About
Our Story
We Started Polybalm USA
Because of One Woman
A breast cancer survivor. A tough farm girl. Our co-founder’s mother. And the reason Polybalm® exists in the United States today.
Chad Lucero & Shirley — Susan G. Komen Foundation Event • Polybalm USA Booth
“She grew up on a farm. Farm people are tough. But the first time I ever saw my mother struggle — truly struggle — was during chemotherapy. Not from the cancer itself. From losing every single one of her fingernails and toenails.”
— Chad Lucero, Co-Founder & CEO, Polybalm USA
Shirley’s Story
In 1988, Chad’s mother Shirley was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through significant chemotherapy — and survived. But the toll that treatment took on her quality of life went far beyond what most people expect.
Shirley lost every fingernail and toenail during chemotherapy. Her nails split, caught on everything, then detached entirely. She bled frequently. She couldn’t grip a steering wheel without pain, couldn’t open doors, couldn’t hold a pan handle. She couldn’t wear shoes — only open-toed flip-flops — because the pressure and bleeding from her toes made every step painful. She had difficulty washing her hair, applying makeup, doing the simplest things that define daily independence.
She didn’t lose her hair. But she lost all twenty nails — and with them, so much of her ability to live normally. Her quality of life suffered dramatically, not from the cancer itself, but from one of its most overlooked and untreated side effects.
Shirley survived. She thrived. But for decades after, her nails never fully recovered — despite eating well, taking vitamins, and trying everything available. Nothing worked. Until Polybalm.
Shirley — Breast Cancer Survivor • 10+ Years • Susan G. Komen Foundation
Shirley Today — Age 89
When Polybalm USA launched in April 2025, Shirley became one of the first users. She now applies it 2–3 times daily — and for the first time in decades, her nails are healthier, stronger, shinier, and more resilient than they have ever been in her entire life. She swears by it and will not stop. At 89 years old, a cancer thriver and a living testament to what Polybalm can do — even years after chemotherapy ends.
Why We Started Polybalm USA
Chad wasn’t alone. Every member of our small team has a personal connection to cancer treatment — mothers, partners, and friends who experienced the overlooked, painful side effects that nobody prepares patients for. That shared experience drives everything we do.
When we went searching for a solution, we had one non-negotiable requirement: it had to be 100% natural. When someone is already going through chemotherapy — their body already flooded with powerful drugs, their immune system compromised — the last thing they need is another synthetic chemical on their skin. Whatever we brought to patients had to be gentle, clean, and safe for the most vulnerable people in the world.
And it had to actually work — not just anecdotally, but clinically. We weren’t willing to bring a wellness product to cancer patients. We needed evidence.
Polybalm® met both requirements. Developed by physicians, oncologists, dermatologists, and botanical experts. Backed by a published double-blind randomized controlled trial. Eight pure botanical ingredients. Zero synthetic chemicals. We became the exclusive U.S. distributor because we genuinely believe in what it does — and we’ve seen the proof in the thousands of patients and families it has already helped.
Our Purpose
Mission
To ensure that every cancer patient in the United States has access to the only clinically proven, 100% natural nail protection available — so that chemotherapy-induced nail toxicity never again silently steals someone’s quality of life.
Vision
A world where every oncologist, infusion nurse, and cancer care team routinely recommends evidence-based nail protection from the very first day of chemotherapy — because no patient should suffer preventable nail damage when a proven solution exists.
The Science Behind Polybalm®
Trust matters enormously in oncology care. That’s why we never ask patients, caregivers, or clinicians to simply take our word for it.
p<0.00001
Statistical significance across all 4 clinical outcome measures
60
Patients in the double-blind randomized controlled trial
Zero
Adverse events. 100% trial completion in both arms
Thomas R, Williams M, Cauchi M, Berkovitz S, Smith SA. A double-blind, randomised trial of a polyphenolic-rich nail bed balm for chemotherapy-induced onycholysis: the UK polybalm study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2018;171(1):103–110.
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