The contemporary years have witnessed a widespread transformation in the nail polish industry. Nail polish techniques that we encounter nowadays tend to last longer. But, do nail polishes harm the nails?
Indeed, using nail polish affects the nails and has the potential to deteriorate nail health. We discuss these matters in this article. Primarily, we’ll talk about the different types of nail polishes available in the markets, and keeping the health and safety of nails in mind, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of each.
Traditional nail polish
Traditionally, classic nail polish is used by painting onto the nail plate. Multiple coats of the same are used before it is air-dried. As a polymer, conventional nail polish is dissolved in a solvent to simplify the process of application. This way, when the drying process is underway, the polymer hardens but the solvent evaporates.
Hybrid polish bears some similarities to traditional nail polish in terms of its application and removal. Nevertheless, the alternative is supposed to last longer.
Pros:
Removing traditional nail polish is easy when you use a remover based on acetone. But, it has to be understood that acetone is not just drying and harsh, but also damaging. So, you want it to spend as little time as possible over cuticles, skin, and nail plate. This is one way to address the question; do nail polishes harm the nails?
Cons:
It is possible that when you use slightly darker nail polish shades, they could result in discoloration of nails. But, that too is nonpermanent.
The verdict:
It becomes a must to ensure that you do not wear nail polish at all times and in between manicure sessions, you should consider keeping cuticles and nails well moisturized. In case you have an appointment with a dermatologist coming through, go after removing your nail polish. This gives the professional a chance to examine your nails.
“Non-toxic” nail polish
In terms of cosmetics, a clear interpretation of the term “non-toxic” is difficult to garner. However, for nail polish, the term “five-free” is frequently used. You may want to go for these alternatives if you frequently consider, do nail polishes harm the nails?
When we say that a nail polish is five-free, it implies that it is free from five specific ingredients, camphor, resin, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and toluene.
It is then, noteworthy, that we can also come across some brands that market themselves as 10-free and 7-free.
Let us know a little bit more about Formaldehyde which the National Cancer Institute recognizes as a cancer-causing substance. Besides, formaldehyde is the most common culprit that leads to allergic contact dermatitis. It is one of the options to avoid if you frequently consider, do nail polishes harm the nails? To ensure the same, you may want to look at the ingredients of a nail polish before buying it.
Besides, formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and formaldehyde resin could also lead to allergic contact dermatitis. Research tells us that the body can absorb chemicals present in nail polish. But, uncertainties prevail about the amount that could be absorbed by the body and whether it could negatively affect our health.
Pros:
- The removal process is easy, just as in the case of regular polish
- Chemicals that could lead to dermatitis are fewer. One may want to go for the alternative if one has sensitive skin.
Cons:
- As of current, there is a shortage of strong research data that tells us whether chemicals that nontoxic polishes exclude have harmful effects on our being. This is keeping their concentration on traditional nail polishes in mind.
The verdict:
If you are looking to avoid certain chemicals, nontoxic nail polish will be a feasible alternative to conventional nail polish. But, the health benefits of the same are uncertain.
Gel polish
The procedure for applying Gel polish is unique and exciting. First, Gel Polish is painted on and then it is cured under a lamp. So, the polish instantly hardens.
When we say curing of nail polish, we are referring to photopolymerization. This is a process wherein energy is absorbed by a liquid from natural light or UV light. With this, cross-linking takes place and the gel solidifies.
In most cases, the lamps used for curing emit ultraviolet A light. However, this ultraviolet A light is one of the recognized causes of aging and cellular damage and also increases the odds of occurrence of skin cancer.
Alternative lamps are available for the purpose, which emit LED light. However, they still emit UV light in trace amounts.
Pros:
- Last longer
Cons:
- Exposure to UV light
- If we take a look at the removal process for gel polish, it is likely destructive to nails. The procedure involved for the same is first soaking in acetone. This is followed by aggressively buffing scraping, and peeling polish. These procedures increase the risk of damage to the nail plate.
- If you wear gel polish for long, it might result in dryness of the nails and severe brittleness.
The verdict:
The odds of gel polish having long-term negative effects on your health are not high if they are used sporadically, such as for special occasions. However, you may want to advise your nail technician not to go for aggressive buffing. Electric buffing is best avoided. It is then advisable to not forcefully scrape the nail plate.
Another one of the best practices to keep in mind is to not pick or peel gel polish. This is a potent safeguard against peeling the layers of the nail plate alongside the polish, which in turn, makes the nail plate brittle.
Then, before you go for UV treatment, apply sunscreen 20 minutes in advance. Another fine way to go about it is to wear fingerless gloves while under the lamp.
Powder dip polish
This is a manicure procedure in which bonding polish is applied. Typically power dip polish is made using resin. The chemicals used for forming the same bears similarities with the ones used for super glue. So, these chemicals act as an adhesive for the polish.
Upon applying resin to nails, an acrylic powder, finely milled is applied. There are two ways of going about it. Either the nail is dipped into the powder or the powder is brushed onto the nails. The last step is the application of an activator. This activator is nothing but a liquid that contains chemicals to bring about the polymerization of the resin-containing bonding shell. With the application of this activator, a hard shell is left behind.
Pros:
- Since a drying lamp is not used, the odds of UV exposure are overcome.
Cons:
- One has to be especially cautious about matters related to sanitation. There are cases wherein multiple people are served using communal jars. These jars contain powder and could over time turn out to be reservoirs for viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
- The removal processes for powder dip polish are harsh and bear similarities to the removal processes of gel polish. The odds of damage to the cuticle and nail plate could be high.
The verdict:
From a salon’s viewpoint, the right way of using powder dip polish is to transfer it to smaller containers for customers’ individual use. Similarly, a clean brush should be used for applying the polish each time over. If these best practices are not being implemented, this type of manicure is to be avoided.
