What Furry Nails Are & Why They Sometimes Smell

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Plus, how to get this fluffy nail look all by yourself

Co-authored by Zayauna Liddell and Devin McSween

Last Updated: June 4, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Do furry nails smell?
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• What are furry nails?
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• What to Do If Your Nails Smell
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• How to Do Furry Nails
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• How to Keep Your Nails from Smelling
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

While scrolling through TikTok, you may have seen the countless viral videos claiming that furry nails (also called fuzzy nails or fluffy nails) smell bad. These soft, velvet-looking nails are the latest nail trend to hit TikTok, but is there any truth to these claims? In this article, we’ll tell you what furry nails are and whether they smell. We’ll also show you how to give yourself a super cute furry nail manicure and how to keep your nails clean, all with help from nail artist Marta Nagorska. Read on to learn more!

Understanding Furry Nails

Furry nails (also called fuzzy or fluffy nails) use flocking powder to give your nails a soft and velvety texture. These nails may be prone to smelling bad because the fuzzy texture can trap dirt and debris, causing bacteria to grow. So, it’s important to clean underneath your nails and wash your hands regularly.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Do furry nails smell?

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   Furry nails can smell due to bacteria buildup like any other manicure. You’re constantly using your hands, so it’s very common for dirt and debris to gather under your nails as well as inside the tiny ridges on the surface. This can cause bacteria to build up and unpleasant odors to form. When you paint over your nails or apply fake nails, you can trap that dirt as well as moisture, leading to worse odors and potentially even fungal infections.

   • Your nails can also soak up odors. For instance, if you recently cut an onion or garlic, your nails might smell for a while.
   • Potential signs of a fungal nail infection include soreness, swelling, redness, itchiness, discoloration, nail thickening, and nail brittleness or crumbling.
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   Furry nails may be more likely to smell than other nail designs. Because furry nails add texture to your nails, there are a lot more spots for dirt, grime, and moisture to cling to that can help bacteria breed. So, it’s possible that these nails can smell worse and more quickly than other manicures.

   • On TikTok, users have claimed that furry nails can smell cheesy or even like poop, which might be due to poor hygiene practices. If an infection is behind the odor, the nails might smell sour, yeasty, musty, rotten, or sickly sweet.
   • Don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to help keep your nails from smelling. We’ll go over proper nail care and cleaning tips in the section below!
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Section 2 of 5:

What are furry nails?

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1. 
   Furry nails give your nails a fuzzy texture using flocking powder. Furry or fuzzy nails is a nail technique that’s become a viral trend on TikTok in the past year. This trend gives your nails a soft and fuzzy texture, like a fluffy sweater or a stuffed animal’s fur. This is usually done by applying colored flocking powder to your painted nails while they’re still wet.

   • Flocking powder is a super-fine, fibrous material that has a fuzzy or velvety appearance and texture. It’s often used in crafts and to flock Christmas trees to give them the appearance of collecting snow.
   • Some furry nails might involve applying actual pieces of faux fur to the nails. However, this trend more commonly uses flocking powder.
   • Jan Arnold, the co-founder of CND nail polish, is often credited as creating furry nails. In 2016, she gave models faux fur-covered nails at the Libertine fashion show.

Section 3 of 5:

What to Do If Your Nails Smell

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   Remove the nail polish or fake nails. If you notice your fingernails starting to smell, take off anything coating your nails. If you just have on nail polish, wipe your nails with nail polish remover. If you have acrylic or press-on nails, soak cotton balls with acetone, set them on your nails, and secure them with aluminum foil.

   • Let the acetone soak into the fake nails for 10 to 20 minutes before removing them and pulling off the nails.
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   Wash your hands and dry them completely. Dirt, debris, and bacteria are the most common causes of odors, so take a moment to wash your hands and underneath your nails. To clean under your nails, Nagorska says to wet a manicure brush with soapy water and scrub the underside of your nails.

   • Make sure to dry your hands and nails really well, as moisture can cause odors and even lead to infections.
   • Consider trimming your nails, too. It’s typically harder for dirt and debris to get trapped under shorter nails, which can also help prevent odors from forming.
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   Check for signs of an infection. It’s possible that the odor coming from your nails might be the start of an infection. So, inspect your nails for other common signs of infection, like swelling, redness, itchiness, discomfort, discoloration, thickening, or brittleness.

   • If you think your nails might be infected, treat the infection by applying an over-the-counter fungal medication.
   • If the signs of infection get worse or your nails become painful, visit your doctor. They can prescribe medications to help treat the infection.
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Do Furry Nails

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   Clean and prep your nails. Before you give yourself a manicure, Nagorska advises that you remove any nail polish that you have on and wash your hands. Then, trim and file your nails into the shape you like. Gently buff your nails with a buffer block and then push back your cuticles with a cuticle tool.

   • To ensure your nails are healthy and ready for nail polish, Nagorska highly recommends that you regularly apply cuticle oil. She says that cuticle oil keeps your nails nourished, helping to protect your nails from chips and cracks.
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   Paint your nails and apply a top coat. Nagorska suggests that you start with a clear base coat to help even out your nails. Then, apply your favorite nail polish! Do a simple solid color or create a fun design, like stripes, polka dots, or leopard print. When you’re done, apply a top coat to lock in the color and help your polish last longer.
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   Apply another layer of top coat where you want your nail to be fuzzy. Once the initial layer of top coat is dry, apply more wherever you want the flocking powder to go. This might be over the entire nail, along a stripe, or on top of each polka dot.

   • The flocking powder needs something to stick to, which is why you apply the top coat wherever you want the powder to go.
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   Place flocking powder on top of the top coat while it’s still wet. Grab some flocking powder with a pair of tweezers and simply drop it onto your nail. Add as much as you need to ensure the spots where you applied the top coat are covered in flocking. Then, gently pat it down with your finger.

   • Ensure the spots where you don’t want flocking powder are completely dry before you add the powder. Flocking powder will stick to any bits of nail polish or top coat that are still wet.
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   Let the top coat dry and gently brush off any excess flocking powder. Wait about 10 to 20 minutes for the top coat to dry, or however long your brand of top coat says to wait. Then, use a soft makeup brush to remove the excess flocking powder from your nails and fingers. Now your fuzzy nails are done!

   • Do not apply a top coat on top of the flocking powder. This will flatten and cover the fuzzy texture.
   • Wondering if furry nails can get wet? The answer is yes, they can! After you wash your hands or take a shower, simply pat your nails with a cloth or paper towel. Once the flocking is completely dry, your nails will look as good as new again.
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Section 5 of 5:

How to Keep Your Nails from Smelling

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1. 
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   Clean under your nails every day. After you take a shower or bath, Nagorska recommends that you use a manicure brush and soap and water to clean the underside of your nails. This helps remove any debris and bacteria that have built up during the day.

   • As an alternative, Nagorska says you can “use a wet wipe wrapped around a manicure stick or an eyelash spoolie to clean the underside of your nails.”
   • Keep your nails short, if possible. It’s generally easier to keep the underside of your nails clean when they’re shorter rather than longer.
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   Practice good hand-washing hygiene. This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s important! To help prevent dirt, debris, and bacteria from building up underneath your nails, make sure you wash your hands regularly. Rinse your hands and underneath your nails every time you prepare food, use the bathroom, handle trash, and clean.

   • Pat your hands dry, paying special attention to your nails, to help ensure there’s no leftover moisture.
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   Wear gloves when you clean. Help prevent dirt and debris from getting under your nails in the first place by wearing gloves whenever you wash dishes, clean around the house, or do yard work. This can also help prevent smell odors from soaking into your fingernails, too.
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