Abstract: A deteriorating nail standard is a growing problem as the global prevalence of diabetes is\nincreasing. Systemic treatment with mineral supplements may not be recommended, mainly due to\nthe high doses required to deliver optimal therapeutic concentrations. In this work, we evaluate nail\npolish formulations for the local delivery of strengthening elements to the nail plate. Specifically,\nwe assess calcium and silicon release from nail polish base coat formulations containing three\ndifferent concentrations of White Portland Cement to water, as well as to artificial and human nails.\nThe delivery of calcium and silicon to the dorsal nail plate was determined by inductively coupled\nplasma optical emission spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray\nspectroscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing that such dual elemental\ndelivery to human nails can be achieved from nail polish formulations. Hence, this work may form\nthe basis for new inventions where therapeutic functionalities can be integrated with the mechanical\nand cosmetic properties of a base coat nail polish. Future permeability studies are required to verify\nlong-term effects on the nail standard, induced by the formulations under study.
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