Wearing gel nail polish? You may want to think again after dermatologists warned they are seeing a big rise in the number of people with life-changing allergies caused by the polish.
Chemicals in the gel are leaking into the skin and causing nails to loosen and skin to develop a severe, itchy rash.
It happens in the beauty parlour if the ultraviolet lamps that are used to harden the gels aren’t used long enough, or the equipment is faulty or not properly maintained.
Each type of gel has its own time to harden—known as a cure time—and it can be anything from 30 to 90 seconds, and brushing your nails against your face or arm if they haven’t ‘cured’ can create an allergic reaction.
It’s vital that the beautician knows the cure time of the gel being used, and that they’ve dried properly. Visit a qualified beautician who keeps ultraviolet lamps in good working order.
If the gel does leak, the body is likely to react and won’t be able to tolerate acrylates, which are used in dental implants, bone fillers and in knee and hip implant surgery.
An allergic reaction can worsen asthma symptoms and cause breathing problems. Nails can loosen and fall off and there can be a severe rash on the face, neck and upper chest.
