Questionmy nails will not grow at all so i go to a nail technician from time to time. My question is do you think gel overlay is good for nails and how long can they be worn? I'm afraid of fungus or infection but mainly cancer. Can this gel stuff cause cancer?
AnswerNo. Nail enhancement products are NOT listed as carcinogenic. Not even MMA, which is the chemical in some acrylic products that is responsible for so many other health issues-- but it doesn't cause cancer. You don't have to worry about wearing any overlay product, acrylic, gel, or wrap; none of them cause cancer.
Gel is a great overlay option, and you can wear it indefinitely-- as long as you want your nail done. You can do the same with acrylic too. There is no need to take off your nails, you can keep getting them done for decades if you like!
The products are not the culprits behind damage to the natural nail-- the application and/or removal is. If the person doing your nails disregards the health and safety of your natural nail, that's where the trouble lies. Some technicians are undertrained or just blatantly irresponsible and use techniques that involve overfiling into the natural nail, or remove product by prying it off the natural nail (nippers, clippers, thread, or by using a plastic nail tip or other tool to "pop" the product off the natural nail)-- product should always be removed with care not to damage the natural nail. Products should be soaked off with solvent until dissolved, or carefully filed away. Removing product properly is a time consuming process and many salons don't have the patience.
In order to avoid fungus-- or the more common bacterial infection (greenish spots are actually caused by a bacteria, not a fungus)-- pick a reputatable salon that is clean and practices good disinfection procedures. Contact the state board, or regulatory agency, in your area and find out what the regulations are for salons so that you know what to look for. ANYTHING that touches the client during the service should AT THE VERY MINIMUM be scrubbed with soap and water and allowed to dry completely before re-use. Most states require us to disinfect implements in a Hospital-grade disinfectant before we can re-use them again. Make sure that this includes files, buffers, and drill bits! Those items should be disinfected as well, or better yet, thrown away and a new one used every time.
Accidents happen now and then, but if your tech cuts you often then chances are he/she cuts other clients too-- that means blood and other fluids on the files or drill bits. Make sure those items are properly cleaned because you could be exposed to something far worse than a fungus.
Take the time to research the salon you go to, find one that is clean and is willing and able to answer any questions you have. If they are secretive or evasive about answering questions, go elsewhere.
But enjoy getting your nails done and don't worry about cancer. None of the products used for doing nails are a concern. Also, don't worry about the UV lights used to cure the gel. They contain such low amounts of UV light that you get more radiation from being in a room with fluorescent lights than from those UV gel lamps!
