Nail Extensions Are Everywhere But Are They Damaging Your Natural Nails?

Walk into pretty much any salon right now whether be it in Delhi, Mumbai or your local market lane and you’ll see it happening. Someone’s hunched over a tiny table, phone in hand, scrolling Instagram while pointing at a picture. “These ones. Almond shape. But maybe cat eye?”

Yes. Nail extensions are having a moment. A big one.

They’re everywhere. Influencers, Bollywood red carpets, office girls tapping perfectly sculpted nails on laptop keys like they’re born for drama. I get the appeal. Who doesn’t want instant long nails without waiting three months for them to grow? You walk into a salon with stubby little nails and walk out looking like you’ve got model hands. Instant glow-up. Zero patience required.

But okay, tiny pause here.

After enough coffee catch-ups with nail techs and the occasional dermatologist friend, one question kept popping up in my head, are nail extensions secretly messing up our natural nails underneath? Not always. But sometimes? Yes.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you while you’re choosing between French chrome and Barbie pink.

What Happens During Application

Most extension sets start the same way. Your nail tech buffs or files the top layer of your natural nail so the extension material sticks better. Sounds harmless, right? It can be. If the tech knows what they’re doing.

But if that filing goes even a little overboard, that’s when problems start. Your nail plate isn’t thick like wood. It’s layers. Thin ones. File too aggressively and you’re basically sanding those layers away.

A friend of mine tried a super cheap salon deal last year. Two days later she texted me: “Why do my nails look chalky??” Turns out the tech had filed them way too much. The extensions looked great, but underneath? Her natural nails were paper-thin and peeling.

Good salons usually stick to gentle files and light buffing. No deep drilling near the cuticle where the nail matrix sits. That’s the root of your nail growth, by the way. Mess with it too much and regrowth slows down. And suddenly those perfect nails start feeling fragile.

Removal

You’ve probably seen those Reel videos where someone just peels their extensions off. Please don’t do that. Seriously.

When you rip an extension off, it often takes layers of your real nail with it. Imagine peeling tape off painted walls and half the paint comes off too. Same vibe.

Dermatologists even have a name for the worst-case version: onycholysis. Basically the nail lifting away from the nail bed. Not cute. Sometimes painful. Gel extensions are meant to be soaked in acetone so they soften before removal. Acrylics usually need filing first. Either way, patience matters.

But people get impatient. They pry. They twist. And that’s how you end up with raw nails that look like they’ve been through a battle.

The Chemicals

Extensions aren’t just plastic tips and polish. The adhesives and gels contain some pretty strong ingredients. Stuff like HEMA, formaldehyde resins, and acrylates help everything harden and stay put. They’re effective but for some people, they trigger allergies.

Red skin around the cuticle, swelling, itching that won’t stop. Dermat clinics in bigger cities actually see this more often now because extensions have become so common.

And then there's the UV lamp, the small device that cures gel polish in just minutes using UVA light. While short exposures are generally considered safe, dermatologists recommend applying sunscreen to your hands beforehand as a precaution. The National Library of Medicine has indicated that prolonged or repeated exposure to UV/LED light from nail lamps may increase the risk of skin cancer. ¹

Also India’s humidity? Not extension-friendly. Sweat and moisture can sneak under lifted edges and create a little bacterial playground. Not exactly the glamorous side of the trend.

Wearing Them Constantly Isn’t Always A Great Idea

Some people get extensions year-round. Fill appointment every two weeks. No break. And sure, they look flawless. But long extensions act like tiny levers. The longer they are, the more pressure they put on the nail bed when you type, wash dishes, open jars basically live your life.

Over months, that stress can cause tiny cracks in the natural nail underneath. Plus every fill appointment means more buffing, more filing and more thinning. Still, even with the good stuff, breaks matter.

So Should You Stop Getting Extensions?

Not necessarily. Plenty of people wear them for years without serious issues. The key is doing it smartly. Good salon, clean tools and gentle prep.

Hydrate your cuticles with oil jojoba works wonders. According to Netmeds, "The vitamin E in the oil serves as a moisturizer on the cuticles, reduce breakage and provide healthy growth of nails." Take breaks every few months so your nails reset. Eat foods rich in protein and biotin; your nails are made of keratin, after all. ²

And if you notice weird stuff green patches, lifting, pain don’t ignore it. That’s your cue to remove the set and maybe see a dermatologist. Trust me, nails bounce back faster when you catch problems early.

At the end of the day, nail extensions aren’t the villain of the beauty world. They’re just a little high-maintenance. Treat them well, give your natural nails some breathing space, and you can enjoy both worlds glam claws for that wedding weekend, healthy nails for everyday life. And honestly? Sometimes the prettiest manicure is just clean, short nails with a glossy top coat.

Low effort. High elegance. You know the vibe.

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.

References

• National Library of Medicine | Exposure to UV/LED

• Netmeds | Vitamin E