Allergic reaction to gel/acetone

[Pes12]

I’ve been battling with an allergic reaction to either The Gel bottle inc or CandyCoat Gel / Acetone. I’ve tried to pin point what it could be but every time it flares up with a different brand etc.. I’ve even fully gloved up double layers and I still flare up a day later!
Does anyone who has had an allergic reaction have any advice on how to help settle it, products they have used as an alternative as I don’t want to give up nails..

im trying to get referred to a dermatologist but just need some advice in the mean time

Any advice would be helpful!
Thank you

 

[BobSweden]

Many products use the same ingredients and it is one or more ingredients that you are reacting too. Most probably, the cause is the ingredient HEMA, which is the #1 nail product allergen in the UK. HEMA is also a cross sensitiser. This means if you get an allergy to HEMA, it then encourages allergies to other ingredients - especially an ingredient called Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate (HPMA) that is used in some gels, gel polishes, but also in HEMA-free acrylic monomer!

Because of this cross sensitivity, it is a common BIG mistake for NT to change brands without understanding what they are doing, because new allergies will almost always occur.

The correct procedure is to stop using nail products, visit a dermatologist who'll make a Patch Test. This will show which ingredients you react to. Armed with this info, THEN you look for products that don't contain these.

Obviously, this is impractical. NT don't want to wait up to 2 years for an appointment and have no income. Then one option is to choose product that don't contain ANY of the most common nail product allergens - these would include all the ingredients you are tested for in the Patch Test. These are so-called hypoallergenic products.

There are very few hypoallergenic products available. They are extremely difficult to develop because you can't use the higher risk ingredients that actually make application easier and provide high adhesion so they have very long wear.

But the other point which is very important, is to find out how the allergy happened. Allergies can only occur if there is longterm, repeated skin contact with uncured or under cured products. i.e. the NT has not worked cleanly. They can also happen if the acrylic mix ration is too wet, or if they use a UV lamp not properly matched to the brands products. This can cause under cured dust after filing, and some of this is so small that it can float in the air and land on any exposed skin. This is why some NT develop rashes under the eyes or on their necks.

So it is mega important that all skin contact is avoided going forward. Otherwise, regardless of the product you use, there is a risk of more allergies.

Nitrile gloves are not designed to protect against nail product ingredients. The methacrylate chemicals will pass through the gloves quickly, so should be changed every 30 minutes (15 minutes if you have an allergy already). In addition to double gloving and changing often, you can use a skin barrier cream under the gloves and on arms that will create a barrier to chemicals. We like and sell "Gloves In A Bottle". You can also get this in Superdrug and it is not expensive - a small drop goes a long way. But don't use as they recommend. Instead reapply more often, like between each client.

If you have other questions, you are welcome to message me. Good luck!

 

[tuna816]

I've been preaching about nail allergies on here for a while. I was not very nice about it either because of the seriousness. And many people mistook that for being arrogant.

Nail allergies can put you out of the profession. That's a fact. And that's why I use and recommend CND products through and through, although I have stopped doing nails altogether. I have some experience with allergies caused by nail products but my case isn't as bad, but the symptoms are there. I would say that CND is the only product that can really minimize allergies by a large degree because their products are developed very carefully and scientifically. Other brands are just bulk buying of a material and then put into a bottle. But there's so much more that goes into it. So much more.

What is most likely causing your allergy is the dust that gets kicked up when you file the gels. Yes, all it takes is a small speck of dust to trigger allergies. The ingredients in the product you are using are not fully cured. Touching the gel can also of course cause allergies.

I recommend switching to the CND line, from the lamp to the gels. See if that helps. But don't forget, many clients get their nails done elsewhere with different products.

If that doesn't help, I recommend stop doing nails altogether. Allergies are no joke. I understand firsthand that it can very debilitating. I developed an allergy to an ingredient commonly used in shampoos and it took me almost a year to find the cause. During that time, I lost a lot of sleep from the itch and flaking on my scalp.

 

[TheDuchess]

Hi Pes, and welcome to Salongeek.

Allergies are very serious. I wouldn’t recommend switching brands until you have a diagnosis.

Go back to your GP and explain that you are concerned you are allergic to a product you work with and you must identify the chemical for your safety. Gel chemical allergies are just as serious as nut allergies, they can get worse and worse until they totally ruin your life and even put your life at risk.

Moving forward, you will need to only remove client gels that you have applied yourself. And invest in a good quality dust removal system which captures large and fine particles. You might need to modify your removal techniques - e filing might be out and soak off might work better for you.

Being very blunt, I’m so sorry, you need to find another job. If you only do nails, start thinking about other treatments your nail clients might be interested in. You might be able to manage your allergy, but many people don’t succeed I’m afraid. So whilst hoping for the best, start planning for the just in case worst case scenario.

 

[AcidPerm]

I gave up doing nails completely because I developed an allergy to methacrylates. It started with itchy finger tips but when I started struggling to catch my breath, I knew I was completely done with nails.

Luckily, I had a fab GP who when I said it was my livelihood, he referred me for an urgent appointment and I saw a dermatologist at the hospital within 6 weeks. Obviously, that was pre-Covid so you might well be waiting an awfully lot longer to be tested.

 

[blossom]

After I’d been doing nails for 11 years I started reacting to acetone. And I only did nails. Started with the itching and progressed to cracking and scabbing and then itching again etc, terrible. I used to wear waterproof plasters under double gloves (and change them each client). Sometimes double plasters, it was awful.

I’m happy to say after about 4 months of this I found I ceased to react! To my delight I very slowly started to reduce the protection and eventually was back to “normal”, it’s now 6 years on from there and all good fingers crossed. I found Vaseline and E45 best for healing the cracks.

I hope you find something works for you, we’re all different after all. My GP simply said stay away from acetone. Hmmm. Well ultimately yes but not after a good effort to keep doing what I love one way or another.

Good luck x