Yellow toenails after wearing nail polish

Yellow toenails can be found after removing nail polish that has been kept onto the toenails for too long. It is often thought that it is the pigment colour from the nail polish, but in fact it is due to the waxy-lipid material in the nail plate that becomes rotten and changes to a yellow colour from being masked by nail polish for too long.

Moisture is lost from the entire skin surface of body, including the skin surface underneath the nails. The nail that is attached to the skin is flexible due to the moisture that comes up and through the nail plate. However, if the nail is covered with nail polish creating a waterproof barrier, the moisture builds-up in the nail plate and the lipid-waxy substance begins to rot. This is what makes the nail turn yellow.