Commonly Asked Questions: (updated as I recieve emails)
QUESTION:I got a pink/white overlay for the 1st time and it looked really good. After a few weeks I returned for a fill in ,the tech sanded the 1st overlay away. Now at the bottom of my nails right above the moon area you can see where the first overlay was. Is there anything I can do to cover this line from the 1st time?
ANSWER: The only thing you can do to cover this line from the 1st time you had your nails done, is to have them done BETTER. Your enhancements should look brand new EVERY TIME YOU HAVE THEM SERVICED. What you are seeing is called a fill line, and it's lifted product that your tech didn't file away. It can trap moisture, bacteria, and other non-fun stuff in there. Time to shop for a tech with better training, and you will probably have to open your wallet out and pay a bit more for it as well.
QUESTION: I lost my big toenail because of an accident. I was hoping to get a fake nail, acrylic is all I know of. I read on your site that acrylic can not touch the skin. Do you know what I can do?? There must be some way!
ANSWER: Is there ANY toenail left? If there is, you can certainly have one applied on a large tip (depending on the size of the toenail). Otherwise, and I hate to have to tell you this, you are going to have to just wait it out. If you lost the toenail and it ISN'T growing back, you may want to look into having a "prosthetic" made- A nail created and applied with skin safe adhesive tape.
QUESTION: Could it be that my nails will not accept enhancements as I always get
lifting no matter which system my nail technician applies?
ANSWER: Actually, NO. The preparation technique, quality of the techs product, and finishing techniques are all a factor. Also important are how you care for your enhancements at home! Having enhancements is a 50-50 relationship with you and your tech, and if you aren't doing your homework ( oiling your nails every day, not using them to open cans, bumping them on everything in site), you are as much to blame. Enhancements are TOUGH, but they are not INDESTRUCTABLE.
QUESTION: Does gelatin strengthen weak nails?
ANSWER: Over the decades, people have always looked for an easy way to strengthen the natural nail plate. Nails are made of protein called keratin, and a deficiency of protein can show up as soft, fragile, or brittle nails. Since gelatin is a form of protein, the logic is that the protein would help strengthen nails. It has never been proven in a controlled and scientific fashion that gelatin does anything to strengthen nails. Nails also contain no calcium so there is no rationale for taking calcium to strengthen nails. Several studies have been done with the vitamin biotin that showed some usefulness in making nails stronger.
QUESTION: I have a friend who recently began having an allergic reaction after her salon visits. What could be causing this?
ANSWER: Allergic reactions are caused by prolonged and repeated contact to a specific ingredient in a product. Once a person becomes allergic to something, the allergy can last for life. That is why it is so important to avoid skin contact with all monomers, gels, and resins. Any of these can cause skin reactions if used incorrectly or if they come in repeated and prolonged contact with the skin. A good dermatologist can help identify the ingredient(s) that are causing the allergies by patch testing. Once you know the actual cause of the allergy, you can find products that do not contain that ingredient. Remember, all adverse skin reactions are not completely avoidable, but skin contact must be avoided and products must be used correctly.
QUESTION: Is wearing artificial nails safe?
ANSWER: In and of themselves and when applied properly, acrylic nails are safe. What contributes to the "danger" to clients is repeated exposure to the chemicals on the skin, added to a heavy handed tech filing through the nail plate repeatedly. Most of the chemicals used to create artificial nails are acrylic-based. Certainly they would be dangerous if ingested, but it is not likely that any significant amount of the products can go through the nails into the bloodstream. The danger is when products are applied improperly. Extension products that do not fully cure or harden, whether acrylics or gels, can cause an allergic reaction. Another concern is when the products come in repeated contact with the skin. It is important, as a nail technician, to prevent products from touching client's skin. Do not be overly alarmed, though, if some product touches the skin; it is only through repeated exposure that the harm is done. And while there are no components in the products used to create artificial nails that cause bacterial and fungal infections of the nails, you must make sure that your clients care for their nails so they do not develop these types of problems.
QUESTION: Is nail polish harmful?
ANSWER: There have been many unfair and unbalanced media stories concerning the cosmetics industry in general and nail care products in particular.
Nail polish products have been used safely for many decades by millions of consumers. Fingernails and toenails are made of keratin, which is hard and largely impenetrable. Once nail polish dries, the ingredients in the polish become embedded in the hardened film coating, and are not absorbed by the body or released into the environment. Nail polish products come in small bottles with tiny openings that release very little of the product into the environment. Unless they are being used, the bottles are typically closed. A single bottle contains enough polish for 30-60 sets of nails. Nail polish companies compete to make the safest, best-looking, longest-wearing product. Manufacturers and their suppliers rigorously test nail polish products and ingredients for quality, performance, and safety, as well as monitoring data and reports from nail technicians and consumers. All cosmetics, including nail polish products, are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has broad authority to regulate and seize cosmetic products which are poisonous, deleterious, adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise pose health risks. Further, the FDA regulates the colorants that may be used in cosmetics. The FDA and other federal agencies, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, also have authority to deal with cosmetics, packaging, labeling and advertising issues. A quick visit to the FDA website and to its FDA Handbook on Cosmetics makes plain the FDA’s interest in cosmetics and its authority. SALON NAIL POLISH PRODUCTS MEET ALL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. See http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-toc.html . The safety of cosmetics, including nail care products, has been an issue promoted by several organizations making extreme claims based on little or no evidence in order to draw attention to themselves. Because cosmetics are used by so many people, and are so widely recognized as safe, these accusations make great headlines. Meanwhile, the story that cosmetics are still safe is simply considered “old news.” While the NMC welcomes dialogue, we believe in responsible, sound science. Responsible scientists raised and answered the question of cosmetic safety many decades ago. Responsible scientists are still continuing to update and review the issues. The results: cosmetics are safer than ever. See http://www.cosmeticsaresafe.org . Most NMC companies are not large, public corporations, but privately-held, family businesses run by people who use their own products for themselves, their families and friends. They have personal reasons, as well as business reasons, to make safe nail polish products. Nail polish products contain a resin with a long name that sounds like formaldehyde—tosylamide/formaldehyde resin. Formaldehyde is a gas. Resins are gummy, and do not evaporate. While the resin is manufactured from formaldehyde, once the product becomes a resin, the formaldehyde is chemically changed and essentially no longer present. Most nail hardeners contain formaldehyde. The levels of formaldehyde, however, are well below those set by the FDA for hardeners. Further, exposure levels to formaldehyde for hardeners are so low that even the California authorities ruled that no warnings are required for hardeners under Prop 65.