Fingernails and toenails?

Djt

So starting chemo soon....I got the wig shopping underway, what is this I hear about nails?.. will my fingernails fall out?

NotVeryBrave

Some types of chemo are more prone to causing nail problems which can be anything from nails becoming brittle to nails darkening to nails lifting to loss of nails. Some people use nail polish to minimize UV damage or to just hide discoloration. Some use icing of the fingers during the chemo infusion to decrease the drugs getting to the fingers which can also help with possible neuropathy.

I didn't do any of those things. I did have a dent across each nail from the first round that had to grow out. That took about 6 months. I had very slight neuropathy in the tips of the fingers - mostly gone now. I have had splitting and breaking more than in the past and some irregularities in the shape of the pink part.

janky

My nails never fell out, they discolored off and on (yellowish, not too terrible), and they had 4 ridges which coincided with 4 rounds of chemo. They tended to split easily, then all of a sudden they got super strong and have remained that way for about 8 months now. I finished chemo last April.

illimae

Taxanes (taxotere, taxol & abraxane) can really mess with nails. I didn’t lose any but all lifted and became infected and painful. Eventually, land of the nail on a middle finger broke and in an extreme method of solving the toenail infection and pain, I did have my big toenails removed (pulled). I don’t recommend it if you can help it but it did work.

LoriCA

illimae that looks so painful!

I'm one of the lucky ones who didn't have any problems at all with my nails through 5 months of Taxol so far (currently on a break). I kept my nails short and unpolished (mainly because I didn't want to bother with the upkeep, but keeping short also helps minimize breakage), and whenever I remembered I would rub on some cuticle cream since my skin was so dry but I never did anything special. If there is any discoloration it's so minor that it hasn't been noticeable.

Chemo affects each of us differently. It's good to be mentally prepared for the possibility of problems with your nails, but it's not a given even if your chemo is a taxane. Hopefully you'll have little problems with your nails like I did Djt.

IntegraGirl

I didn’t ice my feet or hands and Ididn’t lose my nails. They looked rough for a few months and I kept them cut short but no lifting or infections.

bravepoint

My nails developed some ridges and were a bit darker during 3 months of Taxol. No lifting though. They are now stronger than pre chemo and I'm just over a year PFC.

mudd

I never had any nail problems during chemo but now that its been about two months since I stopped T/C my fingernails are all weird and ridged and seem to be "bumpy" and very dried out looking Any suggestions for home remedies or what I can do? Can't take biotin or supplements until I have blood tests by the oncologist. At the same time my nails turned weird my eyebrows fell out. Seems to be some sort of delayed reaction.

mustlovepoodles

Nothing you can do to fix the nails. The ridges have to grow out. You can keep your hands moisturized and put Vit E on the nails. It will still take about 6 months for them to grow out. Same with the eyebrows.

ruthbru

I would suggest you keep both your finger and toenails polished during chemo. I polished my fingernails and they were fine, I didn't polish my toenails and I had problems with them. My cousin polished her toenails and they were fine, she had problems with her unpolished fingernails.

This is from Dana-Farber:

How should I take care of my nails?

Chemotherapy drugs sometimes cause mild, temporary changes in nails and nail beds. These may include brittleness, grooving, discoloration, change in growth rate, heightened sensitivity, and lifting of the nail bed. If the latter occurs, nails should be kept short.

• Most important: don't cut your cuticles. Use cuticle removers.
• Massage cuticle cream into the cuticle area to prevent dryness, splitting, and hangnails.
• Wear gloves while doing chores such as washing the car or the dishes. Excessive exposure to water can lead to fungal infections of the nail bed.
• Women can wear nail polish to help keep nails strong and protected from the environment. Clear nail polish can be helpful for men.
• Very dry nails can become weaker or more brittle during treatment. To take off polish, use an oily remover.
• If you're undergoing chemotherapy, avoid artificial nails.
• Alert your doctor to any signs of inflammation or infection.
• Ask a professional manicurist for more information on daily home care to keep your nails healthy and strong.

SpecialK

In addition to icing, I actually painted my nails a dark color, usually navy or dark gray - fingers and toes, which had been trimmed very short - for the day of chemo. There is thought that the light penetration of the nail bed with taxanes causes some of the problems. In my kit from Sanofi-Aventis, maker of Taxotere, there was a bottle of clear nail hardener. I removed the dark polish the day after infusion, painted a coat of the clear hardener. Painted a coat a day for the next 7 days. After 7 days, I removed the coats with a non-acetone polish remover and started the process again. After 21 days and three 7-day coatings and removals, painted the nails dark again for the next infusion. I had no darkening of the nail, no lines or ridges.

PhoenixCruiser

I used CryoMAX cold packs on my hands and feet during every Taxol treatment and would do it again. They were recommended on this site. I didn't want to lose my nails or have lift issues and as mentioned above wanted to avoid neuropathy.

Egads007

These products (available at Sally Beauty or Amazon) saves my nails and helped tremendously with ridges and peeling.

Gently buff ridges with the blocks (cheap as heck!)

Probably THE best ridge filler base coat I’ve ever used! Pricey, but so worth it.

Djt

you guys are amazing....for all your help!,, great ideas all!

ksusan

I didn't use polish, but did dress my nails with a tea tree anti-fungal treatment daily.