Health

I understand how allergic reactions work, but I am very perplexed at the high incidence of it I’m having lately. Please help.

January 01, 2003 | Bookmark +

In my 21 years of doing nails, I’ve had about eight people become allergic to acrylic monomer. However, in the past year I’ve had six clients become allergic. I’ve been using the same product for about five years and have had no problem until recently. I contacted the manufacturer to see if they knew of any problems and they didn’t. I understand how allergic reactions work, but I am very perplexed at the high incidence of it I’m having lately. Please help.

Answer

Allergic reactions can occur with any type of enhancement products. The vast majority of client allergies are caused by the nail technician repeatedly exposing the client’s skin to the enhancement product. Prolonged or repeated skin contact is most often the cause. Allergies usually occur after four to six months of repeated exposure. The result is often red, dry, cracked, or irritated skin around the cuticle area. If ignored, the symptoms can progress to form small water blisters. The second most common cause of client allergies is using too wet of a mix ratio. If your bead is too wet, clients can become allergic. Too wet of a mix ratio usually causes the nail bed beneath the plate to itch or feel “warm.” Using too large of a brush is sometimes the culprit. Larger brushes increase the chance of accidentally contacting the skin. A very large brush also holds excessive amounts of monomer, which can cause nail technicians to work too wet. — Doug Schoon

Bookmark +

What’s the cause of the pinkish-red oval area on the pad of my client’s toes?

I have a client who has a recurring problem with her fourth toes during the winter months. Both of her “ring finger” toes develop a pinkish-red oval area on the pad. Then a month later, when I see her again, the skin has become dry and hard like a callus, with the layers of skin peeling away to reveal a deeper, dark epicenter.  It’s extremely painful for her and, needless to say, we do not touch it. But it clears up in the summer when she’s wearing open-toed sandals, so I suspect it has to be due to the boots she wears in the winter. Plus she never puts lotion on her feet or uses a foot file in between visits. What do you think causes this?

We respect your data and privacy.
By clicking the submit button below, you are agreeing with Bobit’s Privacy Policy and this outlined level of consent.

Bookmark +

What are the big white spots on my natural-nail client’s nails?

I have a client who has been with me for about two years. She used to wear acrylic nails but has been a natural nail client for eight months or so. She has these white spots on her nails — big spots that are dry, but not flaky, right in the middle of the nail. I did try to buff them lightly but they do not come off or grow off. I had a new client come in last week who had the same on her toenails. She said it started after she had a pedicure done at another salon. Can you help?

Load More
a Bobit media brand

Create your free Bobit Connect account to bookmark content.

The secure and easy all-access connection to your content.
Bookmarked content can then be accessed anytime on all of your logged in devices!

Create Account