Q. Dose anyone else get blue finger nails when swimming?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Yes, it is possible to get blue fingernails when swimming. This phenomenon, known as “swimmer’s fingers” or “turquoise nails” is caused by a reaction between the chlorine in pool water and the cysteine molecules found in skin. The interaction gives rise to a chemical called copper chloride, which then circulates through your body and shows up as a turquoise color on your fingernails.
Swimmer's fingers is actually quite common among swimmers of all ages, however it usually affects people with lighter skin tones more than those with darker skin tones. That being said, there are some basic precautions you can take to avoid getting blue fingernails from swimming: firstly, wear protective gloves or wax whenever you're entering chlorinated water for an extended period of time; secondly, moisturize your hands before and after going into the pool; lastly – make sure that if you do have discoloration on your nails after swimming that you use very gentle soaps when washing them afterwards (preferably ones free from fragrances or dyes).
Although swimmer's fingers may seem like an unappealing condition at first glance – rest assured that it doesn't cause any real harm to your health (just aesthetics!) and will usually go away on its own within several days - so don't be discouraged if this happens to you!
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