Why Are My Toenails White and Chalky After Nail Polish?

White Chalky Toenails from Nail Polish: Usually not a fungus!

White chalky toenails from nail polish are called Keratin Granulations are. White smudge marks on your nails usually occur after you take off your nail polish but are luckily very treatable!

• Nail polish contains compounds like acetone.
• These compounds can dehydrate the nails underneath them, leading to a protein called “keratin” dehydrate.
• These keratin molecules can clump together, creating white smudges.
• These are called “keratin granulations.”

Are Keratin Granulations Dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous!

• This condition is not very dangerous; it is basically just a fancy way of saying that you have dry nails.
• The only downside to not doing anything about it is that your nails are more brittle and more likely to chip in the future.
• Think of this as being a completely cosmetic problem only.

Symptoms:

Keratin granulations can manifest themselves in the following ways:

• White nails.
• Dry and brittle nails.
• No pain or irritation.
• Nails were previously healthy.

Home Treatment:

• Keratin Granulations are very easily taken care of through moisturizing your nails with cuticle wax, oils and simply avoiding nail polish for a little while.
• It is unnecessary to buy anything expensive or online; it is fine to use a product like Vaseline or any other petroleum oil in most circumstances.
• Protect your fingernails and toenails from toenail polish remover; this can permanently damage the toenails until new and healthy toenail polish grows out.
• It can take well over a year to grow a new healthy toenail for your lesser toes and big toenails.
• So get yourself some petroleum jelly at your corner store and apply it to your nails at night when you won’t be using your hands. In 2 weeks, you should be in great shape!

Treatment Steps:

Step #1) Stop using toenail polish if you can help it.

• Washing off toenail polish with acetone remover will generally cause these white smudges to happen.
• This dehydrated white toenail is not toenailed fungus but the dehydrated toenail granulations from the acetone remover.
• If you stop needing to use acetone remover, then it’s pretty much guaranteed that you won’t have any future keratin granulations.
• But if you do need to keep using the remover, don’t worry. There is always stuff you can do to prevent anything worse from happening.
• You can still take care of your granulations at home.

Step #2) Use a curette or nail file to clean off the superficial keratin granulation.

• There are deeper good layers of toenails still alive underneath the superficial dead layers.
• It’s like exfoliating your dead skin; clean off the outer dead layers.
• A nail file and a currette can work great in this regard.
• Your toenail has many layers, and simply smoothing out the top layers will make your toenail look healthy again.
• Underneath this is a good healthy toenail that can then be moisturized.

Step #3) Moisturize your toenails:

• I would recommend using something strong like cream or petroleum jelly at night.
• These work much better than water-based lotions.
• Moisturizing your toenail strengthens your nail and makes it look healthy.
• This moisturizing works great when combined with exfoliation.

Home Treatment Pros vs. Cons:

White Chalky Toenails From Toenail Polish Treatment Review: A+

Pros:

• Moisturizing your toenails is a cheap treatment option.
• Petroleum jelly and moisturizing creams are readily available.
• The cure is almost instant.
• A nail file and clippers are easily available.

Cons:

• The downside of the treatment is that it is not permanent.
• As long as you keep using acetone remover, you will keep getting keratin granulations.
• Alternatives are to check some of the non-acetone removes below.
• Another option is antifungal toenail and fingernail polish.

Recommended White Chalky Toenail Treatment Option:

Just remember, as long as you moisturize, you will do great; this is just one recommended option.

Good luck!