The "hidden" harmful effects of painting your nails regularly

Hidden dangers of painting your nails regularly (Source: Getty images)

Painting and drawing nails and toenails has become a beauty hobby of many women. However, few people know that this beauty treatment can cause some health effects.

A regular nail polish is made up of colorants and liquid solutions for polishing, mainly including acetone, ethyl acetate, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde. Among the harmful substances in nail polish, the three most dangerous are dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene, which have serious impacts on the health of users as well as nail technicians.

1. Is nail polish harmful?

Nail polish will help our hands become more beautiful and fashionable , but it also contains many unexpected dangers.

Gold nails

To get a beautiful nail polish color, nail polish must be added with a lot of pigments, including a variety of mineral pigments, synthetic pigments. These pigments, when exposed for a long time, will cause the nails to turn yellow or darken.

Nail fungus

Nail fungus is a common problem that occurs when you frequently paint your nails, nail fungus occurs due to candida or trychophyton fungi. When you have this condition, your hands will appear many opaque white spots near the base of the nail, if left for a long time, it can become inflamed and swollen.

Nails are prone to thinning and weakness

Nails exposed to too many chemicals that smooth the surface will easily become soft and much more prone to cracking. Not only that, these chemicals also contribute to significantly reducing the body's resistance. From there, creating conditions for diseases such as skin fungus, dermatitis, nail fungus, ... to develop.

Effects on the nervous system

If you smell nail polish and are exposed to it too often, you will have problems with your nervous system. Nail polish contains triphenyllyphosphate and this ingredient can affect the brain because it acts as a neurotoxin. In addition, toluene in nail polish when evaporated in the air will irritate the nerves, eyes, throat and lungs.

Effects on the fetus

Toluene is an ingredient in nail polish that is added to give the nails a shiny, smooth look. If pregnant women absorb this substance for a long time, it can cause miscarriage or birth defects. In addition, excessive use of this chemical can affect women's fertility.

Harmful to the heart, liver, and lungs

Some nail polishes also contain substances that can have harmful effects on organs in the body. Organs affected may include the heart, liver and lungs. Cancer risk

Formaldehyde in nail polish products is a carcinogen. If inhaled regularly, it can cause respiratory failure, lung cancer, throat cancer, leukemia, etc. Cheap nail polish products not only contain heavy metals but also contain suda - a highly toxic chemical. If used regularly, it will cause a high risk of cancer.

2. The difference between gel nail polish and acrylic nail polish

There are many types of nail polish, but the most common are gel nail polish and acrylic nail polish. In which, gel nail polish is a form of nail polish with gel color. With the ability to last longer, more shiny than normal color. Along with that, gel nail polish helps you have beautiful hands for 2 weeks to 1 month.

Acrylic nail polish is a popular nail polish today, it is made from using a polymer (powder) and a monomer (liquid), when these two substances combine, they create a hard plastic and are attached directly to the nail.

Gel nails and acrylic nails are two different nail painting methods with their own advantages and disadvantages as follows:

Nail maintenance time: Gel nails usually last for a few weeks or a little more. Meanwhile, acrylic nails can last for a few years with proper care and maintenance.

Pros: Gel nails don’t chip or damage your nails, and they don’t have an unpleasant odor. They’re also more flexible than acrylic nails and are considered more environmentally friendly. Gel nails also require less maintenance. Acrylic nails, on the other hand, last longer, cost less to repair, and make your nails healthier.

Disadvantages: Gel nails are generally less durable than acrylic nails. If they are damaged, you need to go to a professional to repair them, you can't do it yourself at home. Acrylic nails don't provide the same natural feel as gel nails, and the chemicals used in acrylic nails can be harmful if inhaled. You also need to regularly maintain acrylic nails.

Gel nails and acrylic nails are two different nail polish methods with their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice between the two depends on your personal preference and requirements. The most important thing is to maintain nail care and maintenance to ensure that your nails stay healthy and beautiful.

3. Note on safe nail polish

To beautify safely and protect your health, when painting your nails, please follow these notes:

You should choose nail polish products with natural ingredients and clear origin to protect our nails and should not use nail polish of unknown origin.

Pregnant women should not paint their nails.

You should wear gloves and masks when regularly coming into contact with nail polish.

To have healthy nails, you should use moisturizer or coconut oil to help nourish healthy nails.

You should stop painting your nails when your nails are yellow; your nails are weak and brittle; your nails are scratched; your body is tired, uncomfortable, or easily nauseous; the skin around your nails is inflamed, painful, or allergic./.

According to VNA

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