Swollen, sore, itchy red nails after applying Gelish

[Rhubarb78]

Can anyone help please? My mum has been doing her own gel nails for about 6 months with a basic UV lamp and Blue SKy gelish (no, I know there are "better brands" but I don't want to enter that debate).

The last two times she has applied gels, she has got very sore, swollen and itchy fingers, a few hours later.

She says it is like sunburn but when I google this, I cannot find others experiencing this. All the posts are saying that it is allergy to the acrylates in the polish and it doesn't seem to matter whether people are using Shellac, or cheaper brands like CND or Blue SKy, as the basic ingredients are similar.

It is not the acetone as she put it on last night without using acetone.

She wonders if her tubes need replacing? she has had them about 6 months and does her nails maybe 3-4 times per month.

Antihistamines and hydrocortisone or eumovate ointment help ease it.

Any ideas would be great. Thanks for reading!

 

[PhuongL]

It sounds like she has an allergic reaction to the gel polish, since she has been doing them herself it is the only thing I can think of

 

[Paige@TheClinik]

Can anyone help please? My mum has been doing her own gel nails for about 6 months with a basic UV lamp and Blue SKy gelish (no, I know there are "better brands" but I don't want to enter that debate).

The last two times she has applied gels, she has got very sore, swollen and itchy fingers, a few hours later.

She says it is like sunburn but when I google this, I cannot find others experiencing this. All the posts are saying that it is allergy to the acrylates in the polish and it doesn't seem to matter whether people are using Shellac, or cheaper brands like CND or Blue SKy, as the basic ingredients are similar.

It is not the acetone as she put it on last night without using acetone.

She wonders if her tubes need replacing? she has had them about 6 months and does her nails maybe 3-4 times per month.

Antihistamines and hydrocortisone or eumovate ointment help ease it.

Any ideas would be great. Thanks for reading!

It does sound like an allergic reaction she is best removing them and seeing a GP, I don't wish to be rude only to give you the heads up, bluesky gelish is not Gelish, CND shellac is one brand and is not a cheap version the system she is using is bluesky.

 

[Rhubarb78]

I do know that Blue SKy is different from proper gelish and Shellac...but on all the posts I have found where people are allergic to the gel polish (whatever it is) it does not seem to matter whether using real Shellac or cheap copies, the allergy is the same, as it is the acrylates and not specifically caused by the brand.

 

[izzidoll]

Your mum has an allergic reaction to the Gel polish she is using.
She needs to stop using it, as every application will make it worse.

 

[Rhubarb78]

ok...can old bulbs cause a reaction as not curing the gel properly??

I have just googled allergic reaction to gels and found this page
Avoiding Skin Allergies

which basically agrees with her theory about the lamp. It says that as bulbs get old, they are less effective and leave the nails without properly curing, which can cause a reaction...

anyone know?

 

[izzidoll]

yes, under curing can cause an allergic reaction, as the under cured product is more likely to cause an allergy.
However once you have a reaction it will get worse and more severe every time you use the product.

 

[jadebeatty92]

I get this, it's a allergic reaction I'm highly allergic to certain wipe off solutions, she needs to give her hands a break from gels and see her gp.

 

[Rhubarb78]

Thanks. The problem is that they are so sore, she cannot face using the acetone just yet to remove it. I think she is possibly allergic to the gel but it is hard to know. She is going to patch test all her products on her arm, to see which it is. If she does not react to any overnight, then that would suggest that the bulbs need to be replaced...thanks everyone.

 

[izzidoll]

Thanks. The problem is that they are so sore, she cannot face using the acetone just yet to remove it. I think she is possibly allergic to the gel but it is hard to know. She is going to patch test all her products on her arm, to see which it is. If she does not react to any overnight, then that would suggest that the bulbs need to be replaced...thanks everyone.

NO NO NO!

Do not put products directly onto skin!

None of these products are meant to be on skin...just on nails!
She already has a reaction, putting product onto her skin is just going to make everything so much worse. You don't seem to be listening to what we are telling you.
This is no longer about bulbs, they may have been the catalyst for the reaction but now even changing them will not make any difference, as she has had an allergic reaction, which will keep occurring and get worse with every application.

If her skin is still too sore to remove the gel polish then I would advise she seeks medical advice.

 

[LolliDolli]

the posts are saying that it is allergy to the acrylates in the polish and it doesn't seem to matter whether people are using Shellac, or cheaper brands like CND or Blue SKy, as the basic ingredients are similar.

Blue sky comes under the 'cheaper brands' category. It is not a professional product.
CND is not 'cheap', Shellac is a CND product. Not two separate things.

It is more than likely your mum doing her own nails, with cheap products and no proper training, that has caused this reaction. The product has not been applied correctly (under curing) and has now caused an allergic reaction.
This is why it is always better to go to a salon.

She will probably be allergic to these types of products from now on. She needs to see her GP and stop applying this immediately.


Laura xx

 

[sianpetersx]

The gel polish shouldn't touch her skin, if it goes on the skin it should be cleaned off these areas properly before putting into the UV lamp. Curing product onto skin can cause all sorts of problems!
I know you said you are aware the Blue Sky is a nock off product but you really are safer using a professional brand, or going to a salon.
We really don't know exactly what is in these cheap replica versions and it is always safer and better to use a product that you know is safe and professional
You may find she is allergic to something in the gel polish and she would benefit more from a regular nail polish
Hope this helped xxx

 

[Rhubarb78]

I am listening .. we do try very hard not put the products directly onto the skin. My mum and I both do our own gel nails. We are as careful as possible for a novice, so that the polish goes onto the nails and not the cuticles. To remove, we use pure acetone on a cut down cotton pad and wrap in foil - but it is very hard to wrap the acetone around and not get the acetone on the skin at all. I have not seen her to know how bad they are but she says they are very swollen and itchy & sore...I think she might need to see the GP too. It is such a shame as the gel is great and lasts so long - my last one is on day 14 today

 

[Rhubarb78]

sorry, I meant CCO and not CND when I was talking about copies...I do know the risks of using the cheaper products and not official Shellac. Perhaps some of the base or top coat is going onto the skin without realising, but it is every finger

 

[sianpetersx]

sorry, I meant CCO and not CND when I was talking about copies...I do know the risks of using the cheaper products and not official Shellac. Perhaps some of the base or top coat is going onto the skin without realising, but it is every finger

Possibly! It can be quite difficult to see if the top/base coats are on the skin or not.
Maybe best to wipe the skin around every nail anyway whether it's visible or not just to be on the safe side xxx

 

[Lilypie]

sorry, I meant CCO and not CND when I was talking about copies...I do know the risks of using the cheaper products and not official Shellac. Perhaps some of the base or top coat is going onto the skin without realising, but it is every finger

I think Izzidoll was referring to your mum patch testing on her arm to ascertain which product she could be allergic to. Please don't do it, these polishes are made for use on nails only. As she's had a reaction already, applying the product to her skin is going to make it worse.

With removal you can't help but touch the skin slightly with acetone. I'm sure I read that acetone allergies are very rare so it points to the bluesky being the culprit. I think she needs to go to the docs if she can't face removing it. Maybe they could give her something to alleviate her discomfort so she can get it off?



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[JadeWytch]

I think Izzidoll was referring to your mum patch testing on her arm to ascertain which product she could be allergic to. Please don't do it, these polishes are made for use on nails only. As she's had a reaction already, applying the product to her skin is going to make it worse.

With removal you can't help but touch the skin slightly with acetone. I'm sure I read that acetone allergies are very rare so it points to the bluesky being the culprit. I think she needs to go to the docs if she can't face removing it. Maybe they could give her something to alleviate her discomfort so she can get it off?



Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

Just an FYI anyone else who is reading this post a million years later. It's important to note that some people WILL have allergic reactions to the polish, or will get a fungus from dirty tools, etc, and it took me some time with trial and error to figure out what the problem was for ME; not everyone will have this issue!
I recently found out that I have a UV sensitivity AND the medications I take ALSO cause additional UV sensitivity. If I am out in the sun at all without sunscreen my arms and hands begin to turn red and splotchy and it makes me feel very ill. This is a sensitivity to and an allergic reaction to the UV rays. After using the UV lamp (both at home AND in a salon) my first symptoms are itching and tiny bubbles form under the skin of the finger closest to the cuticles and at the very tips of the finger. Over time, the skin turns scaly and either sloughs off or you're at least very tempted to clip this skin off... It can be very painful if you don't realize what this is. At first, we thought it was psoriasis or fungus and so actually used the UV lamp more to help the conditions improve (as UV is indicated for psoriasis and keeping hands dry for fungus helps) and here I had actually made the reaction much worse.
The lotrimin I bought when we thought it was fungus does help quell some of the itching and burning sensation. Try not to scratch as this makes it much more painful. In other websites have indicated that UV allergies can be helped some by antihistimines, just be cautious of becoming dehydrated, especially if you're spending time in the sun. It's always recommended to use sunscreen, but especially with these reactions, UV light from the sun can cause the condition to worsen so make sure you are applying sunscreen to your hands and fingers and reapplying throughout the day if you are swimming or outside for any length of time.