Allergic Reaction

[Brunette87]

A new client has had an allergic reaction to acylic nails.

This was the first time she has had acrylic nails on - she has only ever used stick ons.

She had removed stick on's a few days before I done her nails.

When i was doing her nails she had a swollen thumb - she wasnt sure what she had done to it.

I done her nails about a week ago and she said the bottom of the nail (around the cuticle) has started to sweel up and her swollen thumb is now double the size.

Im thinking now the swollen thumb was maybe a reaction to the sticks on since it has since swollen again.

Searching online allergies are quite common but I cannot find any information on how to help fix this.

They are going to be taken off today however is there anything my client can use to help repair her nails if there is damage/sensitivity after they are off? Or should all the swelling and any pain she may have go quickly?

Any help/advise would be great!

Also, if she is allergic to the brand I used - would she be allergic to another?

 

[Envy]

stick on nails are very, very unlikely to be an allergen source. They are an inert plastic applied with cyanoacrylate (superglue) and it's extremely uncommon to be allergic to either - this is very different chemistry to professional enhancements, so will likely have no bearing on the issue...

My worry is that she has possibly an infection - a severly swollen thumb prior to application does not really sound like an allergic reaction...

If she has indeed reacted to 'acrylic' nails on her first ever application this is really unfortunate but not unheard of...
The old adage is: blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin, beware... This is generally going to be someone more likely to produce histamine reactions (allergy) to irritants...

Does she suffer from other skin irritations, such as hair colour, itchiness from washing powder etc... If so then she is just very prone to irritation and possible allergic reaction.

In answer to your question, if she is allergic, then she will likely be allergic to most brands, as most use similar chemistry - there are some products such as BRiSA from CND that are less likely to cause irritation

Taking them off will help if it is indeed an irritation/allergic reaction, they may take a long time (weeks) to recover. But again, I'm not convinced this is all that's going on here. She may be advised to go to a skin specialist for assessment...

There is no 'cure' for allergic reaction as it is actually the body's protection system thinking it's under attack. Much the same as bee or peanut allergy - the body has become confused about the severity and wages all out war....

The biggest thing techs can do to reduce the chances of irritation/ allergy is to not overexpose clients. This includes never letting monomer touch skin and not working too wet...

I hope this helps a little...