I feel like an old gross witch. Why are my fingernails suddenly yellow?

Have you used that green nail polish before? Did you use a base coat before applying the green nail polish? It could be that the green nail polish stained your fingernails. I’ve had that happen before.

If that’s the case, it should fade and go away in a few days. Since it is all of your nails, I don’t think it’s likely that it is an infection. If it doesn’t start to fade and go away within a few days, I’d go get it checked just to be sure though.

@Seaofclouds no i hadn’t used it before. it was new. thats what i was thinking/hoping it was. thanks!

Do you smoke?

Not cigarrettes.

First off you can’t be an old gross witch. Guess how little exposure I have to wearing nail polish but my guess would be left over staining if it just appeared.

This is why you should always put a base coat on before nail polish. Just paint them, and cover it up until they grow out.

Use lemon juice on them to help bleach the nails back out. Don’t use actual bleach.
Try soaking in lemon juice for a few minutes 2 or 3 times for a couple of days. That should do it.

Nails, like hair, are dead except under the skin. As the follicles continue growth, it pushes out what already exists. Both hair and nails are very porous, so they easily absorb dyes. As @JLeslie said, the best way to protect your nails from discoloration moving forward is to ensure that a clear base coat is applied before color goes on or stop having them painted altogether.

For now, you can have them repainted using a base coat. A French or American manicure reduces the amount of highly pigmented colors that can stain a nail. You might also want to consider using a kit like the Deep Sea Cosmetics nail buffer. They buff out any discolorations on the surface and leave a very shiny and smooth surface that looks and feels exactly like a clear coat of polish.

Also remember: If you never let your nails go unpainted, you don’t have to use a base coat!

Green = Yellow + Blue.

You’re lucky it wasn’t the blue that stained your nails.

Listen to the guys above who suggest undercoating your nails before painting them!

Sometimes nails can turn yellow if polish is worn for a long time and no air can get to the surface of the nail. Next time, use a basecoat and give your nails a breather between polishings. If you want to get rid of the yellow tinge, make a paste of baking soda and water, then scrub with an old toothbrush. It works almost instantly.

Nowadays the nail polishes come in all colors and shades, from crystal clear to luminous black and ruby red to sapphire glitter, nail enamels have never been cooler as a stylish accessory or easier to match with our clothing. But for a number of people who use dark shades of nail polish on their fingers, removing the color may expose… yellowed, faded nails. You may shout….What to do about this?

The American Academy of Dermatology declares, dark color polish, in various shades of blue, brown, burgundy, black, can cause a chemical effect between the coloring agent and the nail outer plate, staining nails. Depending on the individual, this effect can take place in days to week. This is not bad and injurious for your nails because it is just on the surface. To avoid this from happening to flawless nails, apply an extra coating of base coat first before you apply the nail color.

If your nails are previously discoloured, you can utilize an emery board to file off some of the yellowing or allow your nails to grow out till the new nail color appears which generally takes almost four to six months.

http://www.blurtit.com/q444363.html

@Nicole8 Wow, mine replaces themselves in 3 weeks…

Sounds like we’ve got most bases covered here but—could be a bacterial infection.

With halloween coming up, you could always take advantage of this situation and get yourself one of these http://www.wehats.com/images/witch_hat.jpg .