With the new technology, how we care and treat our body part parts including nails has taken a new level.
While in the past we only had regular nail polish to beautify our nails, today we have other options such gel polish.
The difference between the old nail polish and the new gel polish is that gel polish needs to be dried under a UV or LED lamp, while regular nail polish is dried naturally.
This new process is more preferable since it keeps the beauty of the nails for a longer period of time, compared with the traditional way of nature polish style. However, doctors say over time, gel manicures can be harmful.
According to a research done by medical news today, some people who used gel polish experienced itchiness, swelling, and burning during application. Nail damage was more likely to occur during the removal process — participants reported weakened nails, splitting, white spots, grooves, and changes to the nail plate.
Some people experience brittle, thin nails that split, while others may experience reactions to the harsh chemicals.
Alain Kamanzi, a student at University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, says gel polishing and the removing process can be destructive to nails.
"The removal process involve soaking in acetone (a chemical used in polish vanish) and aggressive buffing, scraping, and peeling of polish, can injure the nail plate and later may lead to inflammation.”
Some manicurists may scrape the nail plate forcefully, making the chemicals used while cleaning the nail absorbed into the body, which can contribute to body inflammation as well, Kamanzi says.
Studies have proven that chronic inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovascular disease such as cancer, diabetes, plus other conditions.
Kamanzi further adds that the gel polish itself hasn’t been associated with an increased risk of cancer. However, applying nail polish means photopolymerization, a process during which a liquid absorbs energy from UV or visible light and undergoes cross-linking to become a solid, have raised concern.
"Many emit fairly high levels of UVA radiation is known as the major cause of cellular damage and skin aging and play a major role in the development of skin cancer, especially when the skin is bleached” he says.
He recommends using at least sunscreen, to avoid UV or visible light getting through the skin.
They urge people to take a break for at least once every eight weeks, to allow the body parts associated with the nails go back to normal and also for the nails to rehydrate and allow repair of the underlying structures. You can apply olive oil, coconut oil or cuticle oil to also aid recovery and build back some nail strength.