9 Expert Foot Care & Pedicure Tips For Summer 2024

It can be tempting to swipe on polish and go, especially when warm weather sneaks up on you. But Gohil hits home the importance of always starting off with a base coat. “You should be using a base coat every time, but a lot of people are guilty of not doing that. There are a lot of chemicals that go into nail polish and they do affect the nail bed.” Gohil says that applying polish to naked nails can result in a discolored nail plate, where toenails can become white and chalky, even yellow. “If you're someone who hasn't noticed a change, you're just lucky, because polish can weaken the nail and it makes you susceptible to things like fungal infections, dryness, brittleness and flaking — things you want to avoid.”