Warnings On Gel Manicures and UV Lights

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This is a timely warning about the use of UV lights when curing Gel manicures as well as the solution used when removing the manicure. This ABC segment gives us some thoughts to consider. Also below are links to a couple of articles that you may want to check out, though keep an open mind as some are just scaremongering and blowing it all out of portion.

Also, consider the use of gloves, like the ones below available on Amazon

Maincure may lead to Cancer
Gel Manicure Lights may lead to Cancer

Nova Glove ANTI-UV Manicure Glove for UV/LED Lamps/Lights – PROFESSIONAL GRADE 100% Cotton
on sale at $15.99

ROYAL NAILS ANTI UV GLOVES FOR UV LIGHT/LAMP NAIL DRYER ONLY NAIL EXPOSED
on sale at $5.99

reviews uv gloves

March 9, 2013

The oldies are paving the way with Shellac Nails

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It all started about 3 months ago, my Moms friend  (in her late 60’s) showed my Mom ( in her late 70’s) her Shellac manicured nails. Well next thing I know Mom is in the salon getting her nails done, just to see if was worth it.

Now my Mom’s nails are short, to the skin and have a tendency to brake easily.  Also, normal nail polish has proved to be a waste of both time and money, peeling, flaking and looking yucky within 2 days of getting them done.  The problem is the battering we women give our nails by housework, food preparation, gardening and all the other things that go on in our busy lives. So it was with great glee and pride that Mom showed me her freshly done nails about 2 months ago. She said that it was a trial run to see how it worked, and ‘would be happy if it lasted a week’ . My cousins wedding was coming up and Mom wanted her nails to look at least passable, if not great… yup even 70 year old’s want to look good  🙂

Well the week passed, then another one and then another, so after 3 weeks with no peeling or flaking  Mom decided that this was the best thing that had happened to her nails in the last 70 odd years. The only issue was the growth of the nail from the base which wasn’t too noticeable due to the light flesh color that she had chosen, so she decided that leaving them a full 3 weeks was a ‘bit too long’.

So off she went again to get them done, success…

Now, off course with that glowing recommendation I had to follow suit and mine have now been on for nearly 2 weeks.  For am again, the only issue I have is nail growth, so it’s nearly time to get them done again

I think I may get them done professionally again, just to see what they do, but of course being an avid DIYer have done a search and found out what I need to do it at home. You do need more ‘stuff’ than for the usual manicure ( including a UV light box for ‘curing’ the polish), but I found a great source on Amazon.

Note: I will posting removing Shellac Nail Poslish shortly


CND Shellac Power Polish Intro Pack Set Kit Color UV Gel Top Base Coat Manicure

Creative Nail UV Lamp 110 Volt

November 14, 2012

Are UV lamps used for curing Shellac nails safe?

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I’ve just had my first Shellac manicure and I am loving it. Instead of the nail polish

Manicure gloves to stop UV

Manicure gloves to stop UV

beginning to chip of in the first 2 days, so far 5 days later the nail polish looks as good as the minute after it was applied. It’s magic!

Because of the bad publicity on sun tanning beds, I started to wonder if the UV lamp used to cure the polish (or gel) was safe. Here’s an extract from an article  I read recently.

 

Gel manicures also require drying with an ultra-violet, or UV, lamp in between each coat and at the end to set the gel. The ultra-violet light used in tanning beds has been associated with increased skin cancer risk, but is there a risk with gel manicures?

“Most cancers on the hands are found in people with extensive sun exposure,” says Zoe Draelos, a dermatologist in High Point, North Carolina, “It’s the cumulative lifetime exposure to UV light that is the risk.”

A case study by Austin-based University of Texas researchers in the “Archives of Dermatology” in April 2009 reported that two women developed non-melanoma skin cancer – cancer that occurs in the outer layer of the skin – on the tops of their hands from exposure to nail lamps. Both women were middle-aged, otherwise healthy, and had no cancer history. This does not prove that UV nail lamps definitely cause skin cancer; larger clinical studies will be necessary to determine a link. source
Still, Draelos recommends using UV nail lamps in as limited a fashion as possible.

Another option may be to look for a salon that uses LED (light emitting diode) instead of UV dryers. This month, the New York City-based Shizuka salon began using LED dryers made by the Japanese company Nail Labo.

So the information is inconclusive, however here is a product from Amazon that will put my mind a rest.

November 4, 2012