Do I really need to remove my nail polish before surgery?

A question we receive several times a week from our patients is:
“Do I really need to remove all my nail polish, gel polish or acrylic nails before a procedure?”
The short answer is: yes, this is necessary to ensure the procedure is carried out safely.

Nail polish and surgical procedures

During a procedure, it is essential that we can monitor even the smallest signals from your body. The colour of your nails can provide important information about:

• blood circulation,
• oxygen levels in the blood,
• possible signs of infection or other complications.

We place a pulse oximeter on your index finger to measure your oxygen saturation. This means that at least both index fingers must be free of nail polish or artificial nails. Only then can accurate measurements be taken.

This applies to all types of nail polish

Whether you wear regular nail polish, gel polish, shellac or acrylic nails: everything must be removed from the index fingers.
For optimal hygiene, we recommend leaving all nails natural, but in practice it is sufficient if the index fingers are free.

Practical tips before your procedure

• Make sure your index fingers are free of nail polish or artificial nails.
• For optimal hygiene, it is best to keep all nails natural.
• If needed, schedule an appointment with your nail salon well in advance to avoid last-minute stress.