7 Unknown Nail Health Tips From A Nail Dermatologist

As a surfer, Dr. Stern herself doesn’t wear nail polish at all. Instead, she treats her nail beds and cuticles to a signature “Naked Manicure,” using only research-backed nail ingredients (some of which she’s formulated herself in her nail-care brand, Dr. Dana). Ahead, Dr. Stern talks me through the top tips to consider regarding nail health. Even as someone reporting on nail trends for years, I’m caught off guard by how much I don’t know. She isn’t surprised, explaining that while the nail industry is booming, the focus has primarily been aesthetic, making the nails look pretty. “Nail polish brands are constantly coming out with new colors,” Dr. Stern explains. “But in the past 10 years, there hasn’t been an innovation in formula or education on ingredients for the health of the nails.”