I keep seeing posts about wearing black nail varnish…why? I take it that one of the chemo drugs affects nail growth, which makes sense - if we lose our hair, then it’s not surprising that nails are going to be affected in some way - but what is the nail varnish for? Just to disguise discoloured nails, or is there some other reason?
Thinking now that not only is my ability to put on make-up going to be sorely tested, but now may have to figure out finally how to wear nail varnish ONLY on my nails, and not all round the edges of my fingertips…lol. When I come back next time I’m going to be high-maintainance, honestly!
Hi Sophie,
Yes, BC does officially change your image!! I don’t know the whys or hows, but I can vouch for the fact that wearing dark (doesn’t have to be black, mine was plum) varnish does indeed save your nails, both on your fingers and toes.
I had Taxotere, and this is famous for causing nails to drop off, but I managed o hang on to every one of them, even though some did look a bit horrid. It is an amzing thing, Plus, it makes you feel a little bit glamorous when all the odds are stacked against you!! I had no hair, and no boob, but lovely elegant finger nails!
Now nearly four years down the line, I still enjoy having my nails look nice, and it soon becomes second nature to do them every few days.
Hope it works for you,
best iwshes,
Jax
Thanks Jax - I’m due to start 3FEC then 3TAX shortly - so thought I’d better research this beforehand! It would be interesting to know why dark nail varnish can help to keep nails intact - does anyone know why?
Eldest daughter has some great black/dark purple nail varnish, so may as well try - after all, won’t cost me anything!! (At least, not if I liberate a bottle from her room before she notices…)
Hello I read somewhere that when the tax reacts with daylight that is when your nails get affected.
3 of my chemos were tax, so I bought a product called ECRINAL on internet, you put that on for 5 days before chemo to build up base layer, then put the black polish on and I also asked chemo nurse to cover up the bag of tax as it was on the drip.
4 weeks after chemo, my nails are still intact but they are layering and the nailbed’/cuticle area doesn’t look very nice and the nails are discoloured but they are still attached.
Hope you get on ok with your chemo.
I finished 4 weeks ago and cannot believe how much better I feel aleady.
Hi,
I finished chemo 6 months ago, had 3 FEC and 3 Taxotere. I wore dark nail varnish throught the tax. As previous post said the combination of the light and chemo damages the nails. Mine stayed on throughout, however several weeks after chemo finished were quite dry and flaky and discoloured (toes as well) This gradually grows out, I used a nail strengthener throughout and now have gel nails done. This is nourishing and protecting them as new ones grow underneath and now they look the best they ever have!
Good luck xx
Glad you mentioned that your nails are layering. I thought it was just mine. I am 5 months post Tax and most of my nails have a second thinner nail underneath. I find it quite annoying as they are quite sore and tender. Does this grow out??
I am not sure about the notion that light reacts on you nails during Tax. I know one Consultant who says it is a load of rubbish. I lost all my toenails, which only saw the light when I had a shower as it was winter. My finger nails grew a ridge across for each dose of Tax but did stay on. They were very brittle at the ends so I had to make sure I kept them short. Now they are long and healthy again. My little toe nails grew back very quickly. One large toe nail has only just finished growing to the end. The other one is being very slow, started growing and then stopped, then started again so I now have two nails piggybacking the new one and I just hope that this time it does not give up.
I decided that as Tax dries everything up the best thing I could do would be to keep my nails well oiled.
Thank you all! The only reasoning I have been able to find re. nail varnish is the sunlight one, and emmbee is right in that makes no sense for toenails…
However - nail varnish doesn’t cost the earth, and if all it does is make me fingernails stronger, then so be it - I think I’ll go with it and take my chances! Mostly because if I didn’t and I lost my nails… I’d be wondering!
Daughter has kindly pointed out that bald/no eyebrows/lashes and black nail varnish means that I’d fit in nicely with all the Goths around the library… if I were twenty years younger and more miserable! Charming child. I was a PROPER punk, thank you very much - mohican, tattoos and all!!!
Hi,
The nail polish definately worked for me. I had my nails painted a dark cadbury’s bluey purple and have kept all my nails. My nails hurt during Tax but they are still fine. I’ve got no ridges or bumps and none of them have gone.
I kept my nails covered all the time and they are fine. My oncologist feels that it really works and I’m convinced.
I am however just like everyone else and during chemo could not be bothered and so I indulged and went for a manicure and pedicure the day before each round of chemo.
It worked for me too-I wore a very dark bronze-several coats-which I kept topped up-fingers and toes.I did lose one big toe nail but the others,though they were ridged,stayed put and recovered rapidly after chemo.Taxotere is the usual culprit.
my naols grew stong and lovely whe I was having epi, but them became discouloured, flaky and unpleasant when I was on CMF. my saviour has been A&E by nails inc (got from QVC. I have used it previously, but wth everything else forgot about it.
I have been using it weekly for the past few weeks and has already made a huge diference in the appesrance of my nails, they are still slightly discoloured so I so colour with nail varnish, but put A&E on beforehand as it does stop dark colours penatrating my nails.
Hi, I had FECx8 ( finished 2 weeks ago). I wore dark varnish throughout. my nails finished up ridged and discoloured. I have today put some clear nail strenthener on and noticed a divide across my nails where the rubbish ends and nice new nail is growing!so you will get good nails again!!
I had my pre-chemo today and asked the chemo nurse for her views on nail varnish during TAX, and she told me that the manufacturers of Taxotere now recommend wearing dark nail varnish to help protect the nails during treatment - so if it’s an old wives tale, it’s one that the manufacturers now subscribe to! Chemo nurse said if it were her having treatment, she’d def. be wearing it, and that nail hardener during FEC wouldn’t hurt either.
OMG…I have never ever ever worn nail varnish…! Will be the laughing stock of the local farmers…how on earth do you get it to stay put if working outside with short stubby nails?
I usually have very soft nails but have found they have got tougher on FEC…
Nah gloves are for the softies…or they wear hedging mitts n stuff…or more usually fingerless mitts/gloves so people could still see my fingers… How often do you put it on?
How often do you put it on?