Gel Nails - Dermatologists Warning.

[TheRealHousewife]

Hi Like a lot of ladies I have gel nails applied every 2 - 3 weeks and an article in the Daily Mail is making me think again.

Rise in life changing allergies triggered by gel nail polishes leaking into skin Experts Warn

Would it put you off?

What would you use instead?

Is there anything I could do to increase the strength and thickness of my natural nails?

The offending ingredient is Methacrylate which is a key ingredient in tooth fillings, bone cement and bone replacements. Hence the worry around developing an allergy to it.

Would I be better changing to regular/non toxic nail polish although I understand it wouldn’t be as hard wearing. My natural nails have always been thin and prone to breaking so I like to have something on them.

Any recommendations?

I'm sorry, I'm very ignorant about professional manicures but does this potential allergy problem effect the gel nail polishes that you can buy off the shelf? Rimmel and Barry M for example sell gel polishes, are these safe? Thanks.

No, I believe it’s mainly caused by improperly cured polishes that need setting with a lamp. And it’s the incorrect curing that causes the problem.

Standard air drying polishes, even the gel versions, will be fine.

Hi I use Essie too, which shades do you use? Only thing is I find with any nail polish my nails seem to break when I use it, do you find this?

There is also concern about the melanoma risk with UV lamps.

All nail coatings are acrylic in different forms, same as all life on this planet is carbon based.

Properly applied acrylics shouldn't be causing damage. Normal polish on acrylics should last better on extensions because your applying it to an artificial surface not a living nail.

People baulked at paying £30 at CND shellac with a trained tech who spent hundreds to set up/train & genuinely thought the £10 nail bar was also offering CND shellac as if the trained tech was ripping them off. They did no due diligence nor did they apply critical thinking skills.

Bloody hell. This has really shocked me. I’ve been kicking myself for years for being such a slattern with my nails but once again my apathy as proved to be good for my health!!! What the hell happens to people with allergies that can’t have fillings?

@FormerlyPathologicallyHappy I do pay £30 for fingers but as far as I can remember it isn’t CND shellac.

Ultimately the warning from the dermatologists is about the ingredient Methacrylate which is a key ingredient in tooth fillings, bone cement and bone replacements. Hence the worry around developing an allergy to it. Especially if your gel hasn’t been cured correctly using the correct lamp.

In regards to polishes off the shelf what you apply yourself at home you need to check if they contain methacrylate and make sure you’re curing correctly. Although some of the shelf polishes off the shelf are ‘gel like’ and don’t need curing.

I was checking my polishes yesterday for the offending ingredient (boots website contains item ingredient’s if you haven’t got the box). Although I don’t know if methacrylate is known by any other name.

@Lilliflip @LunaTheCat I read yesterday about the warnings issued around the uv lamp use too. Better to be safe than sorry.

@Racingadmin I suspect around the edge of your nail near your skin where the gel might come into contact yes I would suspect the some risk applies especially if not cured correctly. Some of the photos in the article are showing allergy around the edge of the nail on the skin. As @FormerlyPathologicallyHappy says you shouldn’t have a problem with properly applied acrylics with gel on top.

Ultimately we all have to do our own risk assessments and decide for ourselves.

You touch your nails to your skin more than you realise though, if you scratch an itch, floss your teeth at the back, insert a tampon you’re touching uncured acrylic to skin.

If it’s cured properly it stops being allergenic and it’s safe.

I guess they're ok to have the old style amalgam fillings, which obviously are much more visible.

The really scary one for me is not being able to have cataract surgery due to the allergy. That is really frightening.

I'm glad I've never had gels done and just use ordinary nail polish, mostly Nails Inc or Essie, when I feel like it. My nails are in pretty good condition- I use a Leighton Denny crystal nail file and CND solar oil. I actually prefer how they look without polish.

I don't like the jelly bean look that layers of gel polish seems to give. DD is a little young at the moment but if she asks for gel nails in the future the answer will be no!

I use OPI Infinite Shine nail polish. Used with the corresponding base and top coats it gives a similar finish to gel and lasts 10-14 days. (Previously I couldn’t find a polish that lasted longer than 5-7 days, the latter at a push if I wasn’t doing much with my hands.)

My nails are just annoying as they get to a certain length and break. I have to say I I do nothing to them at all though 🤦🏻‍♀️

I also recommend Essie especially if you use the base and top coats. Easily lasts a week. Also cheaper and clearly safer.

@RudsyFarmer give the CND rescue stuff a go, that and Solar oil, and a crystal file. Maybe OPI nail envy too, they do different formulations for different concerns as well.

I'm sure you'd see an improvement. But I actually like having my nails quite short. Every time I file them back down after they've got too long I realise how much I prefer them shorter. They don't catch, much less likely to break, feel more comfortable and much easier for typing! I think it looks far classier and cleaner too. Personally I think longer gel nails, especially some of the OTT designs, look really tacky.

I've only had my nails done in a nail bar a few times. The strong chemicals clearly can't be good to be exposed to regularly either as a customer or employee. Also it clearly damages your natural nails. Glad I've got to the point now where I've stopped biting mine or having them done professionally.

I use Avon overnight foot cream on my hands and nails. Don't know what is in it but it seems to harden my nails so I use it a lot more on my hands than on my feet! If I do put polish on I put on two coats and Rimmel stronger nail/nail nurse as a top coat, and it stays on pretty well.

My nails are a mess.
I have tried so many supposedly brilliant products to improve nails.
I think I must be allergic to something in nail hardening products because after using them my nails split badly and it takes ages for them to recover.
At the moment I'm just using Sally Hansen Vitamin E nail and cuticle oil treatment.
Hopefully they will be repaired quickly.

We have no data on the potential results of long term use of these products and lamps (the 'good' ones as well as the 'bad'). This, like vaping, are just the sort of thing that will become the next asbestos and smoking.

My daughter has BIAB gel nails regularly - is this something she should be concerned about too please? Thanks

Someone mentioned Emu oil for nails.
Has anyone tried it ?

The woman I linked to that was suggested to watch recommended soaking your nails in warm oil as well as applying it after each hand wash.

I’d say something to be aware of at least. I’m not sure if The Gel Bottle (the company who make it) have their own dedicated lamp. And if they don’t then it’s definitely risky because they can’t guarantee that a generic lamp will cure properly. As I say though, I don’t know about their lamps.

I mentioned earlier about CND..they have their own lamps, which they have tested fully and know they work. There may be other brands that do that too as well of course but CND is the only one I’m familiar with hence mentioning it.

This is a real concern for me. I bought a lamp years ago and have done gels on and off since, a mixture of brands. Needless to say I will be stopping!

Interestingly, my mum is an amputee, and after years of having the socket on her prosthetic on every day she has developed an allergy to latex, and the same chemicals mentioned above (as well as others). This now means that she cannot have a knee replacement in her remaining leg as she is allergic to some of the cement etc used.

This kind of late onset allergy can have a real.impact in later life.

It might have been me that recommended the Salon Life channel on YouTube! There’s loads of interesting information from her about this sort of thing and general nail care.

My nails and skin have changed for the better since following her advice.

This is why nail techs have been saying for years not to do gel nails at home. People mix brands, apply the gel too thickly, get gel on their skin and cure it. Gel nails are not the problem. If you want gel nails, get them done at a reputable salon. If you want to do them at home and you’re not qualified, please use regular polish.

Who knew eh? Pumping a load of toxic shite into our bodies is bad for us?

See gel nails, eye lashes, shit we put on our face & skin, botox, fillers, hair dye, perfume etc....