How can a master and a client get rid of an allergy to gel polish?

Many women suffer from pollen, cosmetic or food allergies. If you have a predisposition to skin reactions, you need to be careful when visiting various cosmetic procedures or doing a manicure. One of the problems for nail technicians and clients is shellac allergy. It can manifest itself in the form of local rashes, less often as a systemic reaction. But how to get rid of an allergy to gel polish, is it necessary to give up a manicure, or is it enough just to replace a dangerous agent?

Allergy to shellac: why does it occur?

If a woman just a couple of days ago did a manicure with gel polish, a new shade of trendy color can provoke swelling and rashes on her fingers and hands. Given that these are chemicals that are foreign to the body, it is quite possible to be allergic to shellac, top or base, which the manicurist uses. Some women are very surprised at the reaction that has appeared, because it is not the first time they do a manicure and there were no such problems before.

It is important to understand that an allergic reaction occurs after a person comes into contact with small amounts of an allergenic substance over and over again over several weeks or months. Because of this, allergies to shellac or other compounds are more common among the masters themselves, who are constantly in contact with these products, but not among clients who visit the salon about once every three to four weeks. In addition, reactions to new formulations that the master uses recently are possible if he decides to purchase products from new companies.

How to get rid of allergies? Know your allergen

There are no reactions to the manicure procedure itself, but, as has been recently confirmed by studies, the chemicals that the epidermis on the fingers comes into contact with during nail coating can be allergenic. Uncured methacrylates, acrylates and other compounds contained in gel coats, tosylamide, formaldehyde resin or toluene in individual hardeners or colorants, fine dust or fumes hovering in the cabin air can cause severe reactions. To understand how to get rid of allergies, you need to understand the essence of the process and be aware of the possible mistakes of the master.

Gel polish is dangerous because improper curing (or drying in a lamp) increases the chance of a reaction developing. It is during pre-curing that chemicals can activate an allergic skin reaction around the nail.

When the master applies very thick layers of varnish or gel, the latter does not dry out completely and the contact time increases. The master can also mix brands whose compositions form dangerous chemical compounds. In addition, improperly selected lamp power also affects the quality of work.

Clear signs of a contact reaction will also indicate a possible allergy. Acute allergic dermatitis is characterized by reddening of the epidermis, severe swelling, and sometimes blistering on the fingers. In this case, you should immediately remove the coating, and apply an allergy gel or ointment, cream with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory components to the skin.

Difficulties in identifying allergies

Sometimes the reaction can manifest itself far from the nails themselves and the place of contact with varnishes or other compounds, so it can be difficult to understand that it was the recently done manicure that caused the allergy. For example, a rash may appear in the area of ​​​​the eyelids, cheeks or red border of the lips, on the upper body. Or the skin on the lips, the eyelids are very itchy and swollen due to contact with the dust that forms when filing the gel coating. Acute reactions may occur if the vapors are inhaled or the chemicals come into contact with the skin. They appear in a matter of minutes or a couple of hours after covering the nails. But they usually go away after the coating is removed. But sometimes the symptoms are so severe that a visit to the doctor and a course of treatment are necessary, as well as a complete rejection of the manicure with shellac of the brand that provoked the allergy. In addition to the varnishes themselves, bases, bondings and tops of the same manufacturer are excluded, and sometimes women have to completely abandon manicure with gel polish. In this case, you will have to do only with a hardware manicure without a coating or use ordinary varnishes (provided that there is no reaction to them).