Why can’t you wear make-up or finger nail polish during surgery?

A very common question asked by those preparing for surgery is why they have to remove their fingernail polish and why they can’t wear makeup during surgery. Both of these items are clearly stated on the preoperative documents from BOSC.

The answer is quite simple actually. Make-up and nail polish hinder the surgeon’s ability to monitor your well being during surgery.  Since you cannot communicate with the surgeon on how you are feeling, the surgeon will monitor the signs from your body to let them know.

Fingernail Polish – When you’re in surgery, you will have a probe placed on the end of your finger to read the oxygen level in your blood. This probe cannot read through artificial nails or nail polish. Also, if your oxygen levels do drop, your fingernails would turn blue; signaling it to the surgeon, but this would be hidden by your nail polish.

Makeup – Face makeup can mask your true skin color, which is an easy signal to the surgeon on how your body is handling the surgery. In addition, if the surgeon needs to put tape on your face or body, it may not stick to the make-up or cream on your skin.