Many nail technicians and their clients are now looking to switch over to a "HEMA free" builder gel system for fear of allergic reactions, however, this may not always be necessary. We at Nail Order are here to break down why.
Firstly, if you haven't already, make sure to read our blog post about allergies, why they occur, and how we can prevent them. With this context in mind you now understand that HEMA isn't always solely responsible for causing nail allergies. You may have heard the phrase "HEMA is not the devil" floating around- and this is why! HEMA as a monomer is not inherently bad. In fact, this acrylate in particular is renown for its ability to aid a formula with excellent adhesive properties. However, due to its small molecular size it does make it slightly more allergenic compared to its co-acrylates like HPMA, IBOA or DI-HEMA; meaning there is somewhat more of a chance of it causing an adverse reaction under the following circumstances:
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Under-cured gel left on the nail plate for prolonged periods of time- This is especially common with nail techs who do not use a lamp that is compatible with their gel system. Make sure that if you are trialing new builder gel systems that you do so safely. With the rise of rebrand enquiries we decided to begin offering a lamp rental scheme, so that anyone trying out our builder gels can rest assured their products are achieving an appropriate cure.
- Gel accidentally applied to the skin- Acrylates are skin sensitisers, therefore they are not meant to be applied to the skin. Gels should only ever be professionally applied to the nails, never touching the cuticle area, side walls, or general surrounding skin.
- Gel being applied to over-filed nail plates- When nails are over-filed they somewhat stop being nails and start becoming more on the verge of skin. Applying gel to this nail type can lead to over-exposure of monomers.
- Formulas containing illegal amounts of HEMA over 35% (legal limit)- It's sometimes a good idea to check the SDS (safety data sheet) of the gels you use before you buy them to check the percentages of acrylates within a formula. Generally the lower the HEMA percentage, the better, as this technically makes the formula "less allergenic" or as some like to call "hypoallergenic". As an example, when you purchase a HEMA containing gel from Nail Order you will see on the SDS that we use this monomer in very small quantities, usually between 4%-10%. If you want to take your curiosity a step further, you could also check a brands SDS to see how many acrylates are being used in combination with one another in one formula. For example, at Nail Order we try to never use more than 2 of the most common allergens in one formula; you wont see HEMA and HPMA used together, usually one or the other. Where you may see HEMA and DI-HEMA used together, you usually wont also see HPMA & IBOA used in combination with that formula. This is what we call "responsible material sourcing".
You should be able to find SDS readily available on a suppliers website. Failing this you can pop the brand an email and ask for them directly. Brands are legally required to provide this information upon request to the customer. Check out this blog post on how to read an SDS here!
So now that you have all the HEMA info, you're probably thinking..."do I need to go HEMA free?". In short, no, but here's why many nail techs do:
- Fear of allergic reactions- Sadly many brands or influencers in our industry have scare mongered nail technicians, making them believe that HEMA and only HEMA is the cause of allergic reactions. This simply isn't true. Some influential figures in our industry have even released propaganda that a HEMA free gel nail formula categorically can not cause an allergic reaction ,when again, this simply is not true. Read more about this here.
- They have clients with diagnosed HEMA allergies- During covid we seen a huge spike in allergy reports from people doing their own nails at home due to not having access to salons. With no professional training this can be very dangerous, and has resulted in somewhat of an allergy epidemic. In this case, switching over to a HEMA free formula can be a good option for those clients; however, it doesn't necessarily mean they they won't continue to have an allergic reaction to gel products. This is because once a person develops an allergy to one acrylate, they are then pre-disposed to developing more allergies to other acrylates later down the line. There's no avoiding this either as all gels contain acrylates, including "HEMA free" and "Hypoallergenic" options!
There are never any bad reasons for wanting to switch over to a HEMA free system, but it is important to know that it isn't necessarily something you MUST do. You're not a bad nail tech for using builder gel containing HEMA.
Why do we currently only offer a HEMA free builder gel system? Well, simply because of the incredible demand for it at the time of entering the market. We do however also carry ranges that contains HEMA too. Our aim now and for the future is to have an option for every nail tech. Most importantly, nail techs just need products that work, and removing HEMA from a formula should never compromise this. Be aware though, that when using a HEMA free system changes may be necessary within your prep routine.
In conclusion, the answer is that you may not NEED a HEMA free builder gel...but you DO need our HEMA free builder gel ;)