The Truth About Nail Allergies pt. 1

Nail allergies are on the rise despite the quality of nail services and client education growing. So, what is happening? How can you as a client and nail tech avoid the possibility of developing a nail allergy? or perhaps you've already experienced an allergic reaction and want to avoid another? To understand this boom of nail allergies we need to take it back to basics in this 3-part series for nail techs and clients.

Nails services have been around since before ancient Egypt. Yes, that's right, manicured nails are that old. But don't worry we are not going that far back! Actually, we're only taking it back to good Ol' 2020. Yep, the pandemic is to blame. Okay, so not directly, but stick with me.

Nail allergies have really only been a thing for the past 3 years. Why? Well, there's 5 reasons. The number 1 reason is because Covid caused salons to temporarily shut down meaning nearly everyone took to being a nail DIY-er. The problem with this is everyone sees nails as being "just nails." Non-professionals think it's "only" polish and it's "so easy" to do. Except, nail products are chemicals. And NO, it doesn't matter if you bought a non-toxic brand, 9-free brand, or HEMA-free brand. Nail products are still made of chemicals even if you remove some of them.

Also a big no that non-pros fail to realize is that not all nail products are equal. That brand you purchased on Amazon does not compare to a true pro-quality brand which takes us into reason number 2 (which will also take us into part 2 of this blog series). It was cheap and available on prime because the ingredients are of the lowest quality. I can guarantee it is water-downed and heavily allergen loaded making it affordable and easily accessible to the diy community. Again, even if they claim to be non-toxic, healthier, etc. It is all just a marketing scam to prey on the diy-er's. and boy have they succeed. Sorry, not sorry. True pro-brands require proof of licensing and for good reason. Despite what people think about nail school, pro-techs are heavily educated on topics like chemicals and how they relate to our everyday work. We've been educated on things like how to properly recognize, use, mix, and when NOT to mix chemicals. It's that serious.

Unfortunate reason number 3, TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram nail influencers have played a huge part in nail allergies. You know when you see a nail hack such as when the influencer is applying gel polish to their actual finger and swiping it on the tip of the nail for the perfect French? Yeah, that's the ultimate no-no. Nail products literally come with warnings that they are to NEVER come into contact with skin. You know why? Yep, you guessed it. IT CAUSES ALLERGIC REACTIONS. Yet, nearly every tutorial has a cringe worthy application and removal process that causes more harm than good. And as a pro, I can vouch my own clients have regrettably fallen prey to diy nail tutorials which left their nails and skin damaged (but you can bet they learned their lesson!)

Now, reason number 4. Under-curing your products. I can't tell you how many people don't know that each nail product cures different. From nail lamps NOT being universal to specific curing times. There are reasons why some products require a cure time of 90s vs 30s, and a specific brand lamp vs a generic amazon brand. If a product is not cured properly it can also cause an allergic reaction. Of course, other reasons your nail products may not be curing properly can also be due to applying the product improperly (too thick) and/or your hand placement in the lamp is wrong.

Reason number 5 almost makes me cringe as much as reason 3. I'm talking about dust. Nail techs are most likely affected by this one, but if you are a diy-er that has picked up an efile (which requires pro training btw), or are aggressive with hand-filing, this one is for you. TikTok has glamorized the day-in-the-life of nail techs with zero regard for the hazards and misinformation they are encouraging. Another thing we heavily learn in school is skin and nail disorders such as contact dermatitis. It's all fun and games to dress cute for your nail appt, until your skin comes into contact with dust from filing and you find yourself with a related allergy. Personally, I prioritize my health and safety, and always wear the required PPE per state regulations! Not to mention the use of a dust extractor to stop dust free flying through the air we are breathing. (This is why most nail techs wear masks.) Having your hands, arms, chest, face, legs, etc. uncovered where dust can settle can lead to an allergy as well. Tips to avoid this include, wearing long sleeves/pants, aprons, gloves, masks/shields, and cl0sed-toed shoes. AND don't forget! Use latex-free gloves for clients with latex allergies!!

Now that we've covered the top 5 most common reasons for nail allergen reactions, we are ready to dive deeper in part 2 into the actual ingredients component of nail products and understand why nail services are priced differently throughout the industry. (and why this DOES matter)

If you want to further understand the chemicals and ingredients in varying nail products in-depth, follow me on Instagram (@erikakristinebeauty) for the follow up videos, and also here on WIX, for pt. 2 of this blog series. (It gets even juicer over there).

And PLEASE for the love and respect of nail techs worldwide, STOP, self-diagnosing your allergy to a specific ingredient, brand, or product. The only TRUE way to know why you have had a reaction is to visit a dermatologist for testing!! (find out why here).

If you managed to read this entire thing, I love you, and if you're sticking around for further education, I applaud you (clap, clap). Thank you for investing in nail education whether you are a beginner nail tech, veteran, or a diy-er. The entire nail industry greatly appreciates it! See you over at part 2 & don't be shy to say hello on IG or TT (@erikakristinebeauty)

TAKE CARE BABES.