It has been in the news recently about the rise in allergies and the reactions some people are having to nail products being applied so I wanted to address this issue directly. Whilst it can never be 100% guaranteed that you won’t have any format of reaction, we are all individual, have different circumstances & health conditions, and follow different lifestyles which change on a daily basis, we can reduce the risks. I would like to reassure you that all of the procedures which are followed at Nail Revolution are there in order to provide protection for both you and the technician applying the products.
For example some clients come to Nail Revolution from other nail technicians and have never been asked to fill in a client consultation card, so it can be seen to be extreme when they are asked to fill one out, and they can wonder why. The consultation has various values to it, it provides details for yourself so the best format of nail product can be applied to suit you and your lifestyle, meaning you get the best long lasting manicure which will be flexible to suit your needs if you follow the aftercare advice. Whilst also giving valuable information such as any previous issues or reactions for any type of allergy – not just to nail products. The value of this in itself is useful, as it opens up conversations which otherwise may not be had, as well as providing valuable information for any emergency contacts or doctor contact information should anything ever happen. It also covers other aspects, such as making sure all legalities are covered for insurance purposes.
Seeing the latest updates on the news and the pictures that can be shown of peoples nails can be off putting and concerning, but it helps to know that the majority of the issues have been caused by the home application kits purchased by people to apply their own polish. In the main these issues have been caused by products made in China. So the most comforting advice I can offer is that there has been a great deal of thought, time and consideration put into the products used at Nail Revolution, as well as into training so that the science behind the products is understood. The CJP brand used for gel polish and builder gel is something I am very proud to use. It offers a great range of colours whilst providing a long lasting finish. It also has a HEMA free range, which has been the ingredient causing the allergies in those sensitive to it.
Its important to know that whilst it’s the HEMA that has caused most of the allergy issues, it is perfectly safe to use in products at the correct levels. A lot of the issues have been down to imported products which have stated the levels of HEMA as being safe, however the levels contained within the products have actually been considerably higher. So its important to remember that in the correct products it is safe to use HEMA, and even if you don’t have your nails manicured you won’t avoid HEMA as it is used in other industries such as dentistry, orthopaedic procedures, skin adhesives and general wound first aid. All of the products manufactured by Glitterbels are made to high standard within the UK or US, and Nail Revolution can provide a highly detailed safety data sheet (SDS) if required (please ask in advance). The SDS can also be found online.
By understanding the science itself it means that as a technician you can follow the safety procedures to reduce any contamination and any areas where an application could lead to a chance of an allergy forming over time. For example this could be as simple as asking you to wash your hands in between application stages or at the end of application. Our nail is mainly hydrophilic (likes water) and our skin is lipophilic (likes oils), so its important to wash off any remaining product on the skin before applying a cuticle oil or hand cream so that it cannot penetrate the skin and go deeper into the tissue to form any type of allergy. Interestingly this is also why hands are no longer soaked in water to help soften the cuticle for removal, as the nail is hydrophilic it can cause swelling leaving a misshaped nail plate on which to apply nail products.
Another big understanding of the science behind nails also comes down to the lamp used and the differences in types of lamps. It is always best to use a matched lamp to the nail products being applied, as this ensures the polish is correctly cured. A nail product can go from a gel to ‘feeling’ hard to touch, but still not being correctly cured, this can result in monomers contained within the polish seeping from the polish and being able to penetrate the skin, moving deeper into the tissue and allowing the chance of an allergy to form. Again this can happen on acrylic nails if the ratios of products aren’t correctly applied. So as you can see from these basic examples it’s important to understand what is happening scientifically! For this reason it was a priority for Nail Revolution to gain the Marian Newman Nail Knowledge Diploma initially, and to continually keep up to date with self-development.
So to summarise if there is an understanding of the science, high quality products are used and good working practices are followed, there is much less risk associated with having beautiful nails! At Nail Revolution I would like to say I pride myself on all of these, and by nature I am highly conscientious person and do my upmost. Whilst any technician does this its also important to realise you also play a part, be open with any nail technician about you life style, what you want from your nails and any previous allergy issues! By working together we can get you the best service to suit YOUR needs.
Head over to the booking page and if you are unsure of anything at all, pop a message over and start an all important chat!
