All artificial nails and adhesives, including UV gels, liquid-and-powder, fabric wraps, and dips are based on some type of acrylate, which includes urethane acrylate oligomers, methacrylates, and cyanoacrylates. It would be unlikely that a person would be allergic to “all acrylates” in general, since some are highly unlikely to cause allergic skin reactions. It’s more likely that a person would develop an allergic sensitivity to specific acrylates. A qualified medical doctor can perform various test to determine which particular type of acrylate is the cause of a skin sensitivity. Since these types of skin problems are generally caused by prolonged and/or repeated exposure, simply changing to another product and using it a fashion that can cause overexposure will likely lead to development of allergies to the new product as well. Nail professionals should work in such a way as to prevent prolonged and repeated skin contact, which will minimize the potential for developing adverse skin reactions.
— Doug Schoon is chief scientific advisor for CND.