Nail Myths

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They are all over the place - and they can be so confusing! Do you know what to believe?

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Here are some of the incorrect statements that I have found on the internet on various nail blogs, nail forums and health websites...and I am going to tell you what is wrong with these statements.

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1. You shouldn't wear nail products all the time because nails need to breathe.

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I hear this all the time!!!! It is FALSE!

Your nails do not breathe. They are dead.

The only living part of your nail is in the nail matrix where new nail is formed. 100% of the oxygen that is needed by the nail matrix to create a new nail plate comes from your bloodstream. Absolutely no oxygen penetrates through the nail itself.

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2. Calcium makes nails stronger

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Research studies have shown that increasing your calcium intake really won't make make much difference at all. A good balanced diet can help you have strong nails, but mainly nails respond well to good care. There isn't much to be gained from taking supplements that promise long strong nails if you then consume unhealthy food, use your nails as tools and immerse the nails in chemicals and don't bother with any kind of nail care.

Forget about supplements as a 'fix' for nails. The key to strong healthy nails is - a good balanced diet, regular manicures, good cuticle oil, washing up gloves when doing housework and never use nails as tools!!!

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3. Nail enhancements and Gel polishes damage nails.

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No they really don't. Professional Nail products don’t cause any harm to the nail plate at all. Any
nail damage, if it does occur, is usually the result of improper application and/or removal...and MMA use - for more information about this please see myth 11. 

No product that can be put on the nail will damage your nails. A Nail Technician who is not properly trained, or who rushes their work, will cause damage by incorrect application. A client who picks or pulls the nail enhancement or gel polish off, or tries to alter the manicure will damage the nail. Nail enhancements can actually be beneficial by providing weaker nails with a protective coating.

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4. It is best to avoid all nail products because they have chemicals in them.

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It is very easy to worry too much about the word 'Chemical' - Chemicals are everywhere and even water is a chemical substance. The use of chemicals is not something that is always going to cause harm. The only problem with chemicals is that improperly used chemicals can cause harm. So always ensure that your Nail Tech is qualified and really understands the products they are working with! Nail products are not harmful, but going to a Nail Tech who doesn't fully understand how to use those products is not really a good idea!

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5. The white spots on nails are a sign of vitamin or calcium deficiency.

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These white spots on fingernails are called “Leukonychia” and they are very common. They are not a sign of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. The main cause of them is an injury to the nail, usually so minor that you will not have noticed it. The matrix at the base of the nail, where the nail cells are formed, is very delicate and even the tiniest damage can cause these white spots to grow. Drinking more milk will do nothing to help!

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6. All Gel Polish is Shellac

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There is huge confusion over the 'All Gel polish is Shellac' myth.

 

Shellac is a type of Gel polish, but Gel polish is not Shellac and this causes a problem when clients and Nail Techs don't understand the differences.

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The correct term for Shellac is 'hybrid polish' which means it is a combination of gel polish and regular polish.  Gel polish has a different prep method, different application, different curing, different wear, different removal method, different removal timings and the cost of the service is different....

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Does that sound to you like they are "the same"?

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Shellac became a very popular in the very early days of Gel Polish, in fact it was one of the first types of Gel Polish. Nail salons began to refer to their Gel Manicures as a "Shellac Manicure" - perhaps because it is a very recognizable name. It helps to bring in clients who rightly associate the name 'Shellac' with very high quality. This has caused so much confusion over the term 'Shellac' that clients often do not know what they are actually getting, and Nail Techs don't know what they are working with.

 

I am not suggesting that this advertising is a devious lie - Sadly this myth is even still believed by professionals. I once had a conversation with a Nail Tech (who had many years of experience) and she tried to convince me and several other CND trained Nail Techs that ALL Gel Polishes were 'Shellac'. In her mind, all brands of Gel Polish are totally identical and so it was totally correct to refer to them all under the collective term 'SHELLAC polishes'.

Nail Technicians, even with many years of experience, aren't always aware of the difference...and they really should be! Shellac is a brand of Gel - it is not a generic term for 'Gel'.

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Shellac has very unique properties that differentiate it from a standard Gel Manicure.

So always make sure you know what you want and need when asking for a Shellac or Gel Manicure.

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7. Vitamins can absorb into the nail to make them stronger and healthier

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Vitamins cannot absorb through the nail plate and alter the nail in any way. Vitamins only reach your nails through the blood stream by eating a balanced healthy diet. One vitamin that is often found in nail products however is “Vitamin E”, but it is not there for nutritional purpose. Instead it is used because there is strong scientific evidence to support Vitamin E’s antioxidant abilities and it is for this reason it is used in nail care products like cuticle oil.

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8. Cutting your cuticle off makes your nails grow healthier.

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Usually when people are advising this, they are referring to the strip of skin at the base of your nail and calling it the 'Cuticle'. This is wrong and shows a complete lack of understanding of nail anatomy.

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This small ridge of skin they are calling the 'cuticle' is actually called the Eponychium.

Some people like this to be cut away because it makes the nail look tidier (Google 'Russian manicure') Many Nail Techs will not do this procedure due to the fact that it is too

invasive to a delicate part of the nail ...and I agree.

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The reason it is considered too invasive is that the eponychium is living tissue, so cutting it can cause it to bleed. Cutting it will also open the skin up to a serious infection called Paronychia. This causes the infected area to form an abscess which becomes very swollen and painful and can be serious enough to need medical treatment. 

Also doing this type of manicure is detrimental to the skin. When skin is cut repeatedly it will begin to protect itself from any further injury by growing back thicker. So you will end up with a vicious cycle of thicker skin needing to be cut away and growing back thicker.

 

The eponychium actually serves a purpose, so you don't want it to be treated aggressively.

It releases dead skin cells that are very sticky and these cells attach themselves tightly to the nail plate to create a firm seal between the nail plate and the eponychium.

This helps prevent bacteria getting into the nail matrix. The 'Cuticle' is actually the build up of these dead skin cells that grow up the nail plate from the eponychium.

So there is a good reason to have cuticle - but even though it has benefits, we don't want it to be growing along the nail plate and affecting the adhesion of any nail products. So it is removed during a manicure. When you have cuticle removal during a manicure the Nail Tech is not cutting away the eponychium. The thin layer of dead skin cells is removed by applying a cuticle remover and gently scraping it away with a cuticle pusher.

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Removing cuticle does benefit nail health even if you are not having products applied. It is a similar effect to when you apply a face scrub to clean away dead skin cells leaving you with a clearer complexion. Cuticle removal has the same effect for your nails and even just a mini manicure involving cuticle removal will transform your nails, but this myth about "cutting off your 'whole cuticle" (meaning cutting off the eponychium) is definitely not a good idea and should never be done.

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9. Artificial nails cause fungal infections.

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No, this is not true at all. Nothing used in the process of applying nail extensions can cause a fungal infection. Fungal infections are actually caused by pathogens we pick up from surfaces we touch and can occur with or without artificial nails. They can also happen if the client has not been advised of, or who chooses not to do, good aftercare. These infections are easily prevented by good nail care, proper hand washing and sanitizing practices.

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10. You shouldn't have nail treatments when you are pregnant.

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There is absolutely no evidence that it is harmful to wear artificial nail enhancements or polish during pregnancy. Everyone is different though - so you should check with your G.P or Midwife before treatments that you have no health issues that might cause problems.

 

It would be best to tell your Nail Tech as early as possible, especially if you have regular pedicures - because some pressure points on your feet should be avoided in pregnancy. You might find that you choose not to continue with your usual treatments for comfort reasons only.

 

For example - If you are an acrylic nail wearer you might be more sensitive to the monomer odour than usual, or the fragrance of some products might not be as pleasant as usual, especially during early pregnancy. You might find it uncomfortable to sit for the amount of time needed for your usual manicure.

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You might find that a Shellac manicure wears better/worse for you during pregnancy due to hormone levels, but it will not affect you or the baby in any way.

 

But from a health point of view nothing has changed...You can still have nail treatments if you are pregnant. Nail products cannot absorb into your blood stream and there are no adverse effects.

And in fact, having regular hand and feet treatments can help you relax which is really beneficial for you!

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11. Hard Gels are better for your nails than Acrylic

 

No they aren't. Hard Gel and Acrylic are basically the same product as they are from the same chemical family. They just work in different ways and give slightly different results.

I don't work with Hard Gel because it is 'better' than Acrylic. I work with Hard Gel because (in my opinion) Acrylic odour is totally unbearable!!!

 

Hard Gels are perfect for some people and Acrylics are perfect for others. Acrylic gets a very bad reputation from poor quality salons who often are not professionally trained, do very harsh application and removal practices, have little or no hygiene/sanitation/sterilization awareness, use low cost MMA products (methyl methacrylate) and they don't ensure that clients understand any aftercare.

 

If you are getting Acrylics done by a reputable, qualified and insured Nail Tech who uses EMA products (Ethyl methacrylate)- then your nails will not be harmed.

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12. Have Gel Powder on your nails because it is better for them

 

Before I explain this myth let me just list the main products available in Salons

 

Here are the main categories -

 

                                    Gel Polish   -   Colour applied and then cured under UV/LED light.

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                                   Dip Powder -  Resin brushed directly onto the nails, then the nails

                                                                   are dipped into a powder. It does not need curing.

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                                     Hard Gels   -  A Gel product applied as an overlay or to build nails

                                                                   using tips or forms. Needs curing and is not soak off.

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                                 Builder Gels  - A Gel product applied as an overlay or to build nails

                                                                   using tips or forms. It is cured and can be soaked off.

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                                            Acrygel -  A thick paste in a tube that is applied to the nail with

                                                                  the help of a slip solution. Needs curing. Suitability to

                                                                  soak off might varies according to different brands.

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                                             Acrylic  - A brush soaked in liquid is placed in dish of powder to

                                                                   form a paste that is applied to the nail which air dries.

                                                                  These can be soaked off

 

 

 Gel Powder is not a real product.

Gel isn't a powder and powder isn't a Gel - they can't exist in one product. Even Acrygel - which does combine acrylic and gel in one product - doesn't refer to the term 'powder' at all

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So, where does this myth come from?  First lets clarify that there are two types of acrylic available

 

MMA and EMA.

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Poor quality salons use MMA  products to keep costs down and profits very high.

MMA is VERY cheap compared to EMA products.

MMA is not actually designed for nail use.

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It is designed for and used to make dentures and replacement hip joints. This product, with its total lack of flexibility leads to severe injuries. It's inability to soak off effectively, along with the requirement to file down the nail plate down severely to ensure adhesion, has led to damaged nails and the general belief that Acrylic use is not safe.

 

Salons that don't want to use the more expensive EMA products needed to find a way to advertise the MMA powder to keep clients using it. So they gave it a new name.....'Gel Powder'.

Gels have the reputation of being higher quality, so the word "Gel" reassures worried clients. Increasing the price means that this 'Gel Powder' service seems to be a high quality service that is preferable to acrylic.

 

So the client chooses 'Gel powder' and the unlabeled products in the dishes is just the salons standard MMA Acrylic that that they have always used....and now they have got the client to pay extra to have it.

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These types of salons rely on people not knowing the products - what they do and how they work.

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So.....how can you get better treatments and get the right service for you?

 

Never allow a Nail Tech to use an unlabelled product during a service

Always ask for product names and research them

Protect yourself from fake products.

 

 

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