Seemed like a good idea at the time
September 10, 2015 11:47 AM Subscribe
This morning in trying to get rid of incredibly stubborn glitter nail polish in a hurry I soaked my fingers on one hand in nail polish remover until they were wrinkled. I realized they were wrinkled because they had absorbed a great deal of pure alcohol. "Oh jeez, not very bright," I thought. Now my stomach feels a little acid-y, which is constantly reminding me. So I guess what I'm curious about is exactly how stupid this was, on a scale from 1 (harmlessly stupid) to 10 (Darwin award).
If it matters, the remover was typical cheap-o off brand pink nail polish remover, nothing special.
You are not my doctor and this is not medical advice.
If it matters, the remover was typical cheap-o off brand pink nail polish remover, nothing special.
You are not my doctor and this is not medical advice.
Best answer: I'm going to rate this as a 1. For glitter polish, I buy pure acetone from the beauty supply store (it's for removing acrylic nails). Even the worst glitter polishes wipe right off with ease.
Your stomach issue is not related.
posted by quince at 12:02 PM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Your stomach issue is not related.
posted by quince at 12:02 PM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Acetone is not harmful unless you get it in your mouth/nose and aspirate it.
Drink some ginger ale or coke for the tummy. You have not poisoned yourself.
posted by zennie at 12:02 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Drink some ginger ale or coke for the tummy. You have not poisoned yourself.
posted by zennie at 12:02 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Well, for one, it's not alcohol, it's either acetone or, if you use a non-acetone remover, it's ethyl acetate or nethyl ethyl keytone.
For another, if your fingers are wrinkly, that's because they've got less fluid (blood pressure) in them, not because your skin is saturated with liquid/acetone/chemicals. The body regulates blood flow to wet hands to make wrinkles, to improve grip on wet objects. It's not a symptom of absorbing chemicals.
posted by aimedwander at 12:02 PM on September 10, 2015 [10 favorites]
For another, if your fingers are wrinkly, that's because they've got less fluid (blood pressure) in them, not because your skin is saturated with liquid/acetone/chemicals. The body regulates blood flow to wet hands to make wrinkles, to improve grip on wet objects. It's not a symptom of absorbing chemicals.
posted by aimedwander at 12:02 PM on September 10, 2015 [10 favorites]
Best answer: Agreeing that you don't have to worry. I'll back it up to a link to one of my favorite nail blogs, loodie loodie loodie.
Incidentally, a popular way to remove glitter polish without using that much remover or scrubbing at them forever is basically to wrap your nails like little foil burritos.
posted by rewil at 12:04 PM on September 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Incidentally, a popular way to remove glitter polish without using that much remover or scrubbing at them forever is basically to wrap your nails like little foil burritos.
posted by rewil at 12:04 PM on September 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
0.
Getting a bit of acetone on your finger doesn't even register on that scale for me, but keep in mind that this is coming from someone who managed to spill 500mL of -78° C acetone on their hands (without incident, thankfully, but generally inadvisable)
posted by un petit cadeau at 12:08 PM on September 10, 2015
Getting a bit of acetone on your finger doesn't even register on that scale for me, but keep in mind that this is coming from someone who managed to spill 500mL of -78° C acetone on their hands (without incident, thankfully, but generally inadvisable)
posted by un petit cadeau at 12:08 PM on September 10, 2015
FYI glitter nail polish is the most stubborn of nail polishes to remove, hence the need to soak as previously mentioned.
posted by lizbunny at 12:20 PM on September 10, 2015
posted by lizbunny at 12:20 PM on September 10, 2015
Best answer: Acetone is not harmful unless you get it in your mouth/nose and aspirate it.
This is not strictly true. This Material Safety Data Sheet says:
Anyway, this is the exactly sort of question that the poison control hotline was made to answer. They'll have a sense of what constitutes significant exposure, how worried you should be, whether your stomach thing is related, and what, if anything, you can do about it now. If you already know what's in the nail polish remover that would be best, but if maybe you left it at home and and are currently at work, it's fine call them now without that information. They're used to dealing with vague stuff like "my dog found a bucket full of something on the street and drank it and then also ate the actual bucket and I don't know what was in it but here's some symptoms that are happening".
posted by aubilenon at 12:42 PM on September 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
This is not strictly true. This Material Safety Data Sheet says:
SKIN: Irritating to skin. Skin absorption may cause toxic effects similar to those described for inhalation.However, not all nail polish removers are acetone - some are a less toxic combination of ethyl acetate and isopropyl alcohol.
Repeated or extended contact may cause erythema (reddening of the skin) or dermatitis, resulting from
a defatting action on tissue
Anyway, this is the exactly sort of question that the poison control hotline was made to answer. They'll have a sense of what constitutes significant exposure, how worried you should be, whether your stomach thing is related, and what, if anything, you can do about it now. If you already know what's in the nail polish remover that would be best, but if maybe you left it at home and and are currently at work, it's fine call them now without that information. They're used to dealing with vague stuff like "my dog found a bucket full of something on the street and drank it and then also ate the actual bucket and I don't know what was in it but here's some symptoms that are happening".
posted by aubilenon at 12:42 PM on September 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Just came in here to second that fingers don't get wrinkly because they're absorbing liquid.
posted by a strong female character at 2:51 PM on September 10, 2015
posted by a strong female character at 2:51 PM on September 10, 2015
Response by poster: Well I guess that will teach me to question things I learned when I was 5.
posted by bleep at 3:31 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by bleep at 3:31 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: For future difficult polish removal, soak a cotton square with remover and laying it on top of the polish. Then wrap a smitch of aluminum foil around to hold it on there. Leave for a couple minutes.
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 8:37 PM on September 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 8:37 PM on September 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Your stomach woes have nothing to do with the polish remover.
posted by phunniemee at 11:58 AM on September 10, 2015 [12 favorites]