Monday, June 28, 2010

Better Make Sure Gel Manicure You're Getting Is Safe

Gel manicures.

They sure are ultra shiny and lovely. And one of our BFFs, delights in reminding us that gel manicures last longer than all the others.

No...we haven't had a gel manicure yet, and now, we're not so sure.

Our rule of thumb, so to speak:
You better make sure the gel manicure you are getting is safe.

We caught a segment this morning on Good Morning America about the safety of gel manicures and the possibility of nerve damage when things don't go right.

Gel manicures are hot and everyone seems to be requesting them in nail salons.

This is how a gel manicure is created:
"First, the technician lightly roughens your nails with a file.
Then an all-in-one gel is brushed onto your nails only, not the skin around them.
Next, the gel hardens under a UV lamp.
And the final step is simple. The technician removes any residue with a cleanser."


So, what's the big, harmful deal?

The subject in the GMA piece, Jane Ubell-Meyer, received what she thought was a real gel manicure> And what she ended up with was an excruciating pain that began at her thumb.

"Anything that touched my thumb caused an electric shock, whether it was air or water or just touching very gently. I would get an electric charge that went up my thumb, through my elbow and up to my shoulder,"
she says.

Jane found a neurologist who was also familiar with getting gel manicures. And Dr. Orly Avitzur figured out the problems that developed. "The two major hazards are the actual filing down process of the nail and then subsequently what the chemicals are we often don't know," she says.

More from the GMA news segment:
"Jane Ubell-Meyer said that during her manicure, the electric file slipped and scuffed up her skin. Then the technician dipped her damaged fingers in to a pot of powdered chemicals.
"And that allows the chemicals to actually seep in -- in a way that wouldn't if the skin served as a protective barrier," the doctor notes.

Avitzur said she believes that the chemicals got into the abrasion and migrated, causing nerve damage. What's worse, she said, she doesn't even know what the chemicals were, because what Ubell-Meyer got wasn't a true gel manicure.


The lesson here: Ask a lot of questions BEFORE getting a gel manicure, because this is scary stuff.

3 comments:

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SuzieDsouza said...

Gel manicure reportedly don’t chip as easily and are often called a “more natural” alternative to acrylics, but Consumer Reports warns these new gel treatments can carry a serious health risk.

Anonymous said...

Gel Manicures..... I had heard through the rumor mill that gel manicures can cause cancer. I was "Google-ing" and came across your blog. Have you seen or heard anthing about that? Also, I have gotten gel manicures before. It's really just a special gel polish that is being placed on the nail. Myh technician gives me an actual manicure. Buffs the surface of my nailbed like she would if I was having a plain manicure. Then she polishes my nails with the special polish that needs drying under a UV light. Then she cleans it with Alcohol. That's it. Mu nailbed is not destroyed as if I was having acrylic placed on them. And over the two weeks it last, the polish starts to peel where it met my cuticle. Only causing mild damage to my nails as if I had peeled off regular polish (bad habit of mine). So, it's clear that it's being done differently all over. I incourage your readers to use GODs' given Alarm, pain. So if your manicure HURTS and your nails look like CRAP once the veil has been lifted, it's probably not good for you.