Artificial Nails: What to Know Before You Get Them
Artificial nails can help you make a fashion statement or wear long nails if your real ones won’t grow. While the nails aren’t harmful, putting them on and taking them off can involve acids and other chemicals that could cause allergic reactions. Damage to artificial nails also can lead to fungal infections and other problems.
Here’s what you should know before you head to your salon or to the drugstore.
Types of Nails
Artificial nails come in two main kinds: acrylic and gel. A third type, called silks, is often used to fix damaged nails or to make nail tips stronger.
Acrylic. This plastic material is the most popular choice. It forms a hard shell when you mix a powder with liquid and brush it on top of glued-on nail tips. You have to file down your natural nails to make it rough enough for the nail tips to bond to it.
Since your real nails grow all the time, you’ll eventually see a small gap between your cuticle and the acrylic nail. You’ll need to go back to the nail salon every 2-3 weeks to get the gaps filled, or do it yourself. Chemicals in the filler and the filing may weaken your real nails.
If you already have a fungal infection, artificial nails can make it worse or lead to other issues.
Gels. These are more expensive and last longer than acrylics. You paint the gel on like regular nail polish. You then put your nails under an ultraviolet (UV) light to harden the gel.
UV light can cause skin damage, including wrinkles and age spots. Too much UV light can cause skin cancer. But there are no reported cases of skin cancer caused by UV lamps at nail salons, not even among the manicurists who work around the lights all day.
Possible Problems
Artificial nails can be tough on your real ones. Issues you should watch for include:
Allergic reaction: The chemicals used to attach or remove artificial nails can irritate your skin. You may see redness, pus, or swelling around your fingernails.
Bacterial or fungal infections. If you bang your artificial nail against something, you may dislodge your real nail from the nail bed. Germs, yeast, or fungus can get into the gap and grow. A bacterial infection can turn your nails green. Nail fungus, on the other hand, starts out with a white or yellow spot on the nails. The nail may thicken over time, and it can crumble in severe cases. See your doctor if you suspect any infections.
Weakened nails. To remove acrylic or gel nails, you soak your fingers in acetone for 10 minutes or longer. This chemical is very drying to your real nails and can irritate your skin. Some artificial nails must be filed off. That can make your natural nails thin, brittle, and weak.
What You Can Do
If you love the look of artificial nails, these tips can help you enjoy them more safely.
Posted : 2023-12-05 13:53
Read more
- Novo Nordisk CEO Warns of Deaths Linked to Compounded Semaglutide
- Small but Important Differences Seen Between Rosuvastatin, Atorvastatin
- Delaying Noncardiac Surgery for Several Months After Heart Attack Found to Be Safer
- Global Coverage With Measles Vaccine Declined During COVID-19
- Malaria Developing Resistance to Drug That Saves Children's Lives
- Too Many Meds: 'Polypharmacy' Can Really Harm Alzheimer's Patients
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.
The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Popular Keywords
- metformin obat apa
- alahan panjang
- glimepiride obat apa
- takikardia adalah
- erau ernie
- pradiabetes
- besar88
- atrofi adalah
- kutu anjing
- trakeostomi
- mayzent pi
- enbrel auto injector not working
- enbrel interactions
- lenvima life expectancy
- leqvio pi
- what is lenvima
- lenvima pi
- empagliflozin-linagliptin
- encourage foundation for enbrel
- qulipta drug interactions