What do you do when you wish to have a manicure? You visit the nail salon and ask for a gel manicure. But have you ever thought about the health risks of gel polish and the steps you can take to prevent them? Let us get the record straight first. Gel polish is not harmful, provided you use healthy gel nail polish and the perfect methods for getting a manicure. On the other hand, cheap quality gel polish can be dangerous for your nails and health.

Things to Know about a Healthy Gel Nail Polish Manicure

So, we recommend choosing the best products like LDS nail polish, etc., that guarantee a healthy gel polish experience.

Problems and Solutions to Have Beautiful Gel Nails

The Problems with UV curing

The most significant part of the gel nail manicure is curing the gel polish layers under a UV lamp. You know that curing of the polish is required after applying every layer of polish. So, if you have two layers of basecoat, four layers of gel polish, and three topcoat layers, you expose your nails nine times for a minute to a minute and a half to UV radiation. Therefore, you undergo UV curing for 10 to 12 minutes every time you have a gel nail manicure. That should be enough to cause damage to your skin because continuous exposure over an extended period can be harmful.

What is the solution?

The easiest solution is to reduce your exposure to ultraviolet radiation. You can have a dip manicure and a gel polish manicure alternatively to minimize exposure to UV rays. A dip manicure does not require exposing your nails to UV. So, you can have one session of gel polish followed by dip powder manicure. Subsequently, you can shift to gel polish again. Thus, you minimize your exposure to UV.

The problem with UV curing is that it affects the skin surrounding the nails. The skin surrounding the nails is exposed to UV. The nails have a gel polish layer that absorbs the UV rays and does not allow them to reach the nail bed. But, your skin remains exposed. Therefore, the ideal solution would be to wear a sunscreen lotion on your skin to prevent UV exposure. Alternatively, you can wear gloves with exposed tips that expose your nails alone to UV rays while protecting the skin.

Chemicals Present in Gel Polish

Previously, nail polish contained harmful chemicals like methacrylate that can be hard on the nails. While the FDA has banned the use of MMA and advised the cosmetic industry to use EMA in their products, some low-priced nail polish manufacturers still use MMA in some form. It can be dangerous for your nails.

What is the solution?

We suggest you check the nail polish ingredients for harmful constituents like MMA, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, dibutyl phthalate, etc. Nail salons should provide you with this information. Alternatively, you can insist on using high-quality products like LDS nail polish that is always free of these dangerous chemicals.

Issues Related to Nail Polish Removal

Everyone knows that acetone is the universal solution for removing gel nail polish. Though alternatives to acetone are present, nothing can be better than acetone for removing gel polish. While acetone is effective, it can dehydrate the skin and the nail surface to make the nails brittle. Therefore, people advise massaging the nails with cuticle oil after nail polish removal.

What is the solution?

Though we cannot discontinue the use of acetone as nail polish removers, we should try acetone nail polish removing solutions like hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, etc. Secondly, massaging the nails with cuticle oil and other nourishing oils is ideal. Thirdly, we suggest giving your nails the rest they deserve after the nail polish removal job. Rest for a week should be sufficient to nurse the nails back to their health.

Gel Nails Can Turn Brittle with Time

Continuous exposure to gel polish, harmful chemicals, and UV radiation can make the nails brittle. As a result, there can be chipping off the nails leading to breakage. In addition, the injuries to the nails can be painful and take time to heal.

What is the solution?

The best solution is to use quality products and ensure no harm to the nails. LDS nail polish is a healthy gel color polish that protects the nails by not harming them. It has no harsh chemicals that corrode the nail surface and weaken it.

Final Thoughts

Gel polish is one of the best manicures that can enhance your nail’s overall beauty to the next level. Besides, the best nail polishes do not require multiple applications. Therefore, you reduce the number of times you expose your nails to UV radiation. Secondly, good-quality gel polish is durable and lasts for four weeks. So, you do not remove your nail polish frequently, thus minimizing the exposure to acetone. These preventive measures help prevent nail damage and enhance nail health. So, we recommend using high-gel polish instead of the lowly-priced polish you get on the market.

Wear the best polish and say goodbye to unhealthy nails.