alter hormone balance and thyroid disruption, causing oestrogen dominance in the body. Excessive oestrogen has been tied to breast and ovarian cancers.12
#2 It affects the nervous system
Toluene or methylbenzene is a chemical made of coal tar or petroleum and is used as an organic solvent. It features prominently in nail polishes to give it a smooth texture. Studies conducted over the years have proved that the chemical can be a neurotoxin, which affects the nervous system adversely.3
#3 It can cause reproductive problems
High exposure to toluene could cause foetal damage in pregnant women. The chemical can also cause intrauterine growth retardation, premature delivery, cognitive malformations and developmental retardation in infants. Similarly, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), another one of the deadly group of chemicals used in nail polishes, when ingested, can cause developmental toxicity.456
#4 It can cause cancer
There! We said it -- the dreaded C word. Formaldehyde used in nail polishes helps harden the paint on application, apart from preserving it. Although it is produced naturally in every human cell, the manufactured version of the chemical is a notorious carcinogen at high levels of exposure. Commonly, it has been known to cause nasopharyngeal cancer. Also, there have been instances of cancer in animals exposed to chemicals like toluene.7
If you can't do without your coloured nails, at least opt for non-toxic ones free of these four chemicals. Be an informed buyer and look for these toxic chemicals in the list of ingredients. You can also go natural by tinting your fingernails with henna instead of nail polishes.
References:
1 Mendelsohn, E., Hagopian, A., Hoffman, K., Butt, C. M., Lorenzo, A., Congleton, J., ... & Stapleton, H. M. (2016). Nail polish as a source of exposure to triphenyl phosphate. Environment international, 86, 45-51.
2 Kim, S., Jung, J., Lee, I., Jung, D., Youn, H., & Choi, K. (2015). Thyroid disruption by triphenyl phosphate, an organophosphate flame retardant, in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos/larvae, and in GH3 and FRTL-5 cell lines. Aquatic Toxicology, 160, 188-196.
3 Greenberg, M. M. (1997). The central nervous system and exposure to toluene: a risk characterization. Environmental research, 72(1), 1-7
4 McMichael, A. J. (1988). Carcinogenicity of benzene, toluene and xylene: epidemiological and experimental evidence. IARC scientific publications, (85), 3-18.
5 Donald, J. M., Hooper, K., & Hopenhayn-Rich, C. (1991). Reproductive and developmental toxicity of toluene: a review. Environmental Health Perspectives, 94, 237 244.
6 Struve, M. F., Gaido, K. W., Hensley, J. B., Lehmann, K. P., Ross, S. M., Sochaski, M. A., ... & Dorman, D. C. (2009). Reproductive toxicity and pharmacokinetics of di n butyl phthalate (DBP) following dietary exposure of pregnant rats. Birth Defects Research Part B: Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology, 86(4), 345-354
7 McLaughlin, J. K. (1994). Formaldehyde and cancer: a critical review. International archives of occupational and environmental health, 66(5), 295-301.
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