Background: Nail stickers and nail tips are increasingly used nail products in Korea, and the rest of the world. However, no studies have examined if these specific consumer products might contain nickel, cobalt, and/or chromium, that is, metals known to provoke contact allergy.
Objective: We aimed to assess the release and content of nickel, cobalt, and chromium in nail stickers and tips by performing qualitative and quantitative analyses, respectively, of 50 convenience samples purchased in Korea.
Methods: Eighty-six qualitative spot tests were performed to determine the release of nickel, cobalt, and chromium on 35 nail stickers and 15 nail tips across five brands. Subsequently, the metal contents were quantified using inductively coupled plasma-optical mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Results: According to the spot tests, nickel was released in 7/86 (8.1%) tests before and 10/86 (11.6%) tests after exposure to artificial sweat. Cobalt and chromium (VI) spot test results were negative. However, ICP-MS detected nickel, cobalt, and chromium in 11%, 6.3%, and 16.7% of the samples, respectively. Detection rates were higher in nail tips than in stickers and were most common in rhinestones.
Conclusion: Nail stickers and tips may contain nickel, cobalt, and/or chromium.
Keywords: allergic contact dermatitis; chemical analyses; chromium; cobalt; nail products; nail stickers; nail tips; nickel; rhinestones; spot tests.
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