Health

I'm afraid I might be allergic to acrylic and not able to keep doing nails.

July 01, 1999 | Bookmark +

I know I am allergic to the monomer I was using. As soon as I stopped working, it took about a month to heal.

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I know I am allergic to the monomer I was using. As soon as I stopped working, it took about a month to heal. I have tried using gloves but that doesn’t help. I want to know if there is a monomer that is made for sensitive skin. I haven’t always had this problem and I’m thinking it’s something in the monomer I’m using now. What can I do?

I was on my way to being a successful nail tech when one day the three fingers that I hold my client’s fingers with and the three fingers on my other hand that I hold my brush with broke out really bad.

My fingers swelled up and got blotchy white spots and they itched terribly. I had deep cuts all over the tips of my fingers.

I know I am allergic to the monomer I was using. As soon as I stopped working, it took about a month to heal. I have tried using gloves but that doesn’t help. I want to know if there is a monomer that is made for sensitive skin. I haven’t always had this problem and I’m thinking it’s something in the monomer I’m using now. What can I do?

Doug Schoon: Allergic reactions are caused by prolonged and repeated contact to a specific ingredient in a product. Once a person becomes allergic to something, the allergy will last for life. This is why it is so important to work safely and always avoid skin contact with all monomers, gels, and resins. Any of these can cause adverse skin reactions if used incorrectly. Once a technician allows herself to become overexposed to this degree, her options are limited.

It is important to understand, nail technicians don’t become allergic to monomer or gels or any other product – they become allergic to a specific ingredient. A good dermatologist can help identify the ingredient(s) by patch testing. This is the only sure way to determine what is causing the allergies. Once you know the actual cause of the allergy, you can find products that do not contain that ingredient. However, if the technician continues to use sloppy techniques that cause overexposure of the skin, eventually, she will probably become allergic to another ingredient. Remember, all adverse skin reactions are completely avoidable, but skin contact must be avoided and products must be used correctly.

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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?

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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?

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