Is It Safe to Get Manicures All the Time?

If you’re a salon regular, it’s important to consider your long-term nail and skin health — and whether it’s safe to get manicures as often as you do.

Getting manicures “all the time” usually means your nails are consistently covered in product, whether that be traditional nail polish, gel, dip, or something else.

“The process of applying and removing outside materials to the [surface of the nail] causes loss of the outer layers of the nail and introduces chemicals. These chemicals cause drying of the nail, which weakens [its] structure,” says Corrie Alford, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with MetroDerm in Atlanta.

The Health Risks of Frequent Manicures

Before you head to the salon to get the hottest new shade of polish, consider these concerns.

Bacterial Infections

“In most cases, [bacterial infections] are mild and self-limited, but occasionally, they can progress to more serious infections or abscesses that require antibiotics or drainage,” she adds.

Your risk of bacterial infections is less about the frequency of your manicures and more about regular cuticle trauma. According to Dr. Sun, the cuticle acts as a “natural seal” between the surface of the nail and the skin. When cuticles are vigorously cut or pushed back, they can break the surrounding skin and create openings for yeast and bacteria to enter.

“Weekly aggressive cuticle manipulation is far more concerning than a gentle manicure every few weeks,” Lee explains.

If you develop an infection, avoid manicures until you’re healed. This may take several weeks, depending on the severity, Sun says.

The salon you choose is just as important as how often you go. Some red flags to watch out for include tools taken from a drawer instead of a sealed pouch, tools not soaked in disinfectant in between clients, and nail technicians reusing nail files and buffers on multiple clients, says Geeta Yadav, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of FACET Dermatology, a private practice in Toronto.

Nail Splitting and Lifting

Manicures are one of the most common causes of onycholysis, when the nail plate separates from the nail bed — even in otherwise healthy nails, Dr. Yadav says. Manicures can lead to chemical and mechanical damage — both of which can cause issues like splitting, lifting, or peeling.

Mechanical damage occurs when gel extensions or other nail enhancements place physical stress on your natural nails, or when aggressive buffing and filing thin them out. Processes such as acetone soak-offs for gel removal can cause chemical damage, leaving your nails dehydrated and brittle.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis

“Many people assume that because they have used a product for years, it cannot suddenly cause a reaction. In reality, allergic contact dermatitis commonly develops after repeated exposure over time,” Kazlouskaya explains.

Symptoms include burning, redness, itching, nail changes, scaling (flaky and dry patches of skin), and eczema around the fingers. Rashes on the face, eyelids, or neck can also occur from touching those parts of the body, according to Lee.

Once you develop an allergy, you should avoid all types of manicures to prevent future reactions. If you don’t, your symptoms can become more severe over time, Dr. Alford warns.

Skin Aging

There’s no universal guidance for how often you can safely get a gel manicure, says Nicole Lee, MD, MPH, a board-certified dermatologist in private practice at Epoch Dermatology in Garden City, New York. But a gel manicure every two weeks results in significantly more exposure to UVA rays than if you get one only occasionally.

Christina Sun, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist with Dermatology Partners in Philadelphia, recommends alternating between gel and traditional polish and skipping gel manicures periodically throughout the year. By reducing your frequency of gel manicures, you can decrease your overall risk, she says.

Skin Cancer

Dr. Lee points out that many dermatologists consider photoaging a more realistic issue than skin cancer for the typical gel manicure client.

Which Manicure Is Safest?

While all techniques present risks, dermatologists agree that traditional polish is the least risky, followed by gel, dip powder, and acrylics.

Sun says that traditional polish contains fewer allergens, doesn’t require UV curing, and is the least likely to cause nail thinning during the application and removal processes.

“Despite being safer, it is still important to take a few days each month to allow the nails to breathe and to assess nail health,” Sun explains.

Gel manicures provide longer wear but require UV nail lamp exposure and acetone soaking. Acrylics and dips usually involve more filing, physical stress on the nail, and exposure to acrylates, Kazlouskaya adds.

Lee and Sun recommend the following timelines for resting your nails between each type of manicure:

• Traditional Polish Wait a few days between manicures.
• Gel Take at least two to three weeks off every few appointments.
• Dip Powders and Acrylics Take at least four weeks off to give your nails ample recovery time. More time may be necessary, depending on nail brittleness or breakage.

4 Ways to Safely Maintain Your Manicure Habit

In addition to giving your nails time to rest between services, Yadav offers these tips to keep your nails healthy if you get a lot of manicures.

1. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Put sunscreen on the backs of your hands right before a gel manicure, or wear fingerless UV-protective gloves.
2. Leave your cuticles alone. Instead of cutting your cuticles, ask your nail tech to leave them alone or only gently push them back. That seal is your key defense against an infection.
3. Ensure your nails and surrounding skin are well-moisturized. Use a hand cream and cuticle oil to keep your skin hydrated. The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends applying moisturizer to your nails after removing polish, since many removers contain harsh drying chemicals.

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4. Be selective when choosing a nail salon. Make sure your nail salon keeps its tools sterilized and doesn’t over-file your nails.