Are gel manicures dangerous?

Today, we’re talking about a subject that’s been all over the press in the past few weeks…The potential dangers of gel manicures.

Now, there have been many theories about the complications this treatment could cause over the years, but there’s been no scientific evidence to back it up…until now.

So, as many of my clients, friends and family have this treatment done on a regular basis, I wanted to share exactly what has been discovered and whether or not this treatment is safe to continue with. Here’s what we know so far…

Researchers at the University of California have conducted a large study to try and decipher if the UV lamps used during gel manicure appointments, could potentially cause cancer. They emit rays very similar to those of a sunbed (now a known carcinogenic), but up until this point, nail lamps have come with no warnings whatsoever.

For the initial experiment, scientists exposed petri dishes containing human cells to UV nail lamps for 20 minutes. After this short time, they discovered that 20-30% of the cells had died. They then popped them back under the lamp for two further, 20 minute sessions to recreate results of regular appointments and when reanalysed, a whopping 65-70% of the cells had been killed.

Obviously, this tells us that the more often we’re exposed to UV lamps, the higher the rate of cell death. But what was more concerning is the DNA damage that occurred in the cells left behind. They very clearly showed skin cancer mutations and as we already know that UV damage is cumulative, it’s now thought that the risk of developing this terrible disease increases with every trip to the salon.

The other thing that’s worth noting is the Government are currently having the Office for Product Safety and Standards investigate all at-home gel nail products too. This comes after years of warning from Dermatologists who have treated thousands of patients for allergic reactions.

Nail loss, rashes and in severe cases, breathing difficulties have been caused by an allergy to methacrylate chemicals, which are what bond the polish to your nail. It’s thought that home-use UV lamps aren’t strong enough to cure the polish which then allows the chemicals to penetrate the nail bed and surrounding skin. This means, if you have a reaction, you can no longer come into contact with these chemicals which are also used in white fillings and joint replacements…This can prevent you having potentially-life changing surgery if required in the future.

Although this data sounds daunting, it’s important to note that the research is still brand new and even the scientists agree that far more is still required.

Whilst I personally will be questioning my decisions going forward, I do totally understand how many people still absolutely love gel nails. So, if you wish to continue with them, here are a couple of key things you can do to help keep yourself safe.

Firstly, always ensure you see a qualified professional and secondly, smother your hands in Sunbeam Cream - SPF 50 before every appointment to shield your skin from the UV radiation.

For extra precaution, you can now buy protective UV manicure gloves too, which I’ll link here. They allow you to have your nails on show so your technician can work, but keep the rest of your hands fully protected from the rays.

I hope this blog helps you to make informed choices about your beauty procedures and I’ll be sure to keep you updated with any new findings that are published. As always, my inbox is open for any questions you may have and in the meantime, I’m off to practice with good, old fashioned nail varnish 😉