Dangers of using gel polish

I know you love your gel polish – I mean, I love me some gel-polished nails too!! – And I’m not here to make you hate it. No, I’m just here to give you the good and the bad of gel polishes.

I worked in a beauty salon for more than a year and I will tell you one thing; gel polish is the savior that all women had been waiting for! Every 8 out of 10 women who visited our beauty salon asked to have a gel manicure. The other 2 had the normal polish done, not because they hated the gel polish but only because they could not afford it.

Gel polish has several advantages but the one that stands out most is its durability. A good gel manicure is supposed to last at least a month. This is the one fact that made most of us ladies fall in love with gel polish. Before its introduction, we were living in a world of ugly chipped nails after a day at the beauty salon. Salon trips are now fewer and we no longer worry about scrubbing sufurias or doing laundry. Gel polish has got us covered. 

Other reasons we love gel polish is the quick drying with the use of UV/LED nail driers and the shine. Well, and maybe the class associated to it. I mean, you look expensive when you’ve got some gel polish on. Right? No? Oh, well.

However, gel manicures if not given deep attention can be harmful.

According to dermatologists, gel polish if applied back to back over a long period of time weakens the nail plate. This results to a painful nail plate which is prone to fungus infection. Gel polish seals the nail completely thus preventing it from sufficient oxygen circulation.

 For healthy nails, one should not have nail polish on for more than two weeks. But since gel polish lasts for more than a month, dermatologists advise that we should only have gel polish for one month. After which the nail should be left open for two weeks to give it time to get healthy.

Another observable shortcoming of gel polishes is the gel manicure process. The process is said to cause dehydration to the nails as well as the hands. We all know how dehydration is harmful to the skin. Furthermore, the gel manicure process involves soaking off the fingers in acetone. Have you ever noticed how the part of your fingers that comes into contact with the acetone look like afterwards?

That’s how strong acetone is. Acetone is toxic and causes infection if it gets into your blood stream. The cuticle removal process sometimes goes wrong leaving your finger wounded. If acetone comes into contact with this wound it might be absorbed into your blood stream and cause a finger infection.

The gel manicure process also involves continuous buffing of the nail plate. Buffing sheds off protective layers of the nail plate which leaves the nail plate weak and exposed. It gets to a stage where you can actually see blood flowing under the nail. Such a nail plate is prone to infections, injuries and is sometimes painful.

Some dermatologists have also said that UV light used in UV nail driers is cancerous although this fact is still debatable. The UV light is also said to leave your hands dehydrated and to cause premature skin aging. To be safe, it is advised that you ask your beautician to apply sunscreen on your hands or give you protective gloves with open fingers. Otherwise you can visit a beauty salon that uses an LED nail drier. LED nail driers are said to be relatively safer as compared to the UV nail drier.

In conclusion, gel polish is good but only when used in the right way and the dangers it could cause are prevented. Observe the tips above and thank me later!!!