Confused about allergies

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BobSweden

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What is an allergy?
How do I protect myself?
How to choose a safe nail salon?

With the recent media attention regarding the statement by the British Association of Dermatologists that allergies to nail products has now reached epidemic proportions, Iryna and I have created a website that tries to answer these questions. We will launch the Say No To Allergies campaign at Olympia Beauty at the end of September and distribute a free booklet containing the website information, and more. The booklet will then be available for free download from the site after the show.

www.saynotoallergies.today

Media coverage of the BOD report included:

Gel and acrylic nails allergy warning - BBC News - BBC.com
Gel And Acrylic Nail Allergy Warning Issued By Doctors | Marie Claire ...
Chemicals in acrylic and gel nails are causing an allergy epidemic ...
Can You Be Allergic To False Nails? The Problem Is More Common ...
You Can Be Allergic To Gel Manicures — & You Might Not Even Know It
Patch tests should include chemicals used in false nail products, say ...
Dermatologists warn of dangers of acrylic and gel nails
Doctors issue health warning for gel and acrylic nails
Seven days in medicine: 8-14 August 2018
 
Screen Shot 2018-08-18 at 04.36.44.png
 
This situation reminds me of the vaping consternation which, thankfully, the British government have now fully and properly researched and have opted for a positive response.
With gels and acrylics I think the clincher will be informing public and press about exactly which ingredients are suspect how they cause a reaction and where they are most likely to be found. Without this research and information the press will go on a witch hunt against ALL gel and acrylic brands indiscriminately and cause public panic. Certainly with vaping some of the news reports were ridiculous with unfounded claims and lots of bogus ‘research’. I can see the same thing happening in this case. It could be very harmful for the reputable nail techs within the industry.
Perhaps council licensing would help, perhaps industry self regulation. Perhaps the government could be pressurised into banning certain substances.
Your campaign is a good start.
 
I think it is about being careful how you word your campaign as it is about how ingredients are used by the nail technician, rather than demonizing specific ingredients which can cause a lot of harm than good.

Some media outlets can spin it in favour of campaigners who don't want these "dangerous" products sold to nail techs. You only need to do a google search in finding out how "dangerous" UV lamps are as they can cause cancer, when they are actually unfounded claims and recently the FDA have approved them as safe.

Don't feed the monkeys as they will cause mischief.
 
Absolutely!
This is what I meant about careful wording. This BBC article says "the public to be wary of gel..." which includes any gel products even sold by reputable salons and brands! I agree about training, but this is what I call shooting yourself in the foot.

"Dermatologists are urging the public to be wary of gel and gel polish home kits..."

The sentence below demonizes the monomer ingredient used on nail products containing MA and opens the gateway for other products and marketing spin with so called "hypoallergenic" products which there are none to my knowledge as they all require a monomer to form chains when curing. The principal message should be about limiting exposure as much as possible and leave the polishing to the pros.

"It often occurs when gels and polishes are applied at home or by untrained technicians." - Yes I agree, leave it to the pros.

"Gel, acrylic and gel polish nails all contain methacrylates " - True, but in the nature of the article, it implies that all MA based products are harmful thus demonizing all gel and acrylic products. This will no doubt make the public fear about genuine products used in salons.

Might as well say avoid water because you can become allergic to it since it is a chemical based on one Oxygen atom and two of Hydrogen with a covalent bond. Look for aquagenic urticaria - a very rare allergy involving contact with water and you can become allergic to it.

Schoon is right, the nail industry is dying by a thousand cuts. Articles like these are inflicting damage IMO.

From my understanding, this was written by the BAD and there is a counter resistance to this advice by the link provided by Bob. Excellent stuff!

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45129280
 
Last edited:
Joe, I am unable to edit posts.

The BBC report was based on a study by the British Association of Dermatologists, who sexed-up their press release for their own agenda. Allergies have increased significantly but are not an epidemic.

Our response: https://saynotoallergies.today/reply-to-bod
 
About UV lamps, another example of some dermatologists - particularly those desperate from research grants and TV celebs, slagging off the nail industry.

What they don't say, is that they have a commonly used skin treatment that uses UV!!

Here's a summary of a scientific research paper.


"We elected to compare UV nail lamp irradiance with exposure of narrowband UVB (NBUVB) used for phototherapy. NBUVB is a commonly used dermatological treatment, viewed as low risk, although not as zero risk.

To achieve the same UV exposure as one course of NBUVB treatments, would need over 250 years of weekly UV nail salon exposure. Our study of three UV nail lamps reveals that such exposure is a tiny fraction of a single NBUVB course, and hence does not produce a clinically significant increased risk of developing skin cancer."

Source: Risk of Skin Cancer Associated with the Use of UV Nail Lamp
Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2013)
 
Oh boy, this is EXACTLY the same as the vaping issue. In that case governments and big pharma, realising they stood to lose billions in tax revenue and investments tried to make vaping look wildly dangerous. They even tried to rope in the WHO! The press leapt on it purely because it made a sensational read... it really did get out of hand and sensible voices were drowned out... proper gold standard double blind research swept under the carpet... I seriously hope the other agendas in this circumstance don’t escalate to the extent that did. It’s extremely damaging. Now is the time to be vigilant and visibly self regulate against risks. Public awareness of the difference between a proper nail tech with safe practises and the alternative option has never been more important.
 
Regarding the vaping issue. You may not be aware that the main alternative to cigarettes in Sweden is snus - like a small teabag that you place under your top lip. It only contains tobacco and a little salt. It is the reason that Sweden has the lowest by far, smoking related illnesses. Unfortunately, they have been unable to persaude the EU to allow them to export this - presumably because of lobbying by the cigarette industry.
 
I've vaped for over 8 years and along with Snus the EU have messed them up with over regulation. Be careful what you wish for in the nail industry as the EU will try their hardest to mess it up also. Regulation is fine but over regulation will kill the industry.
 
I’ve been a vaper for years too but don’t think I could get my head around stuffing something like a teabag in my mouth, might as well eat prescription nicotine tabs ( which give me heart palpitations!) which seems cleaner and simpler.
I think being a member of the vaping community has been a real eye opener as to how wrong things can get when knee-jerk authority and a press lacking any sense of morality join forces.
If regulation is based on fact then I wholly support it but too often it is shaped by irrational fear or financial, political and commercial alternative agendas. Fact can find itself with a hard fight on it’s hands against such divisive opposition.
Best way for the nail industry to navigate through this potential mayhem is to be proactive and take the reigns in self regulating to reduce harm. Create a distance between good and bad practise, good and bad product. Good self regulation makes it much harder for the powers that be to step in and mess things up simply for the swift dispatch of an irksome problem they know or care little about.
The vaping industry/ community did an excellent job of this in the UK and the government did eventually listen and consider things sensibly. Heart warming to know it is still possible to achieve this... do you think the nail industry might be next in line?
 
I’ve been a vaper for years too but don’t think I could get my head around stuffing something like a teabag in my mouth, might as well eat prescription nicotine tabs ( which give me heart palpitations!) which seems cleaner and simpler.
I think being a member of the vaping community has been a real eye opener as to how wrong things can get when knee-jerk authority and a press lacking any sense of morality join forces.
If regulation is based on fact then I wholly support it but too often it is shaped by irrational fear or financial, political and commercial alternative agendas. Fact can find itself with a hard fight on it’s hands against such divisive opposition.
Best way for the nail industry to navigate through this potential mayhem is to be proactive and take the reigns in self regulating to reduce harm. Create a distance between good and bad practise, good and bad product. Good self regulation makes it much harder for the powers that be to step in and mess things up simply for the swift dispatch of an irksome problem they know or care little about.
The vaping industry/ community did an excellent job of this in the UK and the government did eventually listen and consider things sensibly. Heart warming to know it is still possible to achieve this... do you think the nail industry might be next in line?

I think the UK will see more sense regarding any new regulation in the nail industry. The EU would take the route of whatever gives the most money and control to them. I followed closely the EU vape regulations and could not believe the corruption involved even to the vote which changed / added to the amendments minutes before the vote leaving no time for anyone to read them. Indoor smoking bans but this does not include the EU buildings, 10 x 10ml plastic bottle instead of 1 x 100ml bottle. Makes no sense so don't expect them to make and sense with any new nail regulations. The EU in my view are more likely to make any new nail regulations to benefit the rich leaving everyone else looking on without a thought on the thousands of nail tech's trying to make a living.
 
I think your confusing the EU parliament made up of hundreds of MEP’s from many countries with the U.K. Tory party/Brexit buffoons. :p
 
I think your confusing the EU parliament made up of hundreds of MEP’s from many countries with the U.K. Tory party/Brexit buffoons. :p

Confusing nothing ;)
 
All geek here have added good point to discuss I have nothing to add to this but I want to thank you for trying to stand up for nail tech everywhere by bring awareness to allergy being caused by NOt TRained nail tech and not because of the product.
Im happy to see there is people trying to make awareness instead of scare public with “having nail done is not safe!” but really it is “doing nail at home or with untrained nail tech can be unsafe”.
I wish more brand and company would make awareness to stand up for their product and their nail techs to show the public the only danger is from untrained people having access to chemicals they dont understand and no danger when professional is trained to use the chemicals correct way.
 

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