I had a Gel Manicure for the first time in my life. I went to a fancy salon and got the full treatment of an hour long manicure and a gel manicure for $100. My nails looked great and I didn’t have to worry about chipping my red nails for over two weeks.
My nails looked beautiful, but the removal process was troublesome. The gel polish wouldn’t budge, even after soaking my fingers in acetone nail polish remover for 15 minutes. Once I finally got it removed, it took several more days before my nails returned to normal.
I started thinking about what I’d put my body through and did some research on the health aspect of gel nails. It turns out that gel manicures can be harmful to your health if done incorrectly. Here are some things you should consider before getting your next gel manicure.
Gel polish is made up of a mixture of methacrylate chemicals, which cure under ultraviolet light. A small amount of these chemicals can be absorbed through the skin during application or removal, according to dermatologist Dana Stern, M.D.. There have been no studies on the long-term effects of exposure to these chemicals, but some suspect that it could lead to problems such as cancer or
The long-term health effects of gel manicures are a source of debate. Some nail salon workers and customers have claimed that the UV lights used in drying gel nail polish can cause skin cancer. While this is a concern, especially for people who are getting manicures regularly, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims.
The other concern with gel nails is that the glue used in the process weakens your nails over time. If you use nail hardeners to make your nails stronger than their natural state, then you could end up with weakened nails if you keep getting gel manicures.
If you get gel manicures on a regular basis, then consider giving your nails a break every couple of months by opting for acrylic or regular polish manicures. These types of manicures are less damaging to your nails because they don’t require any special lights or chemicals, and they won’t ruin your natural nails either.
Most people today know that gel nails are very popular manicure and pedicure treatments offered at many salons. They are often advertised as the “new” way to have beautiful nails that last longer than traditional polish. However, despite their popularity, the long-term health effects of gel nail treatments are not widely known.
Gel nails, also known as “bio-gels”, are often applied using a traditional manicure or pedicure. A thin coating of gel is applied to each nail and then cured under a UV light. The coatings can be worn for up to two weeks before they need to be reapplied. Although there is some concern about the health effects of UV radiation exposure from the curing process, studies have found it is safe when used properly.
However, even if there were no harmful effects from the UV radiation exposure, there are other health concerns with gel nail treatments. One such concern is an allergic reaction to one or more of the ingredients in the gel used to make your nails look beautiful. Many people report experiencing mild allergic reactions after having their first gel treatment, which may include itching and redness of the skin around their nails. If this happens to you, be sure to tell your salon technician so
Gel nails are a type of artificial nails that most often used in nail salons.
Gel nails looks like natural nails but they are much more stronger, last longer and have absolutely no drying time after application.
The process of applying gel nails includes: cleaning and shaping the natural nails, applying a base coat and then applying many layers of gel polish on your nails. After that you need to put your hands under UV lamp to cure the gel polish. After you have the right color on your nails, the manicurist will apply a top coat to protect your gel color and make it last longer.
Most people who use gel nails believe that this process is very beneficial for them because it is fast and long lasting. But there are also some negative side effects on health.
First of all, it is important to know that there are two types of UV lights which can be used by manicurists in salons: UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays burn skin but UVA rays penetrate deep into skin cells and can do serious damage to DNA and cause cancer. Gel polish usually requires UVA rays for curing and usually this type of lights doesn’t have timers which could turn off automatically after few minutes. This means that you can
I am a nail technician and have been doing nails for over 15 years. I have been asked this question many times and have had clients stop getting gel manicures because of my answer. Most technicians will tell you there is no side effects to gel nails, which is not true!
The ingredients in the gel products are acrylates and methacrylates, both of which are petrochemicals. These chemicals are used in the manufacturing of other products like plastic, rubber, adhesives, and coatings. They can be found in fiberglass resins, glues, and adhesives.
Acrylates and methacrylates are known to cause skin allergies and reactions because they are sensitizers. What does this mean? This means that your body’s immune system will react to these chemicals as if they are a virus or bacteria. In other words, your body recognizes them as invaders and will do anything it can to get rid of them.
So if you experience redness around your cuticles or under your nail plate after you get a gel manicure, please know that it is the chemicals that are causing this reaction, NOT an allergy to monomer liquid or primer.
What about the UV lights? Gel manufacturers
The gel manicure trend has been around for a few years now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. You probably already know the basics about gels: They last longer than regular polish, look shinier, and are more expensive to get done at the salon. But what you may not realize is that they could be seriously damaging your nails.
This is why: The process uses LED light to cure and harden each layer of gel on your nails, which can lead to dehydration (read: brittle nails) according to cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson.
The UV lamp that cures the gel manicure and pedicure is the biggest health concern, as it emits UVA radiation, which has been linked to skin cancer.
The lamps are used in tanning beds, too, but experts say the difference between a gel nail cure and tanning under a UV lamp is the length of exposure.
A trip to the tanning salon might expose you to 20 minutes of UVA rays; a polish cure might expose you to less than two minutes. However, many women get weekly gel manicures and could be spending dozens of hours under those bulbs over their lifetimes.
Some experts believe that even brief exposure over time can increase your risk for melanoma. Researchers at The Environmental Working Group found that people who had more than 10 UV nail treatments per year had a 15% higher risk of melanoma, while those who got more than 100 had a 35% higher risk.