6 min read • By Dr. Kevin Baharvand, Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics
SHORT ANSWER
Europe did not ban gel nail polish. It banned one ingredient in it, a photoinitiator called TPO, as of 1 September 2025, after the ingredient was classified as a reproductive toxicant. Reformulated gels without TPO are still sold everywhere in the EU, and TPO is still legal in the United States. The orthodontic angle has nothing to do with the chemistry: it is that nail biting and using your nails as tools break brackets and crack aligners, and that is true regardless of what is painted on them.
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What was actually banned
On 1 September 2025, a European Commission regulation took effect prohibiting TPO in cosmetic products. TPO is trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, a photoinitiator: the ingredient that reacts to UV or LED light and makes gel polish cure hard in thirty seconds instead of air-drying for an hour. It is what makes gel gel.
The trigger was a chemical classification, not a nail-specific study. TPO was classified as a category 1B reproductive toxicant under the EU chemical labeling rules, and under European cosmetics law that classification bans an ingredient automatically unless someone applies for a specific exemption. Nobody did. The ban followed mechanically.
Two details matter for anyone reading a scary headline. Gel polish without TPO is completely legal and widely available, and most manufacturers reformulated ahead of the deadline. And the classification covers reproductive toxicity. It is not a cancer classification, which is what a lot of the coverage implied.
How the headline got away from the facts
| What you probably heard | What is actually true |
|---|---|
| Europe banned gel nail polish | Europe banned one ingredient. Reformulated gel polish is still sold everywhere in the EU. |
| Because it causes cancer | The classification is reproductive toxicity, category 1B. Different hazard, different evidence base. |
| So gel nails are dangerous | The regulation is about an ingredient in a product category, applying a precautionary rule. It is not a finding about salon manicures. |
| The US will follow shortly | No indication of that. The FDA has not restricted TPO, and US cosmetic rules do not auto-ban on EU classifications. |
I am not saying the concern is fake. A 1B reproductive toxicant classification is not nothing, and Europe applies a genuinely more precautionary standard to cosmetics than we do. I am saying the gap between the regulation and the headline was wide enough to drive a truck through, and that gap is worth knowing about the next time a beauty ingredient story goes around.
What this means if you live in Texas
Practically, not much changes. TPO is legal here and your salon is not breaking any rule by using it. If you would rather avoid it, the ingredient list is the only reliable place to check, and you are looking for the full chemical name rather than the initials. Many brands now advertise TPO-free on the bottle because they reformulated for the European market anyway and it turned into a selling point.
If you are pregnant or trying to conceive and the classification concerns you, that is a reasonable conversation to have with your physician rather than with your orthodontist or your nail tech. I would rather point you to the right person than give you a confident opinion outside my field.
The part that is actually my department
Here is the honest connection, and it is simpler than the chemistry. What your nails are coated in does not affect your braces. What you do with your nails does.
Nail biting is one of the more reliable ways to slow down treatment. Biting down on a hard, curved fingernail concentrates a lot of force onto one or two brackets. Brackets pop off. Archwires bend out of shape and stop delivering the force we planned. Each of those is an unscheduled visit, and enough of them push a case past its estimated finish date. With clear aligners the failure is different but no better: trays crack at the edges or get distorted, and a distorted tray does not track the movement it was designed for.
There is an odd upside worth mentioning. A fresh, expensive manicure is one of the more effective nail-biting deterrents I know of, and gel in particular is hard enough that biting it is unpleasant. If you have been trying to quit, the timing of a manicure can genuinely help.
Long nails create a different, smaller problem. If you are wearing rubber bands, long nails make them awkward to hook, and elastics that are annoying to place are elastics that quietly stop getting worn. That one shows up at the next appointment as a bite that has not moved. If this is you, ask us for the technique or the little plastic hook tool. It takes about a minute to demonstrate.
Breaking the nail-biting habit during treatment
Most nail biting is not a deliberate choice, it is something that happens while you are concentrating or stressed, which is why willpower alone tends to fail. The things that actually work put something between the impulse and the nail.
- Keep nails cut short. Short nails are physically harder to bite and the habit loses its grip faster than people expect.
- Bitter-tasting nail coating, which sounds crude and works better than it deserves to.
- Sugar-free gum during the hours you bite most, since it occupies the same fidget.
- Notice the trigger rather than the habit. Most people bite during a specific activity, and knowing which one is half the fix.
- Wax over any bracket that is already getting hit repeatedly, as a short-term measure while you work on the habit.
Broken brackets are the single most common reason a case runs past its estimate. Not the appliance, not the biology. Repairs.
Frequently asked questions
Is gel nail polish banned in Europe?
Not as a category. The European Union banned one ingredient, a photoinitiator called TPO, effective 1 September 2025. Gel polishes reformulated without TPO are still sold legally across the EU. Most brands had reformulated before the deadline.
Does the ban mean gel polish causes cancer?
No, and this is the part that got distorted in coverage. TPO was classified as a reproductive toxicant, category 1B, under EU chemical rules. That is a serious classification, but it is not a cancer classification. The two get conflated constantly.
Is TPO banned in the United States?
No. The FDA has not restricted it, so TPO-containing gel products remain legal in the US. If you want to avoid it here, you have to read the ingredient list yourself and look for the full name, trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide.
Can I get gel nails while wearing braces?
Yes. Gel polish has no direct interaction with braces. The problem is not the polish, it is what people do with their hands. Nail biting and using nails as tools are what damage brackets and wires.
Why does nail biting matter more with braces?
Biting down on a hard fingernail concentrates force on individual brackets and wires. It bends archwires, pops brackets loose, and adds appointments and time to your treatment. With aligners the risk shifts to cracking the tray or distorting its fit.
Do long nails cause problems with rubber bands?
They can make them genuinely difficult to place. Patients with long nails often struggle to hook elastics properly, and elastics only work if they are actually being worn as directed. If you are fighting with them every morning, tell us and we will show you an easier technique.
Popping brackets more often than you should?
Bring it up at your next visit, or start with a free consultation. Two Frisco offices plus The Colony.
You may also be interested in these
- Orthodontic Elastics: What They Are and How They Work
- DIY Dental Hacks: What Works and What Wrecks Your Teeth
- Can You Drink Water With Aligners On?
Why families trust Elate Orthodontics
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With over 1,000 five-star reviews across three locations, Elate Orthodontics is led by Dr. Kevin Baharvand, DMD, MS, a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, whose clinical work was recently selected for the cover of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, the most prestigious peer-reviewed journal in the field, and a national speaker on clear aligner treatment. Alongside Dr. Julia Kang, DMD, MS, both Boston University graduates and members of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon national honor society, our husband-and-wife team has been recognized as D Magazine Best Dentist 2026, Living Magazine Readers’ Choice 2026 Best Orthodontist in Frisco & Plano, Readers’ Choice Best Orthodontist in The Colony, Best New Business by the Chamber of Commerce, Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite, and featured in Orthotown and Authority Magazine.
We serve families through three convenient offices in West Frisco, North Frisco, and The Colony, each staffed by the same trusted team, equipped with advanced technology, and committed to the personalized approach that consistently helps patients finish treatment sooner than expected. From braces and clear braces to Angel Aligners, we offer treatment for every age and every stage of life. We stay in-network with most insurance plans and offer flexible financing to make exceptional orthodontic care accessible for every family we serve.
Need general and family dentistry too? Our sister practice, Tribute Family Dentistry, provides dental care for all ages.
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About the author
Dr. Kevin Baharvand, DMD, MS, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and a national speaker on clear aligner treatment. He practices at Elate Orthodontics in West Frisco, North Frisco, and The Colony, Texas.
