BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

Hello, I'm Greg Foote and welcome to Slice Bread, the BBC Radio 4 show that investigates the Wonder

products promising to make you happier, healthier or greener. Each episode, we follow the

crumbs of evidence to find out if one of your suggested wonder products is indeed the best

thing since sliced bread bread or marketing BS.

And today's suggestion comes from Helen Mendelson from Surrey.

Welcome to the studio, Helen.

Thank you very much.

What would you like us to investigate today then, Helen?

Nail polish.

Are you wearing any right now?

I'm not wearing any right now because it's such a minefield.

But then as I've got older, my nails have got worse and horrible and ridged and discoloured.

And everyone else is wearing it.

And I would love to wear it.

But oh, it takes forever to put on and always get smudged.

And there are so many different types as well.

And I don't know what is the best to wear.

What did you try? I tried the ordinary stuff nail varnish and then I've tried gels which

were applied in a salon once and I've tried my do it at home gel as well. Okay but none of those

stuck so to speak. Well the gels did but too well. How was it getting them off? Oh, it took forever. So you tried to remove the gel nails yourself? I didn't know you were supposed to go back to the salon to do it. What else would you like to know then about nail polishes and gels? Well, also about all the different treatments, so the strengthings, the base coats, all the different

potions that they try to sell you to make your nails better. I mean, I thought that nails were

...