Long lasting Gel Manicure increases Cancer Risk

byFlorenceKi

1.5K followers

Updated 9 years ago

Nowadays, many women opt to have gel manicure to make sure that their money spent on manicure treatment is worth every cent to maintain the long-lasting colour on their nails (normally gel colour will not chipped if it is applied properly).

However a study in 2009 found two middle-aged women developed tumour on their hands following continuous exposure to UV lights. Neither had a family history of skin cancer and both worked indoors and had moderate exposure to sunlight, according to the research published in JAMA Dermatology. It is more debated nowadays that frequent gel manicure can increase the skin cancer risk. Many consumers are not aware of the UV exposure they are getting from the UV light machine used to cure gel colour as most machines used in nail salon do not specify the quantum of UV ray exposed.

This gel manicure was done 1 year ago by Adeline Nails

Another side-effect of UV light exposure is skin aging, meaning you could end up with gorgeous nails but wrinkle hands. Other than this, long-lasting manicure unlike short term make-up on face could also hide possible nail problems as we are not seeing what's going on underneath the nail polish.

These are some suggestion by Dr. Chris Adigun, an assistant professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City should you really need to get your gel manicure

• Pay attention to your nails and allow them to regrow and repair. Consider getting gel manicures only occasionally to decrease the risk of problems.
• When getting gel manicures, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your hands to minimize damage caused by exposure to UV light during the curing process.
• Tell the manicurist not to push or manipulate the cuticle because that will increase the risk of inflammation and infection and also dry out the nail.
• Use traditional nail polish instead of gel nail polish if you have recurring nail problems, or if you have an allergy to acetone, which is used to remove gel manicures.
• Rehydrate your nails several times a day with a moisturizing product, such as petroleum jelly, to combat brittleness, thinning and chipping.
• When removing gel nail polish, do not chip it with other nails or tools.
• Soak only the nails, not the whole hand or fingers, in acetone while nail polish is being removed. This will help prevent skin irritation. If you get gel manicures frequently, consider buying finger wraps that expose only the nails and protect surrounding skin.
• If you notice any unusual changes to the nails, see a dermatologist.

Regardless of possible negative effect of gel manicure, being pretty is still one of the most important thing in a woman's life. Women around the world still apply make-up even though they knew it is harmful to their skin, they still starve themselves to become slimmer even though they knew this will deprive them of vital nutrients, ..... the list will go on in order to achieve the beautiful them.

I started to be "moderate" and live a "balance" life since 2009, and good things started to greet me one by one. We are all beautiful in our own way. Try to appreciate ourselves before deciding on what is next to enhance our beauty.

Despite this, I STILL HAVE MY MANICURE done monthly!