Heyyy Baddies! It’s Patricia Fox, the Pink Sistah, and I am back again with some beauty tips just for us!

Raise your hand if you’ve experienced discoloration, sensitivity, or even complete loss of your nails while undergoing chemotherapy? Well, me too girl!

My fingernails and my toenails fell off to the flesh. I was devastated, and embarrassed. However, it was a part of my journey and I am not ashamed anymore!

I want to share just a couple of tips and tricks to avoid further damage to your nails and how to grow healthy nails.

I want to disclose that I am not a doctor and the following recommendations are general remedies that I have tried and found to be helpful.

I will be completely transparent – my fingernails are doing much better, (thank God)! However my toenails are still a struggle, and I’m going to be transparent about how I overcome the challenges with my toenails since chemotherapy.

Let Your Nails Breathe

My first recommendation for the Breast Cancer Baddie undergoing chemotherapy who has noticed that their nails are turning black, is to not get acrylic or any type of wraps applied to your nails. You want your nails to breathe. Also, resisting the claws may reduce pain if you experience your nails lifting. I also remember my oncologist advising I shouldn’t expose my fingernails or toenails to UV light.

So you guessed it Baddies – this also means laying off the gel polish. Should you decide to go to a salon, bring your own manicuring tools and disclose your concerns to your nail specialist. This will help to reduce the possibility of infection. You can also choose to master manicuring your own nails.

Either way, its way to create time for self care.

What you Should Do if Your Nails Lifts

If you are having the experience like I did and notice your nails are starting to lift, do not overly trim them and certainly do not rip them off! They will do what they do naturally. Try to keep them as clean as possible. Frequently wash your hands with gentle soaps and moisturize with fragrance-free lotions. To alleviate possible infection, puss and odor, soak hands in a solution of 1/8th peroxide and rest water for up to ten minutes, and then rinse.

The oxygen in peroxide may alleviate any infection concerns. For your toenails, you can try another soak solution of one part white vinegar and three parts water. Soak them for 5 to 10 minutes, rinse then dry. Keeping your toes clean is extremely important.

Soak up the Sun

Also making sure that your feet get a lot of exposure to air and even sun if possible also assist with the healing of damaged nails. I will be honest, I was horrifically ashamed of how my toes and fingers looked when they went through the phases. I could not hide my fingers because I used them for typing and doing everyday tasks, however, I always hid my toes!

Baddies, I highly recommend you do not do this!

Although it may be upsetting to look at, this is temporary. When you are home, do not hide your feet in damp and dark spaces. Let them breathe!

Keep them trim

When both my fingernails and toenails grew back they were extremely thick! Biotin (preferably liquid biotin), and lots of water improve growth results! Gently file your nails as they grow out. If they are extremely thick simply buy an electric rotary file and continue to keep the nails neatly manicured. I soak my feet every other week and use a nail file to upkeep my toenails, however, I did have to learn how to appropriately use a rotary file for some time not long ago. Overly filing or clipping your toenails may cause them to grow back thicker.

If you find personal maintenance has become difficult, I highly recommend seeking a professional who is able to assist you if you’re experiencing pain and/or a fungus because you have kept your toes concealed. Be sure to consult with your oncologist about your concerns so they can possibly refer you to a foot specialist and advise best prescription options to grow healthy nails.

Once your nail health is restored, you may still want to implement the aforementioned hygiene practices at public salons, unless you have a private nail tech or will be grooming your nails yourself. You may also return to press-ons, acrylics, wraps, etc. I personally enjoy polishing my own nails most! However, sometimes I feel fancy and will get press-ons by @empress_nailz_20.

As always, For The Breast of Us champions clean beauty and BIWOC owned beauty brands. Mented Cosmetics, Get Your Nails Did, Rooted Woman, Ooo Polish, and People of Color are some non-toxic Black-owned nail brands I sourced from popular media such as Instagram and Allure Magazine.

These experiences are common concerns and you are not alone!

Comment and share some of your best practices, experiences, and even nail techs or salons!