Chemotherapy and Your Nails

I’m a survivor. April 2023, marks my 6th year of being cancer free. 

That time in my life taught me a lot about myself and how I wanted to give back.  When I was going through my own chemo treatments the one thing I missed was feeling beautiful.  As a nail tech, I decided that helping other men and women understand what could happen to their nails when going through chemotherapy was the least I could do.

So, this month, on my 6th year anniversary, I want to share a little bit about my experience and hopefully, it will help you or someone you love.

First, we all know that chemotherapy is essentially poison entering your body to kill cancer cells. That poison does nothing positive for your nails. I had one major fear. I didn’t want my nails to fall off. I got lucky. I didn’t lose my nails but I have had clients going through chemo that did. Let’s go over some of the changes you may see in your nails. This list is adapted from Cancer.org. 

• Your nails may turn black, brown, blue, or green like a bruise. 
• You may develop lines or indentations that are actually marks of the different cycles of chemotherapy. These aren’t permanent! They’ll grow out as your nails grow.
• Your nails may be painful, thin, or brittle. Don’t expect too much growth during your treatments and they break easily.
• Your skin around the nail bed may be cracked and dry. 
• Your nail may lift completely off the nail bed or fall off in some cases. This can be a source of infection so be careful!

Second, I want to help you take the best care of your hands and feet that you can during this really difficult time. I promise, just this little bit of self-care can feel amazing on those days you just want to throw it all in and quit.

Let’s discuss professional manicures. Most oncologists will tell you to NOT get manicures because nail techs don’t know what they are looking for or how to treat your nails carefully during chemo treatments. Keep this in mind and follow their advice. If you have a nail tech familiar with or willing to learn you can discuss manicures with your doctor.

Here are some things you should do:

• Trim your nails short. This makes it easier to care for them and keep them clean.
• Don’t use color polish. Not because it’s going to make anything bad happen, but polish masks signs of infection and that is something you really need to be able to monitor.
• Avoid enhancements. Adding length to your nails has a “teeter-totter effect.” It makes it easier for your nail plate to lift off the nail bed thus causing your nail to fall off completely.
• Use your lotions and cuticle oils to keep the skin from drying out too badly. Dry skin was a constant for me and it might be for you too. Be careful of your skin cracking which can be another source of infection!

Finally, if you see something happening with your nails that cause you concern tell your doctor. Nails are like the rings in a tree. They tell the story of what is happening with your body. So, if changes start to occur that cause you any level of concern or discomfort be sure to talk to your care team.

As a cancer survivor, I just want you to know that I’m cheering you on. Cancer SUCKS. This was the most difficult time in my life and I want you to know that I understand and I’m sending you all the good vibes I can to help you get to the other side.