Drinking nail polish is toxic, but the severity depends on how much was swallowed and who swallowed it. A small taste or lick, especially for an adult, is unlikely to cause serious harm beyond an upset stomach. A larger amount, particularly for a young child, can cause breathing problems, drowsiness, and chemical burns to the throat and stomach. The most important thing to know right away: do not induce vomiting, and call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or seek emergency care immediately.
Why Nail Polish Is Toxic
Nail polish contains a mix of solvents and chemicals that are safe on your nails but dangerous inside your body. The main culprits are acetone (or similar solvents), toluene, and formaldehyde resin. Each one affects the body differently.
Acetone irritates the mucous membranes lining your mouth, throat, and stomach. When swallowed, it acts as a mild depressant on the central nervous system and can slow breathing. It also disrupts normal blood sugar levels and shifts the body’s acid-base balance, pushing it toward a state called ketosis, where acids build up in the blood.
Toluene, another common ingredient, is even more concerning in larger amounts. It causes drowsiness, headaches, and at higher exposures, loss of consciousness. It can also damage the kidneys by interfering with their ability to properly filter acid from the blood, a condition called renal tubular acidosis. In severe cases, this leads to kidney stones and acute kidney injury, though these effects are more associated with large or repeated exposures.
Formaldehyde, present in many polishes as a hardening resin, is corrosive. Swallowing even a small concentration can burn the lining of the throat, esophagus, and stomach. In concentrated forms, formaldehyde solutions can cause ulceration, bleeding, and in extreme cases, perforation of the stomach wall. The formaldehyde in nail polish is far less concentrated than industrial solutions, but it still contributes to the irritation and chemical burns that ingestion can cause.
Symptoms to Watch For
After swallowing nail polish, symptoms typically appear within minutes to an hour. The most common early signs are nausea, vomiting, and a burning sensation in the mouth and throat. The solvent fumes alone can make a person feel dizzy or lightheaded almost immediately.
More concerning symptoms include:
- Slowed or difficulty breathing: Acetone and toluene both depress the respiratory system, making breaths shallow or labored.
- Drowsiness or confusion: These solvents act on the brain in ways similar to sedatives, potentially causing sleepiness, poor coordination, or in serious cases, unconsciousness.
- Abdominal pain and diarrhea: The corrosive ingredients irritate and damage the stomach lining, causing cramping and sometimes bloody vomit.
- A wet or gurgling sound when breathing: This can signal that liquid has entered the lungs, a dangerous complication called chemical pneumonitis.
Chemical pneumonitis is one of the biggest risks with any swallowed solvent. If even a small amount of nail polish gets into the airway instead of the stomach, it inflames the lung tissue. Symptoms include a feeling of not being able to get enough air, chest tightness or burning, and a persistent cough. Left untreated, this can progress to respiratory failure.
Why You Should Never Induce Vomiting
This is the single most important first-aid point. Solvents like those in nail polish are more dangerous coming back up than going down. If a person vomits, the liquid can easily slip into the windpipe and lungs, causing chemical pneumonitis or aspiration pneumonia. The National Institutes of Health specifically warns against making someone throw up after swallowing nail polish. Instead, call Poison Control or go to an emergency room. If the person is having trouble breathing, call 911.
You can rinse the mouth with water and give small sips of water or milk to dilute what’s in the stomach, but only if the person is alert and able to swallow safely.
Children Are at Higher Risk
Most searches about drinking nail polish involve a toddler who got into a bottle. Children are more vulnerable for simple reasons: their body weight is lower, so the same amount of chemical produces a stronger effect. A few swallows from a nail polish bottle can expose a small child to a relatively high dose of solvents.
In children, the central nervous system effects (drowsiness, slowed breathing) can progress more quickly. One documented case of a child poisoned by nail polish remover required emergency treatment for methemoglobinemia, a condition where the blood loses its ability to carry oxygen effectively. The child’s skin can take on a bluish tint, and they may become unusually lethargic. Children with certain inherited enzyme deficiencies are at even greater risk of this complication.
For adults, accidentally swallowing a small amount of nail polish or remover is unlikely to cause lasting harm. Most adults will experience nausea and throat irritation that resolves on its own. The threshold for serious injury is higher simply because of body size.
What Happens at the Emergency Room
If someone goes to the ER after swallowing nail polish, the medical team will monitor breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. They may give oxygen if breathing is labored. In cases where the airway is at risk, a breathing tube may be placed to prevent liquid from reaching the lungs.
Blood tests check for shifts in the body’s acid levels, kidney function, liver enzymes, and electrolyte balance. If toluene exposure is suspected, a byproduct called hippuric acid can be detected in the urine. These results help the team gauge how much chemical actually made it into the bloodstream and whether the kidneys or liver are under stress.
In most accidental ingestion cases involving a small amount, treatment is supportive: IV fluids, monitoring, and observation for a few hours. Serious cases involving larger quantities may require more aggressive intervention, but these are uncommon with standard nail polish bottles, which typically hold only 10 to 15 milliliters of product.
Long-Term Outlook
For a one-time accidental ingestion of a small amount, most people recover completely with no lasting effects. The throat and stomach irritation heals within a few days. Kidney damage from toluene, when it occurs, appears to be reversible once exposure stops.
Repeated or intentional ingestion is a different situation entirely. Chronic toluene exposure causes lasting cognitive impairment, persistent kidney problems, and liver damage. The neurological effects of long-term solvent exposure can include memory loss and difficulty concentrating, and some of these changes may not fully reverse.