[Comparison of different nail polish in terms of photoprotective efficacy. Interest of their use as supportive care in patients with cancer].

Many different chemotherapy drugs including cytotoxics and docetaxel in particular are responsible for side effects involving the nails. To prevent these negative effects, patients are advised to apply nail polish. The aim of this article is to study the photoprotective effect of various products applied in two layers. Sixty-five commercially-available products were tested in vitro. It was found that certain bases can provide non-negligible levels of photoprotection on their own. However, it was noted that nail polishes capable of forming an opaque film were the most interesting, with Sun protection factor (SPF) values of 500 or more, which is a lot higher than the values obtained with sun protection products and similar to levels which can be reached with protection through clothing. It appears that opaque nail polishes applied in two layers are likely to provide excellent protection for nails regarding ultraviolet radiation. If the dark colors are particularly effective towards the ultraviolet radiation, we can also obtain a very good protection with varied colors. The use of one or several UV filters in the formula of the mail polish does not appear to have a particular interest.