How to Get Rid of Yellow Nails

Proven ways to whiten yellow nails and prevent them in the future

Co-authored by Mia Rubie

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References Approved

Treating Yellow Nails

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Prevention

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Warnings

Stained and yellowed nails can be extremely unappealing, especially when you want to give your nails breathing time in between polishes. Lucking, treating and preventing yellowed fingernails due to nail polish is quite easy, requiring only a few simple household items and some sensible nail care.

Things You Should Know

Scrub your nails using hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda for 2-3 minutes to quickly lighten them.
Alternatively, apply whitening toothpaste to your nails and let it sit for 10 minutes.
You can also rub the cut side of a lemon on your nails, then let it sit for 10 minutes to lighten them.
To prevent yellow nails, always apply a base coat before painting them with nail polish.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Treating Yellow Nails

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Remove nail polish. Use a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to take off any nail polish currently on your nails. Simply rub each nail with the cotton ball until all of the polish has completely dissolved.
- In order to fully treat yellowed nails, the nails themselves have to be bare, with no layers of polish or varnish. Once all nail polish is removed, you can fully see the stained areas of your nails!
2
Buff your nails. Use a fine grit buffing board to lightly sand off the topmost layer of each of your nails. Gently rub the buffing board on the surface of your nail, moving the board straight back and forth, perpendicular to your nail. This light buffing can expose your unstained, clean nail underneath.^{[1]
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- Rotate your nail to the left and right to make sure you’re also buffing the sides of your nail, not just the top, middle section.
- Only buff each nail for about 10 seconds. You only want to remove the very top, stained layer of your nail.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Mia Rubie
  Nail Artist
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
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3
Rub lemon on your nails. Cut a lemon in half and rub the inside of the lemon onto your nails. Focus on rubbing the lemon on each nail for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.^{[3]
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Research source} Once all of your nails have been rubbed with lemon, allow your nails to absorb the lemon juice and dry for about 10 minutes. After your nails have soaked in the lemon juice, apply a moisturizer to your hands and nails to prevent them from drying out.
- The lemon juice can lighten your nails much in the same way it can lighten hair when it is sprayed on and exposed to the sun.
- You could also squeeze lemon juice into a bowl and use a cotton ball to apply the juice directly to your nails.
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Scrub your nails with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Mix 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide with 2 ½ tablespoon of baking soda until you have a paste-like mixture.^{[4]
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Research source} Use an old, soft bristled toothbrush to apply and rub this paste onto your nails. Rub your nails with this mixture for approximately 2-3 minutes, and then rinse it off with clean water. Be sure to moisturize after using this solution. The hydrogen peroxide will dry out your hands.
- Consider adding a few drops of lemon juice into this paste to give the mixture even more whitening power.
- Alternatively, you could also create a soak by adding the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mix into about 1 cup of water, and soaking your nails for about 5-10 minutes.
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Apply whitening toothpaste to your nails. Apply a thin layer of toothpaste containing hydrogen peroxide to all of your yellowed nails. Use your fingertips or an old, soft bristled toothbrush to rub the toothpaste all over the surface your nails. Allow the toothpaste to sit on your nails for approximately 10 minutes, and then rinse off the toothpaste with clean water.
- After rinsing off the toothpaste, apply lotion to your hands and nails to keep them hydrated.
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Whiten your nails with denture tablets. Drop 2-4 dissolving denture cleaning tables into a bowl of water, and soak your nails in the water for approximately 15 minutes.^{[5]
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Research source} After 15 minutes, use a paper towel to dry your hands, and then rub on some lotion.
- You can soak your nails in this solution a couple times a month, but be sure you soak then when your nails are bare, and free from nail polish.
7
Tea Tree Oil. If your nails are yellowed because of a nail fungus rather than constant use of nail polish, tea tree oil can help with the discoloration. Apply a couple drops of natural tea tree oil to each nail twice daily, and use your fingertips to massage the oil to all parts of your nails.^{[6]
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- Tea tree oil is a disinfectant and naturally fights fungus, which could help combat the yellowing of your nails.
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Consult a medical professional. If you nails are severely yellowed, or the yellow coloring doesn’t improve with any of these methods, you might have some sort of nail infection or yellow nail syndrome. A medical professional will be able to properly assess your situation, and may prescribe a medicated cream or supplements to treat your yellowed nails.^{[7]
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- Zinc supplements are commonly used to help treat yellowed nails.
- If there's no medical condition causing your yellowed nails, you may simply have to wait for your nails to grow out before they return to their normal color.^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Mia Rubie
  Nail Artist
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Prevention

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Apply a base coat. Apply a clear base coat of nail polish to all of your nails before you apply your colored polish. The thin layer of base coat acts as a barrier to the dyes in the colored polish that can stain your nails and turn them yellow. Allow the base coat to dry for about 5 minutes before proceeding to paint them with your colored polish.
- A base coat also serves as an anchor for the colored polish to hold onto.
2
Avoid dark nail polish. Dark nail polishes (black, purple, blue, red) have pigments that can discolor your nails if the polish has direct contact with your nails. Applying base coat can help prevent this color staining, but in general, try opting for lighter polish colors every once in a while.
- Using lighter or sheer nail polish colors can give your nails a break from the harsh dyes found in darker polishes.
- If you do want to use a darker color, be especially sure to use a good-quality base coat to protect your nails.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Mia Rubie
  Nail Artist
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}
3
Go without nail polish. Try giving your nails a break from nail polish altogether. Allow your nails to be naked and breathe about 3-4 days every few weeks. Going without nail polish for a few days will allow your nails to naturally be exposed to air for a bit before being painted over again.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How long does it take yellowed nails to go back to their natural color?

Mia Rubie
Nail Artist
Mia Rubie is a Nail Artist and the Owner of Sparkle San Francisco, a nail studio based in San Francisco, California. She has over eight years of nail artist and management experience and is known for her push-the-envelope designs and artistic eye for colors. Her clients include Sephora, Target, and Vogue. Her work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and StyleCaster. She holds a BBA focusing on Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from San Francisco State University. You can find her work on her Instagram account @superflynails.

Mia Rubie

Nail Artist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

If your nails are only a little yellowed, you may be able to lightly buff them with a nail buffer to remove the surface layer. However, if it's truly stained, it's probably going to take as long as your nail takes to grow out.

Warnings

Be sure to consult a doctor if your yellowed nails do not improve or lessen after trying these methods. A more serious issue (perhaps an infection or other illness) could be the cause of your yellow nails.

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