[Marie_LPN, RN]

Originally Posted by BSNtobe2009

The "fake nails" ban in clinicals is causing a degree of anxiety with me.

I have very odd looking hands, and if there was a plastic surgery to correct my hands, there is no price to high that I wouldn't be willing to pay. It has been the cause of lifelong embarrassment to me.

My fingers, are unusually short and fat for my stature, my nail beds, are very wide, and short. They are not even a 1/4 of an inch deep. Before fake nails become popular and affordable, when I would go on dates, I actually had guys to comment on my hands, women did the same, and they all said, "why don't you let your nails grow out".

The truth is, they won't. They grow very slow, and when they do, they are paper thin and just rip off. I have had fake nails for 10 or 12 years and go for fill-ins every 1 1/2 weeks, and replace the set completely about every 2 months. I keep them "active length", with a french manicure, none of this funky polish thing. I don't have a problem with them breaking.

So, there are reason of why some women wear them. If I have nice hands that are even acceptable, trust me, you would never see me in another nail salon b/c the "habit" is expensive and time consuming, but it's the only way I know to fix, what I consider to be a deformity.

This reason isn't outweighing the risk presented to the pts. though.

[BSNtobe2009]

I never said it didn't I was just stating that there is a reason why some people wear them.

[Marie_LPN, RN]

Originally Posted by BSNtobe2009

I never said it didn't I was just stating that there is a reason why some people wear them.

I'm well aware of that. I had them put on for my wedding, and wore them for 14 days. But i also wasn't at work, and soaked them off 2 days before i returned, buffed the real ones smooth and put a clear coat of polish on.

My natural nails and hands look like crap, but that's also my opinion, and i really don't think that my opinion of the physical appearance of my natural hands and nails should be reason enough for me to put on fake nails (short or long), made of a material that has been proven to harbor bacteria and fungus, and put my pts. at risk. It's not worth the risks or the possible consequences.