Is that gel manicure really worth it?

What sounds better then a two week lasting, instantly drying, no-chip manicure? For all of us girls we know, not much! (sorry guys). With just a little extra time and a little extra money, we all know it so worth a gel manicure over a regular one… or is it?

A gel manicure is a manicure that is said to last for two weeks or more without chipping and requires no dry time at all. The process begins with the filing and shaping of your nails, each nail is filed down on the top of it so the polish is able to adhere better. After this, a series of polishing steps occurs and after each step, your hand is placed under a small UV light where the hardening of the nail polish begins and ends. For many, this common new technological advancement in the nail industry is loved for its long lasting ability, but many don’t think about the hazards that actually come along with it.

We all know tanning beds and sun exposure is said to cause melanoma, cancer of the skin, and many do not think of getting “ cancer of the hands” when we go and get our fresh new gel manicure. While many of our hardships are debating what color to pick out of what seems to be an endless selection, others are debating over far more serious things such as their health.

The UV lights used to harden and set the “oh so perfect” gel manicures can actually be harmful to the skin. Just like tanning beds, the ultraviolet rays from the machine can cause skin damage and melanoma in your nails beds. We also know that along with ultraviolet light exposure, comes the wrinkles and who wants those? Nancy Shute calls them “lizard hands.”

Although the risk is said to be small, there have been cases where women have gotten skin cancer in their hands, supposably due to the rays from the lamps. This study is a correlation and there is no proof that the cancer can be linked to the lamps, although there is a great possibility. Both these woman have no traces of cancer in their families but there could be other factors due to them both getting cancer in their hands. There is not enough concrete information to link the UV lamps to the cancer in their hands.

Not only are these UV lamps harmful to your skin, but they can really damage your eyes too. Shute says, “Ultraviolet exposure is a main cause of cataracts, and probably contributes to macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in older people.” I know it sounds crazy, but people recommend sitting in the salon with sunglasses on to avoid this from happening!

Even though there haven’t been many studies on this and they really haven’t been able to link cancer in the hand directly to UV lights, it definitely is a possibility. Next time you look at your nails and say, “ Wow, it’s time for a manicure,” consider these things. Protect yourself, apply sunscreen to your hands, wear photo protection gloves with the finger tips cut off(which some salons now offer) and maybe even rock your favorite pair of shades! Better safe than sorry!

One thought on “Is that gel manicure really worth it?

  1. Katherine Sharon Trimble

    This article was extremely interesting considering that I love gel manicures! After reading this article, I wanted to see if there were any reports of cancer from getting a gel manicure. JAMA Dermatology reported that two women got cancer from getting gel manicures! People who get gel manicures are at risk, however nail salon workers are also at risk!

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