GEL POLISH & ALLERGY

Introduction: Gel Polish Allergies

Following on from the BBC articles around the Government setting up an investigation into the rise in allergies resulting from gel polish products, I got in touch with Suzanne Clayton, a nail industry friend I’ve known for over 8 years, and who is now at the forefront of the campaign to raise awareness of the issue that hit the proverbial fan on Friday.

Suzanne herself experienced clients having a reaction to a brand she was using some 4 years ago, and it wasn’t limited to one person but was across several clients.  She contacted the brand to no avail as they were insistent it was not their products causing it.  As a nail tech of many years standing and as an educator as well, Suzanne knew something was awry and started talking to other nail techs and over the next few weeks discovered that among her and the techs that reported the same issue they had 55 clients with a reaction to the product they were all using.

With no support and posts being removed whenever she mentioned it, she started Nail Tech Awareness on Facebook. Grown from the early days of 70 members to now a cohort of nearly 38,000 with non-brand led help and support available to any qualified nail professional having allergy issues within their client base or indeed with themselves, as this is often not limited to just clients.  Many nail techs have lost their careers and businesses due to medical advice to stop working with acrylates found that are in an uncured form.

My experience throughout my career as a nail/salon professional, educator, trade association roles including as Deputy Chair and Co-Founder of the Federation of Nail Professionals has been that the science and factual evidence must be followed and worked with.  There should be no exceptions and as nail professionals we now have an opportunity to show our worth and value to consumers, peers and those following in our footsteps.

What are the signs of an Allergy?

Although any brand can have a tech or their client with the occasional allergy, what began 4 years ago is an extreme; often, this has seemed to be an overnight reaction that happened under the polish from one appointment to the next, and involved a variety of the following symptoms:”

• Onycholosis (Nail separation – recognisable by the free edge travelling down the nail plate)
• Hyperkeratosis (Inflammation and swelling of the nail bed and recognisable by up to 1mm thick skin raising the nail plate
• Itchy, reddened, or inflamed skin on the hands and for some this can be elsewhere on the body or face
• Blistering of the surrounding soft tissues
• Bruising/brown/red toned discolouration of the nail plate
• Pseudonomas/Nail infections – green/yellow discolouration of the nail plate
• Splinter haemorrhages (recognisable as black or very dark red splinter size marks in the nail plate
• Holes in the nail plate
• Loss of the nail plate

This all looks and sounds very concerning to any nail professional and particularly to their clients if faced with it, however, in most instances the nails will come back to their original healthy state and avoidance of affecting products will stop the symptoms from recurring.  Do bear in mind though that acrylate allergy may lead to the sufferer being unable to have some medical and dental treatments in the future.

If you are a client and have been affected or are concerned about any symptoms you are experiencing, you should speak to your nail professional who will be able to advise you on what is required.  You can visit the Nail Tech Awareness Facebook groups – there is one for professionals and one has now been set up for clients where there will be support and advice.

I would add and strongly advise that any of these symptoms can occur independently of a nail allergy and may be a sign of hygiene control failures, mechanical trauma, and/or technique.  It is important whenever there is any concern to remove any product from the nail and refer to GP or to pay a visit to a pharmacist who may be able to assist.

It is important to note that allergy is still not a common result of a gel polish; however, it has risen to a point that in 2018 the British Association of Dermatologists wrote a report on what they called an ‘epidemic of nail product allergy’.   They found that there was a rise in DIY/home kit use which in untrained hands was causing part of the issue and that there were some professional products that were adding to the numbers.

The Science & Safety Side

Through scientific laboratory testing in the USA, it has been found that there have been some imported products that were ‘white labelled’ that had a higher % of some acrylates than their SDS (Safety Data Sheet) reported and that the % levels were higher than recommended safe levels within the EU and UK.  For HEMA this is 35% and levels of some products have been found to be over 50%.  Safe levels are there for a reason and it is to protect the consumer and the professional from harm.

(White Label products are what products are referred to when an individual goes to a factory that manufactures a product they wish to sell and buys quantities sufficient to have their own label applied to that product.  This happens with nail products, skin care, candles, t-shirts, coffee and much more but usually the manufacturer provides products that have been tested and that have passed the rigorous requirements of the UK safety regulations).

It has been considered that in some brands the SDS sheets were not accurate and the % shown was exceeded and passed under the radar. The result of this is that many people were affected and may continue to be affected.  Many of these products have been builder gels and rubber base coats.

There is scientific evidence from Doug Schoon, the nail industry’s science expert, that using an unmatched lamp with your products is likely to lead to uncured product, which in turn may lead to reactions.  This is not a myth, it is true.

Quick analogy: you need to replace your 1000w microwave oven, you go to the shop and can only get an 800w microwave – will it cook your food correctly if you apply the same methods and timings of your old oven or will you get food poisoning?  You don’t take the chance, do you?  You read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions!  No-one wants food poisoning, do they?

With reputable and safe brands, UV LED lamps are tested in their laboratory against all their products to ensure that they cure the UV gel correctly and that the methods and timings prescribed provide a safe result.  If a lamp is purchased from a source other than that instructed by the manufacturer you cannot guarantee a safe result and therefore you are putting yourself, your clients, and your business at risk.

Professional Education

Builders and this type of nail product have become a trend over the last few years and for many clients they are not necessary as a regular colour gel polish will provide more than enough strength for their nails.  It has become common place to have builder in many salons and a nail professional will often reach for these products even though they have many alternatives up their sleeves to provide extra strength and length.

These products have been provided, by some brand suppliers, with no education requirement and no opportunity to assess the technician’s skill.  This is despite builder products being an enhancement product and a completely different application method and skill level to gel polish.  Brands need to address this point urgently if they are supplying builder gels with no education.

Remember, as professionals there is a responsibility to update and maintain your education and when new scientific information is available, we need to make sure we act on it.  If it is possible that we are working with a product that is a higher risk to ourselves, our team, and our clients, we need to address this and act accordingly.

The Good News & Points to Remember

For all those that love their gel polish, if you have not had any reaction there is no reason to not continue having your regular nail appointment; however, ask your nail professional where their products originate from.  Where possible look for brands that originate in the UK, US or EU as the manufacturing regulations are very closely adhered to in these countries.

There has been mention that HEMA (Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate) is the bad guy, and it would be wrong to say it doesn’t cause allergic reactions, because it can and does, especially when at higher than safe levels.  However, there are many other acrylates inside a gel polish or builder gel as well, and any one of them can and do cause sensitivity in some people.  As a former board director and co-founder of the Federation of Nail Professionals, I know their priority has always been to ensure that brands, professionals, and the public understand it is not just one acrylate but any acrylate in the wrong levels that can cause a reaction as well as untrained hands using professional grade products and DIY home products.

The articles on the BBC didn’t cover this fully and it is a complex piece of science that doesn’t translate well in a 3-minute slot on the news.

The nail industry is full of highly qualified and dedicated professionals and brands; however, things feel a little unsettled now.

There is much to take as positives, as now everyone can know what many of us have been trying to get put in the public domain for nearly 5 years.

Now everyone can make informed choices and clients can be empowered to ask the right questions and nail professionals can prescribe what will be good for clients and their lifestyles.

IMPORTANT POINTS & INFORMATION FOR CLIENTS

The Science

Any gel nail product that has HEMA present below the recommended safe level of 35% is, just that, SAFE!  If it is applied by an appropriately trained nail professional.

Any UV gel nail product that has any acrylate present that is above its safe level is potentially UNSAFE! And will be as long it is applied by anyone to any nail plates.

If HEMA is removed, it will be replaced by another acrylate that does the same job or the gel product will not work.  HEMA has been in nail products for decades, meaning that it’s been tested and tested over that period by many manufacturers under laboratory conditions.  This testing will have led to the safe levels that are now prescribed within the manufacturing industry and upheld by most brands.  All acrylates are and have the potential to be allergens not just HEMA.

Whilst blowing the myths away, another point to be understood is HYPOallergenic – this does NOT mean it is unable to give you an allergic reaction.  It simply means it is LESS LIKELY to give you a reaction.

Professional nail products should only be used by trained NAIL PROFESSIONALS.  In September 2021 it became a legal requirement that to sell home/DIY kits they should be marked “For Professional Use Only” and come with an with an allergy warning.

Professionals & Their Education

If you are a client – ask your nail professional if they have the minimum requirements to practice as a professional which are:

A certificate in MANICURE which covered anatomy & physiology of the lower arm and hand

A certificate in PEDICURE (if providing these services) which covered anatomy & physiology of the lower leg and foot

A certificate in GEL POLISH (preferably for the product that is on their shelves)

These will preferably be in the form of an NVQ Level 2 or Level 3 certificate in Beauty, Nail Services or Nail Technology, however if all the above are present this should be sufficient without an NVQ.

A certificate in UV GEL covering tip & overlay, overlay and if they sculpt on a nail form, sculpting, if they are using builder gels/BIAB

A certificate of INSURANCE

If they cannot provide all of these for you to view, then you should only book the services they are qualified for, or you are putting yourself at potential risk. If they are not qualified and cannot evidence, then it may be advisable to locate an appropriately qualified professional.

Please bear these points in mind and please remember that if you wish to switch from Gel Polish for a little while, most qualified nail professionals can provide you with manicure, strengthening nail treatments, shape & paints with regular nail lacquer, acrylic extensions, and even good old fibreglass still in some salons!

Remember at home and for non-adult nails, nail polish is the best product to use and in today’s market there are some great long lasting products out there when you use a base coat and a top coat to protect the polish.

E&OE 17th April 2023. All information was correct at time of publication.