No gel, no polish, no enamel over an active fungal nail. Onychomycosis (fungal nail) and athlete's foot thrive in warm, dark, sealed conditions — which is exactly what you create when you coat the nail in gel or polish. You trap moisture, feed the infection, and risk spreading it across the client's other nails, your files and bits, and the next client on your couch.
The practical standard:
- Don't seal it. No gel, builder, or polish over a thickened, discoloured, crumbling, or lifting nail. It hides the problem and makes it worse.
- Refer for diagnosis. Persistent fungal nail usually needs a pharmacist or GP, and sometimes a podiatrist — it rarely clears with topical salon products alone.
- Protect your kit. Anything that touched the area is single-use or fully sterilised; don't move from infected nails to clean ones with the same file.
- You can still care for the foot — gentle, non-sealing maintenance on healthy nails is usually fine, but the infected nail stays bare and gets referred.
Clients often book a "quick gel" to cover a nail they're embarrassed about, so the infection only surfaces once you've removed the old colour. Ask, look, and log what you declined and why, with the date. That's health-related data under UK GDPR and belongs in a secure record.
Every client, remembered — safely.
SAY-OS keeps each client's contraindications, allergies and history in one place, and flags them at booking — so the right call happens before they're in the chair.
Get Free Early Access