There is no doubt that getting gel manicures has proven to be far from safe, but many of us continue to book ours on the regular despite the harmful effects. As a girl who has had a standing appointment with her preferred salon since the age of three, my nails have not gone unpainted, unbuffed, or unfiled for any extended period of time. As I have gotten older, I have begun to opt for a gel mani, especially for long vacations or special events that seem to be quite the norm in high school. This brings me to the all important question (and, no, I am not referring to the color, which boasts fun and favorable names, which comes in a close second). The question at hand (pun intended!) is: when does the bad start to outweigh the lure of the pretty aesthetic many of us long for?
It has been proven countless times in recent years that the UV light that cures the gel nail polish brings a number of issues. Based on the article You Guessed Right: Gel Nail Polish Is Bad for Your Nails by the Cleveland Clinic, the constant exposure to UVA light in such close contact leads to not only the increased risk of skin cancer, but also DNA damage through the nail.
This is concerning because of all the harm one small beauty habit can have on our lives and the long term effects it can leave, especially for someone like me who gets her nails done every three to four weeks. And, these effects only multiply and compound the situation, not to mention, the few times I have raised the concern that the light has gotten really hot, and I simply get a smirk back as if to reinforce the mantra “no pain. no gain.”
While gel manicures can be harmful, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology Association suggest some useful tips that we can incorporate into our future sessions to help reduce the effects. For example, in the article Gel Manicures:Tips for Healthy Nails , it is recommended that before heading into your next appointment that you either apply an SPF of 30 or higher on your hands or invest in a pair of fingerless gloves that will help protect your skin from the ultraviolet radiation.
Beyond just the color, nail enthusiasts need to think about the products used to remove the gel nail polish.
Based on Teen Beauty Treatments:What You Should Know, gel-removing tools can also thin and damage nails, so the doctor recommends taking what she calls a “nail polish holiday every month to give nails a chance to rehydrate and strengthen, applying petroleum jelly to the nail bed and cuticles during the time off.”
As they say, change is good. If you can’t go without a fresh mani, you may want to consider doing regular polish every other month to help give your nails the time they need to heal and hydrate. Even though many of us won’t stop getting gel manicures, it’s important to know that there are ways to minimize the risk while still enjoying a fresh coat of Bubble Bath.
