A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports raises a lesser discussed concern about gel manicures: repeated nail trauma may make nail fungus easier to develop and harder to notice. The article says nail care and gel polish have become a major beauty routine for millions of women worldwide, but attention has focused mostly on allergies, UV and LED lamp exposure, and possible damage to the nail structure.
The study examined 273 women who regularly used nail polish, gel polish, and manicure treatments. It found an association between frequent cosmetic nail use, repeated nail injuries, and nail fungus. The researchers did not claim that gel polish directly causes fungus, but said recurring damage to the nail can help fungi and other microorganisms enter beneath the nail plate, where infection may grow slowly without obvious symptoms.
According to dermatologists, the problem is often not the polish itself but the cumulative effect of long-term grooming. Repeated filing, aggressive polish removal, cuticle damage, and mechanical trauma during manicure and pedicure can weaken the nail’s natural protective barrier. The early signs of fungus can be subtle, such as a small white or yellow spot, rough texture, splitting, brittleness, thickening, or changes in nail shape, and may be mistaken for cosmetic damage.
The article warns that fungus is not necessarily caused by poor hygiene. Even women with careful routines can develop it, especially if tools are not fully sterilized or if they use pools, gyms, closed shoes, and sweat more in summer. The recommendation is not to give up gel polish, but to take breaks between treatments, avoid harsh removal, and seek medical evaluation if changes do not go away. If fungus has already developed, treatment can range from topical products to medication in more advanced cases; home remedies usually do not work because the fungus sits under the nail. Dermatologist Dr. Alina Luzhinsky is quoted saying women often notice their nails only for appearance, but nails can also reveal health problems.
