Gel nail services are rapidly growing in popularity within the beauty industry, becoming more appealing by the day to the modern consumer. As such, the demand for DIY gel nail enhancements -with gel nail kits purchased via online marketplaces widely available to the public- has grown in tandem, especially for those who do not have the time or funds to indulge in professional nail services. We get it, making regular nail appointments can be high maintenance and isn’t always accessible for everyone, so it is natural to want to seek out alternative options. However, if consumers were made aware of the potential risks they may think twice about their decision.
The trend of DIY gel nails was most apparent during the COVID 19 pandemic in which a large proportion of the population were stuck at home seeking out ways to pass the time, opting to indulge in what once was a luxury service at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, without proper education and regular misuse of gel nail products the nail industry professionals grew concerned, noticing somewhat of an allergy epidemic beginning to take place. To the untrained eye these products can seem harmless, however, DIY’ers would be surprised to know the many ways in which gel nail products share commonalities with the medical world (read more here). If we dig deeper into the chemicals used in gels and the way they are applied to the body for prolonged periods of time, they are in fact more comparable to a biomaterial as opposed to a cosmetic product. Therefore, in the hands of an untrained professional this can lead to serious cause for concern.
So what’s the big deal? Well, developing an allergy to a gel nail product can be a lot more serious than you may think. Traditionally adverse reactions to gel products present in many uncomfortable and painful ways. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a case of itchy fingers; an allergy to acrylates (found in all UV gel nail products) can be lifelong and have a detrimental impact on your health. This is why it’s important to understand the crossover between the medical world and the nail world.
Did you know, acrylates, known as polymers & monomers used in dental technology and biomaterials are the same substances used in gel nail products? In the same way composite bonding, that you may get at the dentist, polymerises under UV light, so do gel nail products; also known as “curing”- a chemical reaction triggered by the UV light which hardens the product. If you check out Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for any of these materials, you will notice resemblance in many of the acrylates used. Therefore it is safe to assume that should you become allergic to the acrylates in your gel nail products, that this also puts you at risk of becoming allergic to those same ingredients in dental treatments. This same principle applies to bone cement, orthopaedic surgeries, catheters, and much more. Not only this, but once you become allergic to one acrylate, this puts you at risk of further developing allergies to other acrylates later down the line. Does this mean acrylates are bad? Simply put, no, but they can be in the wrong hands.
With this being said, as a brand we do like to provide real world advice. We understand that there will always be a DIY market for beauty treatments of all varieties, and we are in no way implying that people who cannot afford professional services shouldn’t be looking for alternative ways to do these treatments at home. We would however recommend that those looking to do said treatments are well informed, educated, and understand the products they are applying to their body. This would mean, at the very minimum, doing a course relevant to the products they plan on using. If we think about it, we wouldn’t allow an untrained professional to apply composite bonding to our teeth. You wouldn’t advise a stranger on the street to conduct orthopaedic surgery. You wouldn’t trust yourself to apply bone cement to your own body; so now knowing the potential risks involved, would you still consider doing your own gel nails at home without any training? In these scenarios we are not comparing the technical knowledge required by the professionals mentioned, the years of education or the physical skills each profession has, rather we are comparing the chemicals that they are using during the procedures they are performing.
To purchase gel products from the Nail Order website you must sign up for a trade account. This however does not mean that customers MUST be working nail technicians or have a registered business, only that they (as a minimum) must have a nail certificate. As a professional company it is our responsibility to ensure gel nail products are only used by people who are trained (or in training) to use them. If you are an at-home gel nail user looking to gain qualification for a better understanding of the service, we would highly recommend our Beginners Gel Polish course which also covers nail anatomy and gel nail chemistry. We have both In Person & Online courses available which will provide gel users with the education that is required to conduct a treatment on themselves correctly, in turn minimising risk of adverse reactions. Our courses are ABT accredited too, meaning that if a DIY-er fancies pursuing a career in the nail industry, this qualification will allow nail techs to gain insurance; and yes, having a gel polish qualification makes you a nail tech!
