Artificial Nails: How to Reduce the Risk of Allergy?

Take note as The Cosmetics, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA) shares practical ways to reduce allergy impacts in the nail space

by Caroline Rainsford, head of scientific & environmental services at the CTPA 

We know that acrylate monomers, which are the starting materials in liquid & powder (L&P) and UV/LED gel nail systems, can sometimes cause allergic reactions if they touch the skin. An allergy is not only unpleasant and lifelong, but it can cause problems if you need to have certain medical or dental treatments in the future. So, it’s really important to know how to protect yourself and your client from developing an allergy.

Here, I look at practical steps you can take to help use artificial nail systems safely by avoiding contact of product with the skin. All of this information can be found in the CTPA’s Guideline on Artificially Enhanced Nails and Minimising the Risk of Allergy, which has been developed for salon professionals, clients, manufacturers and anyone else working with artificially enhanced nails. It contains advice for safe use of these products. The guideline can be found at the CTPA website www.thefactsabout.co.uk under the Allergies page.

Step 1 – Avoid Skin Contact

This is the most important point.  Safe use requires that the L&P or UV/LED gel system is not able to contact any part of the skin and that it only comes into contact with the nail itself. This requires very careful application. This is difficult to achieve when attempting to apply these products at home, which is why it’s recommended that people should only have an acrylic or UV/LED gel system applied by a fully-trained and competent nail professional. Allergies arising from the misuse of acrylates can be reduced with education and correct usage.

 Step 2 – Apply to Healthy Nails Only

The L&P or UV/LED gel systems must only be applied to healthy nails. Damaged nails can increase the absorption of the ingredients and the risk of having a reaction. Don’t remove nail ridges or apply to nails if the nail is cracked, split or bruised. The product shouldn’t be applied if the area of the finger surrounding the nail is looking sore or inflamed or the skin is broken.

Step 3 – Wear Appropriate Gloves

Wear the right type of gloves when applying the product to nails. Treat used tissues or wipes as contaminated and do not allow them to contact the skin.

The CTPA understands that industry best practice recommends nail professionals to wear nitrile gloves of 0.8mm thickness, which should be changed after every client. For those who already have an allergy, two pairs of gloves should be worn at the same time and changed every 15-minutes as the chemicals involved can penetrate through the gloves given sufficient time. Gloves that have a long, tight fitting cuff are also recommended.

NB: The right gloves need to be worn when applying the product, but also when touching any tissues or wipes, which have been used to remove uncured product.

Step 4 – Do Not Reuse Gloves

Never reuse gloves. Washing them does not remove the material and wearing them inside-out a second time will increase your risk of allergy, because your skin will be in contact with the acrylates.

Step 5 – Removal of Gloves

Removing gloves without the contaminated part of the fingers touching the skin requires a technique that needs practice.

NB: If you want to check your glove-removing technique, put a little paint onto the glove fingers and try to remove the gloves without getting any paint on yourself.

Step 6 – Correct Usage of the Lamp

Always check whether the brand of gel polish you’re using is compatible with an LED lamp and /or UV lamp, or both. Different brands of product may require the use of a specific type of lamp.

Manufacturers develop their products very carefully to maximise the amount of monomer that is turned into polymer in order to get the most efficient cure possible. This involves not only the composition of the product itself, but which lamp to use with it and for how long.

It’s not possible to tell just by looking at the nail whether it’s fully cured. Remember to always use the appropriate lamp for a sufficient length of time to properly cure the gel system. Again, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Incomplete cured gel leaves both the customer and the nail professional at greater risk of exposure and subsequent allergy. In addition, high quality bulbs from a reputable source should be used in a UV lamp and these should be kept clean. Dirty bulbs, or bulbs reaching the end of their life, may no longer provide the required intensity of UV light for complete curing.

NB: Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on which lamp to use with the brand of system you’re using.

Step 7 – Using Reputable Products

Cosmetic products on the UK market, which include L&P and UV gel nail products, must comply with the UK Cosmetic Regulation. This Regulation makes sure that only safe cosmetic products can be placed on the UK market. As part of your duty of care to your clients and staff, be suspicious of any products offered for sale from unusual places such as less well-known internet sites and always be wary of offers that seem ‘too good to be true’.

Artificial Nail Ingredients HEMA and di-HEMA – are soon to be – Professional Use Only

HEMA and di-HEMA trimethylhexyl dicarbamate are two different acrylate monomers, or starting materials, which can be used in artificial nail systems. When cured, the monomers such as HEMA or di-HEMA react with other ingredients in the product to form a film, which is the hard, durable surface of the gel or acrylic nail.

As concerns were raised regarding allergy to acrylates used in artificial nail products, the European Commission asked its independent panel of scientific experts to investigate the safety of HEMA and di-HEMA, which are commonly-used ingredients.

The independent scientific panel known as, the Scientific Commission on Consumer Safety, has around 15 members, all leading experts in their scientific fields; for example, dermatologists, academics, public health experts and pharmacists. The panel reviewed the safety of HEMA and di-HEMA in 2018 and its 40-page report concluded that the ingredients are safe, and should be used in a way that avoids skin contact. The panel recognised that only fully trained and highly skilled nail professionals should be applying products containing these ingredients to the nail to make sure that skin contact is avoided.  Therefore, the law is changing and these ingredients will soon only be available in products for professional use.

More information about everything to do with cosmetic products, ingredients, safety and allergies can be found on the CTPA website www.thefactsabout.co.uk.