Sudden allergy to BIAB nails :(

[Lndnmummy]

Anyone else? Have you managed to find any products that you are able to use? I am gutted

I’m an HCP and have stopped using gels completely. It’s not worth the risk. I’m gutted, though, because I’m hopeless with polish.

This happened to me and I can’t use gel nails now, at home or in the salon

i have heard dip nails are ok because they’re lower in chemicals and don’t use the curing UV light but I haven’t tried them yet

www.bbc.com/news/uk-65273991

HEMA is a methylacrylate also listed as Hydroxyethylmethacrylate or glycol methacrylate.

I'm not going near any gels again though.

3 of my friends used to get regular gel polish done, all 3 have developed an allergy within the last three years. It’s so weird.

I developed an allergy a few years ago to gel polish.
I had a year off from gel polish completely and can now use it again with no problems.

It is the gel bottle products I have been reacting too. Please refrain from mentioning any reference to specific countries or nationalities. It is not in the spirit of this post and I will report them.

These allergies are awful, and can have severe consequences for future health treatments including dentistry. The brand that I have developed allergic reactions from should be banned. I don't wish this on my worst enemy.

Put Vaseline over the sore bits and then buff the tops of your nails and cover them in acetone soaked cotton wool

if you have an allergic reaction to them you need to remove them ASAP

take some antihistamines too

Be really careful folks. As PP have said the allergy is to Methacrylates, which is a family of chemicals in the curable nails. It's caused when the uncuredproduct crosses rge nail or skin barrier and triggers an allergic reaction. It can be really severe and once you've got it you can't use ANY gel nails again, so don't try.

But also, if you've had the reaction, see your doctor and get tested properly. It needs to go on your medical notes. Methacrylate is also used in dental work and in things like hip replacements so it's really important that it's known about.

OP the nail bar should be able to remove your nail polish with a sander thing - you need them removed asap

I’m a nail technician and I am stopping doing gel nails. This is now so so common, and once you’ve had it then it’s likely you’ll react to most products

Im starting to wonder whether the ingredients and formula have changed for a lot of the main brands as a cost cutting exercise. It’s either that or over exposure is now causing it. We never knew how/if the procedure was damaging the nails long term previously as it was a relatively new process. Now we are seeing serious long term damage

It’s not just the product itself that causes the problems, it can be the lamp that’s used too. The reason for this is because of the curing process. A lot of the gel polish brands don’t have their own lights and so they cannot guarantee that the products are fully cured when being used, even if used by reputable technicians.

CND Shellac are probably the best because they have their own light which is tested rigorously to make sure that their product is cured fully. They spent a lot of money making sure that their product is safe in this way.

Once an allergy has formed, it’s best to stay away from gel polish completely.

Yes, I noticed that poster ignored my post about the UK-based company, The Gel Bottle Inc.

The woman who made the TikTok video said this product helped her, and it does seem to have a lot more helpful ingredients than a standard cuticle oil.

⬆️ Obviously helped with the immediate nail damage, not the systemic allergic response.

You could try using Green Flash by Manicurist. It is expensive and doesn’t last as long as gels (prob a week tops but better than normal nail polish where I chip in about 5 minutes) but is Methacrylate free, doesn’t need acetone to remove and cures quickly. I like it as think is kinder to my nails and is easy to take off.

It's not cheap products per se, it's the process that's at fault. If the curing isn't done properly the chemicals left behind can leach into the nail, and once you've developed a sensitivity you are stuck with it - and it can be very dangerous.

It is very common with TGB, it's well-known among the nail tech groups on FB. I'm qualified in gel and biab (not acrylic) but only do friends and family. I use a HEMA-free brand (Glitterbels), there's no guarantee that someone won't react to it but it's much less likely, HEMA (Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate Agent) is the main allergen. It's used to help with adhesion to improve product retention (i.e. keep the gels/biab/acrylics on for weeks). It's very very important not to get product on the skin round the cuticle area (whether or not it contains HEMA) as this causes overexposure and triggers the allergic reaction. It can also be caused by uncured or undercured product, so the lamp used might not have been functioning correctly, might not be the correct lamp for the product (as different products cure at different wavelengths - it's recommended to use the specific lamp for the brand) or might not have been in the lamp for long enough.

It's a minefield honestly. I did my own nails for years before training and if I'd known then what I know now there's no way I'd have been as lax about it as I was.

Most of the decent, professional-only brands will have their own lamp that's been through rigorous testing. Glitterbels does. I know Gelish, Hona, Kiara Sky etc do, think CJP does, the majority of them. Even TGB have their own too.

Sadly, I have had a severe allergic reaction to glitterbells as well. I spent a fortune a few weeks ago on their 'Hema free' products. Never again

Oh no, that's rubbish, prob means anything that needs to be cured isn't an option for you. Sadly once you have the allergy you'll always have it, even when the damage grows out or heals up.

Old style nail polish is an option I guess. I have naturally weak rubbish nails so it never lasts long on my fingers, but it lasts for weeks and weeks on my toes if I prep properly.

@Lndnmummy > Thanks for starting this thread. I'd never heard of this, but now there's so much information on here. I've never used a nail salon but a few years ago I bought a kit that came with polish and a curing kit(?) from a supermarket. I have three nails where the nail is slightly more detached from the nail bed than the others and now I think it might be due to that. After a couple of uses I threw it out because I felt it was damaging my nails, and now I'm really glad I did. I started to be reluctant to even use gel nail polishes at home, and now I've just thrown my last one in the bin. Lately I've been using the Barry M 'breathable' nail polishes which work for me because I'm happy now to just add some colour, rather than have stand-out nails.

My nail person had to switch brands of builder gel within last 12 months as she had experienced a few clients having issues with some brands of builder gel base with a higher % of a certain chemical - it is going to a legal case as a few people were very badly affected
I have gone back to using an acrylic based undercoat - although I don’t get as long out of them as I used to do it’s not worth the risk

Sadly, I have had a severe allergic reaction to glitterbells as well. I spent a fortune a few weeks ago on their 'Hema free' products. Never again

Yes, 'HEMA free' is going to be misleading as other methylacrylates are potentially sensitising, and I'm sure other acrylates.

@BluebellsForest it is a minefield! Just found out insurance wont cover a patch test.

I'm so glad I found this thread.

My nails are exactly like those in the video above. My nail technician tried to fob me off with some excuse about fungus and blamed me for swimming in the pool on holiday! She then tried to book me in again, but I felt like I was better taking a break.

I'm absolutely devastated as I love getting my nails done. It's my one treat.

Izabelle Hammon (makers of CalGel) do a HEMA free Gel&Go range. If you find a CalGel certified salon they can do a Gel&Go manicure for you.

For removal I'd be tempted to use an E file to take most of the gel off rather than soaking in acetone if your cuticles are sore.