Is gel polish harmful, how does it affect health and can it be done often?

The range of manicure services is striking in its variety. One of the main types of decorative coating of the nail plate has become a material called gel polish or shellac, which, in principle, is the same thing. Gel coating of nails gained its popularity for a number of undeniable advantages, which are largely inferior to ordinary manicure varnish, even if of super high quality. Like any product of chemical origin, shellac has its advantages and disadvantages - we will talk about this today in the topic of our article.

The product called gel polish was conceived as a symbiosis of two components - a polymer gel for modeling the shape and length of the nail and a conventional decorative varnish for creating a colored coating on the top of the nail plate. The result is a shellac product that allows you to paint nails in almost any color shade, and the coating itself has increased durability and does not require additional adjustments for 7-10 days. Agree, this result is very impressive. This product was able to achieve increased durability of the painted coating with the help of its polymer compositions, the main components of which are unchanged from different manufacturers.

• Skin-forming component Is a polymer composition that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet rays. The film turns out to be smooth, shiny, resistant to chemical and physical influences, and it also has a certain amount of plasticity, withstanding slight folds or stretching.
• UV absorbing component - this is a special chemical compound, which, under the influence of ultraviolet rays on it, goes into an active state, accompanied by the disintegration of molecules, and as a result of this process photoparticles are formed. This process is necessary to start the polymerization process - it is a catalyst for a substance that forms a surface film. It usually contains benzoin esters, various types of the phenol group and phosphine oxides.

• Components required to create the desired consistency of the product Are monomeric acrylic esters. They are needed so that the gel polish is viscous and convenient to use. This consistency adheres well to the surface of the nail plate and, as a result, gives additional strength to the entire coating.
• Components that create a color palette - these substances are called coloring pigments. It is thanks to their use that the product will have its own specific color. Pigments from different manufacturers may differ - they are organic or inorganic in origin. This component is good because it does not dissolve in the rest of the ingredients of the product and does not interfere with the passage of ultraviolet rays into them.

To make their hands look well-groomed and presentable, most modern women with the advent of shellac actively began to switch to its use, putting aside the usual manicure varnish. And there are good reasons for this, since from the use of this product, as a result, not only a decorative effect is obtained, but also a practical benefit. It is worth considering the main advantages of gel polish.

• Gel coating on nails retains its freshness for a long time - it can be worn for at least three, or even all four weeks without corrections. The coating is not afraid of water, temperature extremes, and is resistant to chips and cracks. Its appearance is always perfect, even after carrying out some serious chores.

• The coating not only evens out the nail plate and to some extent corrects its shape, but also protects it with a reliable thick layer of polymer material from any impact. Under the cover of this material, your own nail does not exfoliate and is protected from breaking and biting. Such protection is just a godsend for women who, by their natural characteristics, are not the owners of beautiful and strong nails. In addition, with the help of the gel, it is possible to repair the fractured section of the nail plate in order to prevent its further destruction.

• A beautiful manicure can be performed not only in the salon with a master, but also at home on your own. Let it be necessary to buy certain devices for this, but that is another question. The main thing is the ease of application, which does not require special skills and knowledge. Even without extensions, nails can look very dignified with this product.

• Gel polishes are not hazardous to human health. Their application is not accompanied by harsh and unpleasant odors, since the composition of these polymer products does not contain formaldehyde or acetone components, which is sometimes the case with simple manicure varnishes and enamels.
• The choice of modern shellac is very impressive. Today you can find craquelure varnishes with a cracking effect, varnishes with a visual effect called cat gas, mirror, neon, matte, with a content of lint, mica, glitter and even with a holographic effect. And the color scale can satisfy any, even the most demanding taste of fashionistas.

As good as the gel polish is, this convenient and modern product has its drawbacks. Therefore, before you decide to switch from ordinary decorative manicure varnish to shellac, familiarize yourself with what harm the polymer product can cause you and assess how much it can be a significant disadvantage for you. So, gel polish has several disadvantages.

• The application of any polymers to the living nail plate requires preparation. Nails, being appendages of skin tissue, just like the skin, are capable of releasing moisture and fat into the external environment, and in order to degrease and clean the surface before applying gel polish, the nail is carefully sanded with a fine-grained manicure file. During this manipulation, the top layer of the nail is removed. There is no harm from this - the nail is able to regenerate very quickly, and the recovery process itself will literally take no more than a week. If such grinding is done constantly, over many weeks or even months, the harmfulness of this process will be obvious.

• Polymer gels only harden when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. For this, a special lamp is used. During the drying process, and it takes up to 8-10 minutes, the radiation from the lamp can cause some burning sensation. And the thicker the layer of applied material, the more perceptible this feeling can be. Of course, for the sake of beautiful marigolds, you can be patient, but this remark is true only for a full-fledged nail plate. If the nail is thinned by frequent filing, then it can become simply impossible to endure the burning sensation.

• Since each human body is individual, including its hormonal background, the growth of nails in each person can occur at different rates. If you have a rapid growth of the nail plate, after 3-4 weeks you will hardly admire beautiful nails - the manicure will become unsightly due to the rapid growth of the nail in a few weeks, which means that you will have to do it much more often than others correction, while injuring the living nail every time. There is one more feature, which is also associated with the characteristics of the organism. There is such a thing as a wet nail - this means the fact that the nail plate very abundantly and assiduously releases moisture into the external environment. Usually, such people also have damp hands to the touch.

• Correcting and removing the gel coat can also harm your nails, as this procedure requires precision and some skill. There are two ways to remove polymer material - it can be cut or removed with a liquid specially designed for this. When cutting, you can thin the nail plate, and when removed with liquid, the nails can begin to actively exfoliate. The fact is that the composition of such a liquid includes rather strong solvents, in order to soften the solid polymer layer, each finger is wrapped with a cotton pad soaked in this composition, and so that it does not dry out, it is additionally covered with foil.

In general, these are all the main points that can disappoint you when using gel nail formulations. Many of them can be avoided with the help of skill and understanding of the process, so making a choice from the balance of pros and cons should now be easy for you.

Often pregnant women turn to manicurists with questions about how safe it is to use gel polishes. Having studied the composition of this polymer material, we can conclude that shellac is not dangerous for the body of pregnant women and their baby. Regular nail polish is more harmful in this regard than gel formulations, which do not contain dangerous components such as toluene and formaldehyde. Even the craftsmen themselves may not stop their work, being pregnant, subject to compliance with sanitary standards and the use of personal protective equipment.

If you keep your hands and workplace clean, close all containers with chemicals immediately after use, and also wear a respirator when filing polymeric materials with a file, there is no danger for you. To prevent polymer from entering your body, try not to eat near these materials and perform all work procedures in a well-ventilated area.

The use of polymers for nail design during pregnancy has its own peculiarities. And if until the moment of pregnancy you did not have problems with good adhesiveness of the nail and polymer, everything can change during the period of gestation. Most often, pregnant women experience high moisture content of the skin and nails, as well as increased secretion of fat through the nail plate. Visually, this may be imperceptible, but when applying the material, such a feature of the pregnant organism can play a role, as a result, the material on the nails will not be fixed.

Despite the fact that shellac seems to be a good substitute for regular varnish, no one has yet been able to use it on a permanent basis without harm to their nails. In order not to injure your nails, manicurists recommend periodically resting the nail plate. It is best to do this at least once every 2-3 months. After 1–2 weeks of rest and the use of care oils, the nail plate is restored and is again ready for the use of polymer materials. It is best to make it a rule to alternate the application of gel coatings using regular varnishes or enamels.

The master will tell you about whether gel polish is harmful in the video below.