Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Gel Nails Gone Wrong

You may want to reconsider your biweekly manicure, especially if it's a gel one. The quick drying, long lasting effect of gel manicures obtained through UV lights can increase your risk of cancer due to the typical 10-minute duration your hand is exposed to the nail lamps.

Artificial UV light does elevate your risk for developing skin cancer. So people could use a sunscreen to try to block the UV from their surrounding skin.

Gel manicures aren't limited to the fancier nail treatments. Many salons use the UV lights for regular manicures as a quick dry solution.

The gel manicure itself seems to be fine, but there are two problems: some technicians don't do them right and some nail salons are passing off other procedures as gel manicures when they're really not.

So what exactly is a gel manicure?

It's supposed to go like this:

1. The technician lightly roughens your nails with a file,
then brushes an all-in-one gel onto your nails only, not the skin around them.

2. The gel hardens under a UV lamp.

3. The technician removes any residue with a cleanser.

Nine times out of 10, it's the unskilled, uneducated technician that's causing the issue.

If the technician mixes glue and powder, that's wrong. They shouldn't dip your finger in anything, either.

The easiest way to tell if you've gotten a gel manicure is if it has a nice, clear shine to it.

If you can't see anything that looks cloudy and you can't see through it, nine times out of 10 it's been something that's been mixed with a powder and a gel applied over it.

Here are some warning signs to look out for that your gel manicure could harm you:
  • Your salon uses bottles in unmarked containers.
  • The products smell unusually strong or have a strong odor.
  • Your skin is abraded or cut during the procedure.
  • The instruments used on you are not sterilized.
  • Your skin or nails hurt during or after the nail service.
  • The gels do not soak off easily in solvents designed to remove acrylics.
  • The technician cannot tell you what's in the products.
  • The salon is not clean.
  • Licenses for the salon and individual operators are not visibly posted.
  • You see swelling, redness or other signs or infection.
As if we don't have enough problems, ladies! We've already been warned that sleeping with makeup on can cause infections, waxing can result in raw skin and wearing tight clothes can lead to: headaches, back pain and gastro problems.

Be sure to check out Gel Perfect, the right way to gel your nails.

See you next time,


Happy Shopping!

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