In many healthcare professions, wearing artificial nails at work is not allowed. The idea is that they are less hygienic than natural nails. But what do studies actually say about this? In this article, I will explain everything you need to know.
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Are artificial nails hygienic at work? What research shows
Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School examined the amount of bacteria on artificial nails by studying two groups of healthcare workers.
First, they selected 12 employees who normally did not wear artificial nails. For the study, these participants wore artificial nails on their non-dominant hand for 15 days. This setup allowed the researchers to directly compare bacterial levels between the hand with artificial nails and the hand without them.
In addition, the researchers included a second group of 30 healthcare workers who regularly wore acrylic nails. They compared their bacterial levels to those of workers without artificial nails.
The results showed a clear pattern. The longer artificial nails were worn, the more likely it became that bacteria were present. On day 1, 21% of participants carried bacteria, but by day 15 this had increased to 71%.
Moreover, artificial nail wearers were significantly more likely to carry pathogens. For example, 87% carried pathogens compared to 43% of those with natural nails. The same trend appeared for gram-negative bacilli (47% versus 17%) and yeasts (50% versus 13%).
However, the researchers did not find a difference in the total number of organisms present.
Why artificial nails are sometimes banned in healthcare
Artificial nails can pose hygiene risks. For that reason, many healthcare organisations prohibit them in the workplace.
These risks are not just theoretical. A study conducted in a hospital in New York illustrates this clearly. In 2001, an intensive care unit experienced an outbreak of infections resistant to commonly used antibiotics. An in-depth investigation later identified artificial nails as a significant contributing factor in the outbreak.
Can artificial nails be cleaned properly at work?
Is wearing artificial nails simply a matter of proper cleaning? Researchers have explored this question in more detail.
In in-depth investigation, they examined bacteria on 21 healthcare workers wearing artificial nails and compared them to 20 workers with natural nails.
Before washing with soap, 86% of artificial nail wearers carried pathogens, compared to 35% of those with natural nails. Even after using alcohol-based hand gel, 68% of artificial nail wearers still carried pathogens, whereas this dropped to 28% among workers with natural nails.
More importantly, cleaning proved significantly less effective for those with artificial nails. Only 11% managed to remove pathogens using soap and 38% using gel. By contrast, workers with natural nails removed pathogens more successfully, with 14% using soap and as many as 80% using gel.
Taken together, these findings show that artificial nails are not only less hygienic, but also more difficult to clean effectively. As a result, the rules around artificial nails in healthcare exist for a reason.
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Kind regards,
Aileen
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Thank you for posting, Aileen! It never occured to me that artificial nails could be less hygienic than natural nails. I’ll be going to the nail salon in a few hours to have a set of acrylics applied, and I’ll be bringing a bottle of Hibiclens (antiseptic skin clenser), to see if my nail designer approves.
Today will be my third visit to a nail studio. I went twice last year. I used to grow my own nails, sometimes up to 2 cm free-edge. I had to shorten them after my coming-out, since they were hurting my partner. But whenever I go on business travel, which I am doing tomorrow, I always love having my old claws back, even if it’s just for a week.