ABSTRACT
Manicures can result in nail damage via instrumentation, nail polish, nail polish removers, and artificial nails. We report nail weakness, brittleness, and thinning in five subjects after the application of a new manicure system called gel polish and removal with acetone and manual peeling. All subjects complained that the polish was very difficult to remove and that their nails became much thinner after the procedure. Pseudoleukonychia and onychoschizia lamellina were noted on examination. One subject underwent ultrasound and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) measurements of nail plate before and after the gel polish application, which showed thinned nail plate (0.063 vs. 0.050 cm and 0.059 vs. 0.030 cm, respectively). Overall, we call attention to the adverse effects of gel polish manicures in five subjects. In addition, our case illustrates potential utility of ultrasound and RCM in measuring nail plate thickness.
Subject(s)
Cosmetics/adverse effects , Gels/adverse effects , Nail Diseases/chemically induced , Nails/injuries , Adult , Female , Humans , Microscopy, Confocal , Middle Aged , Nail Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Nail Diseases/pathology , Nails/diagnostic imaging , Nails/pathology , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: According to a European pilot study, the 308-nanometer (nm) Excilite mu (DEKA, Florence, Italy) system may be a promising tool for patients with vitiligo by offering targeted phototherapy, a rapid onset of repigmentation, and few adverse effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the 308-nm Excilite mu in the treatment of vitiligo. METHODS AND LIMITATIONS: Ten patients with stable vitiligo were exposed to 10 weeks of targeted phototherapy with the Excilite mu device, followed by 5 weeks of observation. Skin types 1 and 2 were not included in the cohort, and Wood's light examination was not documented. RESULTS: At 2 weeks, repigmentation was observed in 60% of the subjects, according to patient assessment, and 50% of the subjects, according to the treating physician and independent observer assessments. All patients maintained the repigmentation during the 5-week, follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The 308-nm Excilite mu is a safe and fast-acting therapeutic option in patients with stable vitiligo and skin types 3 through 6.