QuestionMaggie (I like your name)! And I like the advice you gave to one of the
readers. So, here's my dilemna. I began wearing acrylic nails about 8 years
ago. Up until last year, I had no complications. However, sometime last year
I noticed the skin around my nail beds became very sensitive and prone to
irritation. I expressed my concern to my nail tech, whom I'd been going to
for the last 7 years. She suggested I start using "gel" instead of acrylic. Well,
the first two times we did the gel application it seemed to be less irritant.
However, last month I went and a different technician (at the same salon) did
the gels and my fingers were in SO much pain after 36 hours and the pain
and swelling last for 3 days. I went back to the salon to show them my
swollen fingers and asked if they had changed any of their chemicals - to
which they responded "no". Unfortunately, 3 weeks later I went back for my
fill, the same tech used no "bonding agent" and yet I still had a horrible
allergic reaction or burn. Within the first 12 hours my finger tips were so
swollen and purply red. Both thumbs were blistered up to the first knuckle. I
was in so much pain I went to the ER. The doctors diagnosed this as a
"chemical burn" and immediately prescribed an antiobiotic. Unfortunately
though, the ointment they prescribed was not available at my pharmacy and I
have to wait another 24 hours for some relief. I guess my question is ....
does this sound like something my tech is doing wrong or is it unusual to
develop a resistance to their chemicals even after having no problem with nail
applications all these years? Should I STOP having my nails done altogether?
Please advise - Thank you!
Lar
AnswerWOW! Well, I'm proud of myself for coming to the same conclusion the pros at your local ER came to! It does, indeed, sound like a chemical burn. Which means we need to figure out at what point during the service you're coming into contact with active chemicals.
If the "bonding agent" has been dropped, then that's one less thing we need to consider. What about files/buffers or other implements that are being used? Is there anything that is touching your skin?
A file or buffer or drill bit that has not been properly disinfected could be contaminated with products used on other people. (BTW: In CA, files and buffers must be tossed after each client! No exceptions!) So if anything being used during your service has primer or acrylic liquid or uncured gel on it, it could be coming in contact with you during your service.
My best guess though, would be the inversion layer. (Also commonly referred to as the "dispersion" or "inhibition" layer) The tacky stuff left after the gel has cured completely that gets wiped off with cleanser. If they aren't careful to cleanse the nail without smearing that sticky stuff on your skin, it could be causing problems, since it is essentially just uncured product.
One other thought: Are you getting "real" gels? What is on your nails is ALL GEL, no part of the product involves a powder, right? It's VERY common for some salons to do traditional acrylic (with liquid and powder) and then cap them with a gel topcoat and call them gels. If this is happening, then you haven't really solved the original problem at all, as you're still being exposed to acrylic products.
One last thing: not all gels are hypoallergenic. Find out what brand of gel they use and ask for the phone number of the manufacturer. Then you can call and talk to someone from the company and get information about the product.
If you have developed a sensitivity to gels, your last option is resin-based services such as silk or fiberglass wraps, or a "tip and dip" method such as Extreme Powder Glaze system from Backscratchers. These all use cyanoacrylate resin as the primary component, which is pretty much the least likely product to result in an allergic reaction that we use-- other than a basic manicure with polish.
Good luck. Hopefully by now you've gotten ahold of the medication, but you might get some relief with baking soda and water in a pinch.
