Nail Salon Safety: Choosing the Best Options for Teenagers

Question
My teenage daughter is planning on getting nails.  The salon we will go to offers acrylic, gel, golden gel, diamond and solar.  I have heard that some of these processes can really damage your real nails.  Are any of these sets better for her than others?

Answer
Hi Tamara! Before sending your daughter to get her nails done at a salon, you need to take a lot of precautions about where you take her. There are a lot of Non Standard Salons (NSS). The signs for these salons and you have already given me two. The two you gave me are Diamond & Solar Nails those two names are usually used to hide the real name of an illegal product called Methyl-Methacrylate (MMA) Especially Solar Nails the are suppose to be acrylic, but they lead you to think that Solar Nails are stronger, so you want them, well they won't break period, they are illegal. Read up on it before you put you or your daughter in this situation: http://www.nailsbydesign.homestead.com/MMA.html If you go to a NSS that doesn't use MMA they are still unsanitary, they are rough and can do a lot of damage to the natural nails. It is not the product that ruins your nails it is either the customer or the technician. Some technicians over file the nail causing thin, damaged nails. Some people bite or rip their nails off, causing the to be really thin. Beware of salons that have people that barely speak English, I hate to even mention it, but they are the most common NSS. Also beware of discount prices. A full set should cost around $45 to $55 not $25. Be aware of scamming. When people ask for Gel Nails and get MMA nails with a gel overlay.

So to find a good quality nail technician I suggest going to this site this is the one and only place you have proof that they are well qualified and legally trained technicians: creativenaildesign.com Look for a technician in your area! By the way if you take a look around that site, you may notice they have a product called SOLARNAILS. That is a 'legal' product that this company manufactures and the name has been basically mimicked by NSS.

I would research a little bit more on this site, there is a lot of information on here, about signs of NSS or MMA.

I hope I could help!

Thanks!
Jeannie