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DIY Gel Manicures May Harm Your Health

DIY Gel Manicures May Harm Your Health

By Tarena Lofton

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An Instagram slide where the background is the image of a hand with nail polish under a blue light. The text on the slide reads: "DIY Gel Manicures May Harm Your Health. A TikTok user claims to have developed an allergy from DIY gel nails. What gives? An allergist weighed in. Let’s walk through what happened in this viral video."
An Instagram slide of white text on a black background. The text reads: DIY GEL MANICURE SPIKE: Some people blame the uptick in DIY manicures on the covid-19 pandemic, when most businesses — including nail shops — closed their physical doors and stay-at-home mandates left people with more time to learn new skills. According to a February 2021 report from research company Mintel, 34% of U.S. adults who did their nails at home during the pandemic planned to continue doing so despite salons having reopened, due to a desire to save money. With that increase came swarms of people on social media claiming to have suffered allergic reactions after DIY gel manicures. Source: Glossy, “Tenoverten relaunches as product-centric nail-care brand”
An Instagram slide with a purple background and white text, as well as a photo of a man with a stethoscope around his neck. The text reads: "MEET THE ALLERGIST: KFF Health News talked with Zachary Rubin, a pediatrician specializing in allergy treatment and immunology, about the dangers of doing gel manicures at home. Early in the pandemic, around 2021, Rubin said, he saw more patients with severe rashes on their hands and faces. Rubin provides reliable information about popular health topics to his social media audience. After he was tagged in the comments of the TikTok, he stitched the original creator’s video and posted about the potential dangers of using gel nail polish at home."
An Instagram slide with white text on a black background. The text reads: "HOW THE ALLERGY DEVELOPS: The acrylates in most nail gels cause them to harden in seconds. They contain small molecules called monomers that, when exposed to ultraviolet light, combine chemically to produce large chainlike molecules called polymers. The formation of these bonds hardens or “cures” the product. An acrylate allergy usually occurs when the immune system is exposed to acrylate monomers that accidentally get on the skin. This typically happens when the light source is not used correctly or the polish is not completely cured. Sources: Kucharczyk et al., “Acrylates as a significant cause of allergic contact dermatitis: new sources of exposure”; TikTok video from @rubin_allergy published May 5, 2023"
An Instagram slide of white text on a purple background. The text reads: "CAUSE FOR CONCERN: The United Kingdom’s Office for Product Safety and Standards said last spring it was investigating the rising number of residents who have reportedly developed allergies in response to some gel nail products, according to the BBC. The British Association of Dermatologists warned that methacrylate chemicals, which are found in gel and acrylic nails, can cause allergic reactions in some people. "
An Instagram slide with a quote attributed to an email from Marie Jhin, founder and principal dermatologist at Premier Aesthetic Dermatology. The quote reads, "Gel manicures can be done safely at home, however, if they develop an allergy they can have long-term consequences such as rashes and nail dystrophy."
An Instagram slide of white text on a purple background. The text reads: "WHY IT’S DANGEROUS Once a person is sensitized to the chemicals, the body will react to anything containing acrylates. Acrylates are not only in nail polish but also in eyelash and hair extensions and medical products like dental fillings, surgical glues and implants, contact lenses, wound dressing, and diabetes medications. Once you get an acrylate allergy, it can cause lifelong issues. Sources: BBC, “Gel nails: Investigation launched into gel polish allergic reactions”; TikTok video from @rubin_allergy published May 5, 2023"
An Instagram slide of white text on a black background. The text reads: "HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF? Rubin generally recommends that people avoid DIY kits and get their gel manicures from professionals. He also recommends examining the skin near your nails before your next gel manicure. “You never want to do these types of nails if you have a rash or skin lesion that’s active,” Rubin said. If you perform a gel manicure at home, he recommends using nitrile gloves instead of latex or vinyl gloves because nitrile provides better protection against acrylate. Using nail polish without the common acrylate HEMA can also help reduce exposure."
An Instagram slide of a quote in white text on a purple background. The quote is attributed to Zachary Rubin, Pediatrician specializing in allergy treatment and immunology, and it reads, "If people are having rashes that bother them, talk to a doctor about it. And think about the products that you’re using."

A fresh set from the comfort of your own home? DIY gel nails have been all the rage on social media, but the practice could cause you to develop a life-changing allergy. In a TikTok video, creator @alina.gene describes developing an acrylate allergy from doing gel nails at home. Now, when exposed to acrylates, the creator feels severe pain. 

The creator warns viewers not to self-apply nail polish that requires a UV light to cure. In later videos, @alina.gene explains that at-home use differs from in-salon use because salon professionals have access to higher-quality chemicals that are less likely to cause reactions and that they also have proper training on how to safely apply the products. 

“I know I sound real dramatic because an allergy to gel nails or even an allergy to acrylates isn’t going to kill you, but the thing is, in the wrong situation it could prevent you from getting lifesaving medical care,” said @alina.gene in another video. Common medical products contain acrylates, and developing this allergy can cause major issues in obtaining future medical care. 

We asked an allergist to walk us through this viral video. 

If you enjoyed this story from the KFF Health News social team, follow us on Instagram @KFFHealthNews. 

✍️: KFF Health News Audience Engagement Team 

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