Lancaster, UK - From Kylie Jenner and Rihanna to Ariana Grande and Cardi B, celebrities sport long acrylics, often heavily embellished with nail art, as an expression of their style. Nail fashion is now a booming industry with gel manicures and acrylic nails among the most popular current trends. While manicures may seem like self-care, they can ruin healthy natural nails and even cause unexpected health problems in a small proportion of people who get them done.
For example, the nail glue used to bond acrylics to the natural nail is typically a mixture of alcohol, cyanoacrylate, and photobonded methacrylate, with other ingredients including formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.
The chemicals in nail adhesives can cause skin irritation and dermatitis. Burns from nail glue are also very common. In some cases, nail glue spilled on clothing has caused injuries by burning the fabric and damaging the skin underneath, which can then become infected.
Long-term use of gels and acrylics can also lead to pseudopsoriatic nails, where extra skin (known as hyperkeratosis) growing under the nail resembles the red, crusty appearance of psoriasis. Many manicure enthusiasts with pseudopsoriatic nails test positive for allergies to methyl methacrylate.
In some cases the allergy can be so severe that it causes permanent nail loss. Others suffer from peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in the fingers), sometimes permanently. An unlikely cause of skin cancer?
There are many factors that contribute to cancer risk, including age, skin type, previous exposure, and family history; However, there are cases of skin cancer where the UV nail lamp is reported to have played a role.
Gel nails are cured using special dryers that emit ultraviolet light in the form of UVA, which hardens the gel and turns it into rigid polymers. Since most people get their nails done every few weeks (and they take about ten minutes to harden), that significantly increases UVA exposure. The backs of the hands may be one of the most UV-resistant parts of the body, but they are also not protected by clothing and one of the most common places where people forget to apply sunscreen. If you apply sunscreen to your hands, you often wash it off regularly without reapplying it. If you are a fan of gels, reduce the risk of UV exposure by applying a high factor sunscreen 30 minutes before your appointment and Wear dark fingerless gloves during your manicure.
Weak, brittle and dry nails.
Removing gels and acrylics often peels or scrapes away fragments of the nail plate. Even the most thorough removal can damage the keratin layers of the nail, which can weaken the nail, making it brittle, and the damage can make the nails appear white (a condition known as pseudoleukonychia). Many of the chemicals used for removal, including acetone for gel nails, can also dry out the nail and surrounding skin and be absorbed into the bloodstream. The removal process for gel and acrylic manicures can wear away the nails. natural nails, which can be filed too much, causing streaks on the tips of the nails, as well as changes and damage to the capillaries underneath.
Nail removal can also cause traumatic onycholysis, where the nail separates from the bed beneath, giving a classic roller coaster appearance at the junction between the nail and the underlying bed. This can open the barrier that protects the internal body from the outside world, particularly at the edges on either side of the nail, when they become infected this is known as paronychia.
Leaving false nails on for too long can cause moisture to build up under the nail, creating an ideal environment for onychomycosis, fungal growth. Often, changes in the appearance of the natural nail caused by a fungal infection are hidden by acrylic, so infections can progress unnoticed. Bacterial breeding ground
Even traditional nail polish is not without risks. It can alter pulse oximeter readings, which measure the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. Fortunately, most of the time these are not modified to a clinically significant level, but gels, acrylics and varnishes are prohibited in clinical settings because the spaces under the nails and chips in the polish are a breeding ground for bacteria that can be transmitted between staff and patients.
If you like manicures, then it might be a better idea to forgo gels and acrylics and focus on caring for your natural nails, leaving them visible so you can notice any changes in their appearance that may indicate health problems, such as fungal infections. , and even heart disease. (The conversation) NSANSA
For example, the nail glue used to bond acrylics to the natural nail is typically a mixture of alcohol, cyanoacrylate, and photobonded methacrylate, with other ingredients including formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.
The chemicals in nail adhesives can cause skin irritation and dermatitis. Burns from nail glue are also very common. In some cases, nail glue spilled on clothing has caused injuries by burning the fabric and damaging the skin underneath, which can then become infected.
Long-term use of gels and acrylics can also lead to pseudopsoriatic nails, where extra skin (known as hyperkeratosis) growing under the nail resembles the red, crusty appearance of psoriasis. Many manicure enthusiasts with pseudopsoriatic nails test positive for allergies to methyl methacrylate.
In some cases the allergy can be so severe that it causes permanent nail loss. Others suffer from peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in the fingers), sometimes permanently. An unlikely cause of skin cancer?
There are many factors that contribute to cancer risk, including age, skin type, previous exposure, and family history; However, there are cases of skin cancer where the UV nail lamp is reported to have played a role.
Gel nails are cured using special dryers that emit ultraviolet light in the form of UVA, which hardens the gel and turns it into rigid polymers. Since most people get their nails done every few weeks (and they take about ten minutes to harden), that significantly increases UVA exposure. The backs of the hands may be one of the most UV-resistant parts of the body, but they are also not protected by clothing and one of the most common places where people forget to apply sunscreen. If you apply sunscreen to your hands, you often wash it off regularly without reapplying it. If you are a fan of gels, reduce the risk of UV exposure by applying a high factor sunscreen 30 minutes before your appointment and Wear dark fingerless gloves during your manicure.
Weak, brittle and dry nails.
Removing gels and acrylics often peels or scrapes away fragments of the nail plate. Even the most thorough removal can damage the keratin layers of the nail, which can weaken the nail, making it brittle, and the damage can make the nails appear white (a condition known as pseudoleukonychia). Many of the chemicals used for removal, including acetone for gel nails, can also dry out the nail and surrounding skin and be absorbed into the bloodstream. The removal process for gel and acrylic manicures can wear away the nails. natural nails, which can be filed too much, causing streaks on the tips of the nails, as well as changes and damage to the capillaries underneath.
Nail removal can also cause traumatic onycholysis, where the nail separates from the bed beneath, giving a classic roller coaster appearance at the junction between the nail and the underlying bed. This can open the barrier that protects the internal body from the outside world, particularly at the edges on either side of the nail, when they become infected this is known as paronychia.
Leaving false nails on for too long can cause moisture to build up under the nail, creating an ideal environment for onychomycosis, fungal growth. Often, changes in the appearance of the natural nail caused by a fungal infection are hidden by acrylic, so infections can progress unnoticed. Bacterial breeding ground
Even traditional nail polish is not without risks. It can alter pulse oximeter readings, which measure the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. Fortunately, most of the time these are not modified to a clinically significant level, but gels, acrylics and varnishes are prohibited in clinical settings because the spaces under the nails and chips in the polish are a breeding ground for bacteria that can be transmitted between staff and patients.
If you like manicures, then it might be a better idea to forgo gels and acrylics and focus on caring for your natural nails, leaving them visible so you can notice any changes in their appearance that may indicate health problems, such as fungal infections. , and even heart disease. (The conversation) NSANSA
