Clear Nail, Still Fail

By: Diana BorishkevichMr. Leingang’s Sixth Period

Science Class

Question• How does painting your left

thumb nail clear and not painting your right thumb nail at all affect how fast your thumb nails grow?

Hypothesis• As you paint your left thumb nail

with clear nail polish, and not paint your right thumb nail at all, then your nails will grow at the same rate because nail polish is only applied on the top of the nail and shouldn’t affect nail growth.

Variables• Manipulated variable: left thumb nail painted

clear, right thumb nail unpainted• Responding variable: how much your thumb

nails grow• Controlled variable: nail polish used, ruler

used, nails used, length of each trial (15 days), starting length of both nails (1.2 centimeters)

Materials• Standard Ruler• Nail Polish Remover• Clear Nail Polish• Nail Filer (optional)• Nail Clippers• Cotton Balls

Diagram

Procedure• 1. Measure both thumb nails and make sure that they are the same

length. (Preferably 1.2 centimeters because that’s how long mine were in my experiment.) You can use the nail clippers to clip them to be the same length, and then file them until they are exactly the same.

• 2. Paint your left thumb nail with clear nail polish. Don’t paint your right thumb nail at all during the experiment.

• 3. After five days, dab some nail polish remover on a cotton ball and remove the nail polish completely from your left thumb nail.

• 4. Then measure and record how long both of your thumb nails are.• 5. Repaint your left thumb with a new clear coat of nail polish. Let it dry.• 6. Repeat steps 3-5 two more times, (fifteen days altogether), as Trial

One.• 7. Repeat steps 1-6 one more time as Trial Two.

Data Tables for Trial One

Day Number: Left thumb nail (cm) (growth):

Right thumb nail (cm) (growth):

0 (control length) 1.2 centimeters (0) 1.2 centimeters (0)

5/ growth 1.3 centimeters (.1) 1.3 centimeters (.1)

10/ growth 1.3 centimeters (0) 1.3 centimeters (0)

15/ growth 1.4 centimeters (.1) 1.4 centimeters (.1)

Average length/ growth 1.3 centimeters (0.05) 1.3 centimeters (0.05)

Data Table for Trial Two

Day Number: Left thumb nail (cm) (growth):

Right thumb nail (cm) (growth):

0 (control length) 1.2 centimeters (0) 1.2 centimeters (0)

5/ growth 1.3 centimeters (.1) 1.3 centimeters (.1)

10/ growth 1.3 centimeters (0) 1.3 centimeters (0)

15/ growth 1.4 centimeters (.1) 1.4 centimeters (.1)

Average length/ growth 1.3 centimeters (0.05) 1.3 centimeters (0.05)

Conclusion• I thought that if I painted my left thumb nail clear and didn’t

paint my right thumb nail at all then both thumb nails would grow at the same rate because nail polish is only applied to the top of the old nail cells. My results showed that I was correct. I can prove this because in both trials, both of my nails (the left thumb nail which was painted with a clear coat of nail polish and the right thumb nail un-painted), grew at exactly the same rate. In both trials, my thumbnails were 1.3 centimeters on Day 5, 1.3 centimeters on Day 10, and 1.4 centimeters on Day 15. There was no difference. This supports our original hypothesis. Therefore, if you paint your thumbnail clear then that nail polish will not affect how fast our thumbnails grow.

Abstract• 1. The purpose of my project was to see whether clear nail polish would

make my thumb nails grow faster than no nail polish at all.• 2. Before the test, I honestly didn’t have any clue as to what the results

would be. I formed my hypothesis just on an educated guessing.• 3. a. The one major error I did that could have affected my data was that

I forgot to measure on one day and I measured my nail length on the next day. Also, one time I forgot to remove my nail polish during one of the days. I don’t know if those things really affected my nail length, but that’s just what I did wrong.b. I learned that nail polish doesn’t affect how fast your nails grow.c. What I could do differently next time is actually follow my procedure perfectly and do everything on time, and maybe next time I could see if the nail polish that is supposed to make your nails grow faster actually works.

5-paragraph Background Section

• Does nail polish affect nail growth? That is what I wanted to find out. As my results in my experiment showed, clear nail polish obviously didn’t affect my nail growth. I researched and found out that colored nail polish does not affect the growth of your nails, either. Contrary to popular belief, making any dietary changes in the hopes of enhancing your nails won’t affect your nail growth or the strength of your nails.

• You see, your nails are made up of a protein substance called keratin. This is the same substance your body uses to create your hair and the top layer of your skin. Your fingernails grow slowly at a rate of around a tenth of an inch per month. Nails start in the nail root and when new nail cells are created, they push out the old cells. These old cells slide along the nail bed, creating you nail plate, which you think of as “your nails.”

• When you apply nail polish, you are only applying it to the top of the old nail cells. The new nail cells are made under your cuticle, away from the nail polish. So, supposedly, applying nail polish shouldn’t affect nail growth because nails grow from the inside of the body out, and not from the surface of the old nail cells.

• However, there are some good effects of nail polish that can actually help your nails. Some of these are to repair splits or tears on the surface of your nail plate. Also, you can harden your nail plate with any type of nail polish. These are good things because when you hurt your nail plate, it affects your nail growth. By applying nail polish, it can protect the nail from wear and can help them be longer. Nail polish can help your nails be longer not by actually making them grow, but by helping them not wear off. So, keeping your nail plate healthy will keep your nail root and new nail cells healthy too.

• Problem is, some nail polishes dry out your nail beds, which damages your nail root and then that leads to the production of unhealthy nails. Using the wrong type of nail polish remover could also dry out your nails. The nail polishes and nail polish removers that should be avoided are the ones that contain acetone, toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde. The last two ingredients can also cause redness and irritation on the skin around your nail plate, which is called the “nail folds.”

• So, nail polish shouldn’t be able to make your nails grow. But it can protect the nail from wear, fix imperfections, and harden your nail plate. All these things contribute to healthier nail growth in the future. Some nail polishes don’t do anything but dry nails out, and these should be avoided. But over all, nail polish is like a glue created to make your nails pretty and keep them from looking like Mr. Leingangs. (hey, it’s only for girls though) =)

Graph

Left Thumb Day

0

Left Thumb Day

5

Left Thumb Day

10

Left Thumb day

15

Averag

e left le

ngth

Right T

humb Day 0

Right T

humb Day 5

Right T

humb Day 10

Right T

humb Day 15

Averag

e right le

ngth1.1

1.15

1.2

1.25

1.3

1.35

1.4

1.45

Trial OneTrial Two