Mar HicksI don’t know how many people who follow me get gel nails done (or do them at home) but please read up on acrylate allergies if you do. It’s an easy, painful allergy to get, especially from home gel kits, and once you do, it can ruin your life. You will not be able to get most dental work, or implants that need to be adhered to bone (like hip/joint replacements). Even surgical glue to close incisions. Plus so much more: acrylates are in so many common products, from utensils to hair gels.
The reason I mention this is because this allergy is on the rise with the proliferation of at-home gel nail kits and the fact that so many more people are using these dangerous chemicals at home instead of the products being confined to a nail salon setting. Previously, only nail techs commonly got this painful and debilitating allergy. Now, more and more people are getting it because of cheap, unregulated gel nail kits that are being sold on Amazon, in drug stores, etc.
I thankfully do not have this allergy but I have a friend whose life has been turned inside out by it. She had no idea (nor did I, nor do most people) that this was a thing that could happen from relatively short term use (under 1 year) of at-home gel nail products. Please be careful—these items will may be regulated out of the home consumer market soon, but until then it’s on us to spread the word. If you don’t believe me, ask a nail tech and/or a chemist to explain why gel can be so dangerous.
Related factoid (just to show how much overlap there is between chemicals used in nail products & dental glues, crowns, etc.): the popular nail polish brand O.P.I. started as a dental products company. OPI stood for Odontorium Products Incorporated. They used the same chemicals and compounds from making dental devices to create nail products and eventually switched exclusively to the nail industry. (I am not saying there’s anything wrong with OPI products—just giving an example of the overlap.)
howiecohen@histoftech That is a fascinating factoid! Even working in a related industry I had no idea about that.
like jam or bootlaceschemist-by-education here (US sense of 'chemist') and the immunology of this is beyond my usual scope. (Though, exposure-acquired chemical sensitivities aren't a new experience for me: A lab co-worker developed an amine sensitivity and had to use a respirator even though we had well-ventilated fume hoods & inert atmosphere glove boxes)
even so, I found this link and figured it worth a share here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31565812/
Acrylates: new sources and new allergens
L M Voller et al. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2020 Apr.
Acrylates: new sources and new allergens - PubMed
Acrylates are synthetic thermoplastic resins used in a multitude of products, ranging from bone cement to artificial nails. They represent an important and increasing cause of both occupational and nonoccupational allergic contact dermatitis. Isobornyl acrylate, an acrylic monomer found within ultra …
Ann 🧡 (she/her)@histoftech I'm so sorry for your friend. Issues of becoming sensitized to certain chemicals are one of the things you learn about in health and safety as a chemistry undergrad.
This website from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics seems like it might be a good resource? They appear to be giving well-evidenced advice and have resources that can help folks buy safer products.
@agvbergin thank you for this link!
Monique 
@histoftech Wait what? Nail techs commonly suffer allergies? Wow, had not considered the occupational hazard, it always seemed such a hygienic job, but I goggled and you're right, it is apparently quite common... and very little done to help the workers! I like a mani-pedi but rarely do polish at all and never falsies or gels. Important to use high-standard salons and avoid the cheap sweat-shops.
https://www.scratchmagazine.co.uk/feature/the-fnp-reveals-findings-from-its-first-nail-industry-allergy-survey/
https://www.scratchmagazine.co.uk/feature/the-fnp-reveals-findings-from-its-first-nail-industry-allergy-survey/
The FNP reveals findings from its first nail industry allergy survey - Scratch Magazine
Marian Newman BEM, chair of The Federation of Nail Professionals, shares findings from the FNP's first allergy survey... A large part of the nail sector is aware of an ‘allergy epidemic’ that we and our clients are suffering from. Acrylate based nail coatings have been available and used since, at…
@zenlan sadly a lot of the higher priced nail salons treat their employees pretty poorly too :/ But yes, if at all possible definitely try to go to a place that allows nails techs to wear safety equipment (including respirators) and doesn’t rush them through many clients in a day. Allergies aside, it sounds like a pretty brutal industry, at least in the U.S.
Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK@histoftech @zenlan I do car detailing as a hobby and some of my own auto maintenance (where similar chemicals are in use) and although forums for this are (as you may expect) male-dominated with a certain amount of machismo, in both Europe and USA there are regular warnings to use correct PPE (often from older men who learned the hard way what happens when you neglect this)
@histoftech @zenlan the use of acrylic polymer compounds for last stage paint protection (as opposed to wax) is fairly new, but its definitely becoming more popular. There's a lot of crossovers between the chemicals used for nail tech and modern spot repair techniques (SMART repairs) of car bodywork!
Anna@histoftech wow! 😬 When I started doing dipping powder (not gel, but still likely containing acrylates), I had heard that salon techs often had ambiguous health issues, so I wore a mask and set up an air purifier right next to me whenever I did them… but then I kind of got a bit lazy about it and stopped. I guess I’ll be going back to that! Hopefully that’s enough, because my nails are a disaster without them. 😕
The Essence of Woerm Sin@histoftech tangentially related, years ago a friend of mine ended up in hospital briefly due to an allergic reaction to hair dye - she’d been dyeing her hair for years without issue then suddenly had a serious reaction.
MsSmartyPants@histoftech
I have autoimmune issues, so I haven't gone to a nail salon in 3 years. Your warning is much appreciated, because I was just about to try the at-home nail kits.
Thanks
I have autoimmune issues, so I haven't gone to a nail salon in 3 years. Your warning is much appreciated, because I was just about to try the at-home nail kits.
Thanks
cobalt going beige today@histoftech holy guacamole! I’ve been trying to grow my nails longer for 7 months to be able to go back to the salon to get gel polish done. 3 years ago I found out gel can make my fingernails resist frequent splitting and breaking. After learning of this here, darn, I guess I will pass.
Demian@histoftech ugh, first I hear about dangers of disinfectant wipes and now this! Not liking the “chemical” industry. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/11/concern-over-increase-in-disinfectant-wipes-linked-to-health-problems
@histoftech and today’s chronicles of capitalism news showing the astronomical public costs of dangerous “forever” PFAS chemicals that would make the Sackler family squirm with envy: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/12/pfas-forever-chemicals-societal-cost-new-report
Air Adam@histoftech my fiancee, who does her own gel nails, just mentioned this to me a couple of days ago! She said it could be caused by the chemicals entering via broken skin, but I don't know if that's the only way. Good thing to warn people about!
@airadam yes, broken skin for sure! And I nfortunately, as I understand it, because the molecules are so small/volatile they can seep into the bloodstream even via the nail or via unbroken skin before they cure (or over the course of wear if they haven’t been completely cured). Unfortunately it’s often impossible for most folks to tell if they’re cured completely because the polish will seem hard even if it is not fully cured :/ Such a bummer—I know tons of people love to do their nails w/this.
SabrinaDent@histoftech This is why I stopped. People with an autoimmune disease should be even more cautious.
mothra's power of attorney@histoftech i actually have this allergy although i didn't find out through nails.
i've had 10+ major surgeries and after one of the ones on my spine, the wound wouldn't close on either incision (bilateral) and i developed a very severe infection. i was in the hospital for nearly 2 weeks because of it. it was due to the monocryl used to close the incisions.
@polarisu oh wow, sorry to hear that :/
@histoftech it's alright!
but man oh man is it a challenge. you're not exaggerating at all. fake nails? after 2 days, bam, infection. going to the doctors? i have to remind them 626171718 times about my allergies. surgery? i have to alert people over and over again (even as i'm being wheeled into the ER).