How harmful are extended nails. Is it bad to grow nails? Which is better - gel or acrylic

Is it bad to grow nails? What is better - gel or acrylic?

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And it is the master who must give a qualified assessment of the nails and advise the type of material for building. How to understand what is more suitable for the client - gel or acrylic?

The choice of material depends on the moisture content of the natural nail plate, on its strength and thickness.

Is it bad to grow nails?

No, it is not harmful, since the nail plate is a completely keratinized part. Subject to the extension technology, moreover, under the artificial material, your nails are not exposed to the external environment.

What is better - gel or acrylic?

The answer to this question is quite complicated, since both extension technologies - gel and acrylic differ in themselves. Acrylic is a material that hardens in the air. The gel is a light curing material. There are many tales that the gel nourishes or restores nails, but this is not true, since the gel contains acrylates as well as acrylics themselves.

The only plus of gel technology is the absence of smell when building, although acrylic nails are preferred in terms of the strength of finished nails. And another plus of acrylics is the ability to create an unusual design. Recently, the most preferable is the combination of both technologies, which gives a lot of advantages for both the client and the master.

Acrylic

Now consider acrylic. Sometimes you can hear “terrible” news about this material that it is dangerous to health, that “it was banned in Europe”, that “nails do not breathe through acrylic, but breathe through gel”, that “extended nails need to be removed periodically in order to rested their own” and other delusions.

It is not true. Acrylic is not more harmful to health than gel. Acrylics were the first to appear. As in any new business, everything was based on trial and error. So, the liquid that dissolves acrylic powder contained MMA - methyl methacrylate, a toxic substance and, therefore, harmful to the health of both the master and the client. Then, when MMA was banned for use by almost all Ministries of Health of all countries, MMA was replaced by EMA - ethyl methacrylate.

Today's acrylics are very different from the very first acrylic extensions. The powders have become much finer, the monomers do not contain such a strong smell as before, the nails from the new generation of acrylic systems are plastic, thin and, with the right modeling, at the same time strong. The current acrylics (and gels) allow the natural nail to “play” under the material under loads (impacts, gentle pressure) and remain unharmed. But the first acrylics were very hard, it was difficult to cut them out, practically only with the roughest saws, the nails were thick and when hit, your nail often burst either under the material or along with it. It is clear that these were serious injuries, sometimes leading to the fact that the natural nail grew deformed after that. This is where horror stories about the dangers and prohibition of acrylic stretch.

Acrylic and gel, as mentioned earlier, have an almost identical composition. Both acrylic and gel are a mixture of monomer and polymer.

Only in the acrylic system for polymerization it is necessary to mix the monomer (the so-called liquid) with the polymer (a chain reaction occurs and polymerization occurs). And in the gel system, the monomer and polymer are already mixed together, and polymerization occurs due to the initiator (ultraviolet light) through a UV lamp.
By the way, there is a type of UV-curable acrylic that does not have a strong odor, but many craftsmen do not like to work with it, because they consider it to be of insufficient quality (often gives peeling).

In Europe, many craftsmen work with acrylic, and it has not been banned anywhere. Usually, either self-taught craftsmen or craftsmen who do not know how to work with acrylic (it is more difficult to lay out and process) sin and thus justify themselves to clients.

Nails don't breathe. They get all their nutrients through the blood. Whether their surface is covered with nail polish or acrylic (gel) - there is no fundamental difference for nails.

Even when removed, acrylic creates fewer problems for your nails than gel. Acrylic is dissolved with a special liquid, and the gel has to be cut off “to nothing”, which, even with the most accurate sawing, undoubtedly affects the nail plate to a greater extent than just polishing the nail plate after dissolving the acrylic.

When it comes to “removing extended nails to rest your own,” these are simply illiterate statements by people who do not have enough information on this topic. Sometimes the client just wants to walk around without extended nails (no time to do correction, financial difficulties, other personal reasons), but natural nails themselves do not need to rest. Artificial nails can be worn for several years without removing, and this will not harm natural nails. Apparently, the reason for such statements lies in the fact that after the removal of extended nails, the nail plate becomes more sensitive to external influences, thinner due to repeated grinding and degreasing during corrections and extensions. In such cases, some ladies claim that they "treated their nails for a long time, because the extension ruined them." They do not need to be treated. It is enough after removing the nails to regularly apply and rub vitamin oil into the cuticle and wait 3 months. Exactly during this period, the nail plate completely grows and, accordingly, is updated. Everything that was cut down and thinned grows together. It remains its own nail, which was before building. I draw your attention once again, "which was before building up." That is, if your native nails did not shine with strength and health, then even after removing and renewing the nails, nothing supernatural will happen, your own will grow as much as health allows.

One more observation. If the gel nail breaks, then, as a rule, no harm is done to your natural nail. If an acrylic nail breaks, then it usually happens painfully, the nail receives a tangible injury to one degree or another. But all these are already nuances, depending on the length and quality of nail extension, as well as the competent construction of an artificial nail.

Acrylic extension looks like this. First, a standard procedure for preparing a natural nail for extension is carried out (cuticle processing, grinding, degreasing, setting tips or forms). Then the master takes a brush and dips it into a cup with monomer (liquid), squeezes out excess liquid on the edge of the cup and picks up acrylic powder with a wet brush. Then this wet ball of powder is laid out on the nail and distributed over it in the right directions. In the process of laying out acrylic, the master performs the required design in the form of modeling with colored acrylics, sparkles, rhinestones or other decor options.

After completing the work on the formation of a new nail, the master with files of various abrasiveness brings its shape to perfection. To add shine and protection from external influences, the acrylic nail is covered with a “finish gel” followed by curing in a UV lamp or polished to a shine with a polisher and oil.

New acrylic nails are ready.

Gel

So, let's dispel the common myth that one of the materials is better. We often hear such reviews from clients or girlfriends: At first I made acrylic, but after two days everything fell off. Then I tried the gel, and everything is fine! or vice versa: the gel cracks all the time, and I have been wearing acrylic for three years without problems.

In fact, there are simply people who are not suitable for acrylic, they are approximately 5%, and there are also people who are not suitable for gel. They are also about 4-5%, not more. There are still people whose nails reject both materials (6-7%). You can see for yourself that the percentages are very small and the probability of you getting into this list is not great. So why do the above reviews still have a place to be?

Usually, it is not the material itself that is to blame for cracks, breaks and other "troubles". There are a few more reasons and they are different. Here are some of them:
- low-quality material (cheap Chinese or simply not certified products or a fake under a well-known brand);
- low-quality work of the master (non-compliance with extension technologies, insufficient professionalism);
- skin diseases, taking antibiotics, hormonal disorders of the client's body;
- non-compliance with the rules of "socks" extended nails (mechanical damage, chemical exposure, etc.);
- individual intolerance to the material (allergy to a certain material and its rejection).

Individual intolerance is not in vain at the last place on our list. This is the least likely reason. Hence the moral - if the nails are made by a professional from high-quality material, in compliance with extension technologies, then they will be worn for as long as they are supposed to (from correction to correction) and without any problems. Both acrylic and gel.

We can also guess why some clients prefer gel, while others prefer acrylic. The fact is that the development of technology does not stand still and materials for nail extension are constantly being improved. Previously, acrylic nails were polished to a shine using fine-cut files and oil, which significantly lengthened the time spent on building up. Now the so-called “finish gels” have appeared, which give the necessary gloss and protect the nails from external undesirable influences much faster, better and better than oil polishing.

Another “minus” of acrylic building is considered to be a peculiar chemical smell that takes place during this process. Some people don't like it. Although there are special lovers of this smell.

It is for a number of reasons listed above that some ladies prefer the gel. But the gel also has a number of disadvantages. One of them is the fragility of the nails. Acrylic is much stronger than gel. Also, when the gel is cured in a UV lamp, the client often experiences a “burning” sensation on the nail plate due to the short-term heating of the material during the polymerization process. This is especially noticeable in owners of thin nail plates. This "minus" also sometimes outweighs the scales in the direction of acrylic build-up when choosing a material.

Acrylic, due to its greater strength, allows you to correct the irregular shape of nails, correct their growth and appearance. Gel copes worse with this task.
Other differences in the technology of application, correction and repair do not affect the appearance of the nails in any way, and, accordingly, will not be taken into account.

It turns out that no material is better than another, they are just different and it is up to you what to choose. A competent specialist, taking into account the characteristics of your hands and your lifestyle, will help you make the right choice.

The technology of gel extension is quite simple. First, the preparation of the nail plate, which is standard for any type of extension, takes place: degreasing the nail plate, giving the desired shape to the free edge of the nail and setting the tips or shape.
Then the nail is covered with one layer of gel and after that the finger is placed in a special UV lamp, in which the polymerization (hardening) of the material occurs under the influence of UV rays.
Then the necessary design is applied to the laid out and hardened base and everything is covered with a second layer of gel, which is already a little thicker than the previous one. The nail is again placed in the UV lamp for 2 minutes.
After the period necessary for the polymerization of the material, the so-called “sticky layer” is removed from the surface of the nail, the nail is given the desired shape with a file and covered with a “finish gel”, which is also cured in a lamp. The cuticle is lubricated with nourishing oil, and the extension is over.
Beautiful new nails are ready.

I repeat once again:

In the question of what is more harmful: acrylic or gel, there is a clear answer: the most harmful is the master who does not understand what he is doing.

And it is the master who must give a qualified assessment of the nails and advise the type of material for building. How to understand what is more suitable for the client - gel or acrylic? The choice of material depends on the moisture content of the natural nail plate, on its strength and thickness.

If the nail plate is wet, only gel is suitable for such nails. Acrylic, in this case, will flake off.

On thick and dense nails, it is best to build up acrylic, because the density of the gel will not correspond to the density of the nail and will “break off” from the plate.

And I’ll tell you a little secret, few people know that, in fact, gel is the same acrylic !!! Its main component - oligomer - is acrylics and monomers. Simply put, the gel is made from acrylic. You can easily verify this by picking up a jar of acrylic and gel and carefully reading the composition of these materials.-)

So read on and draw your own conclusions.

Updated 05 Feb 2016. Created 30 Sep 2007

Today there are many myths and misconceptions about the dangers of nail extensions. In this article, we will consider the most common of them, as well as talk about what mistakes the masters can lead to the appearance of such myths. Many people do not dare to increase their nails because of the fear of ruining their natural ones. However, many women do nail extensions, and subsequently do not regret it at all, because with such nails there is much less hassle, lacquer stays on them for a long time, hands always look well-groomed. Where do the myths come from? the dangers of nail extensions among beginners and many clients? What is there to be afraid of?

Sawing of the nail plate, or harm from nail extension by an unskilled master

When preparing a natural nail for extension, to remove the lipid layer or gloss, nail files with an abrasive of 180-240 or more grit are used. Grit (grits) - a unit of measure for the number of small particles of spraying on a nail file. For example, 180 grit means that 180 particles are applied to 1 sq. cm of the surface. The more grit, the smaller the particles and the greater their number, therefore, the nail file cuts softer and removes a smaller layer of the nail.

Natural nails on average consist of 125 layers of keratin plates. They lack nerve endings and blood vessels, which means that the nail plate is hardened (dead) keratin cells. To prepare for building up, it is correct to use nail files from 180 grit and above. In this case, only 2-3 layers of keratin plates are removed - that is, after proper processing of the nail, the difference cannot be noticed. If you use nail files for artificial materials (80, 100, 150 grit), when processing natural nails, you can remove up to 70 layers of the nail plate. As a result, the nails become too thin and painful. When pressed, they turn red, as the nail bed is saturated with blood capillaries that deliver oxygen-enriched blood to it. So, the wrong choice of file in preparation for modeling, and as a result, sawing of natural nails can be one of the reasons for the appearance of conversations about the dangers of nail extensions. As you can see, this is only the fault of the master.

Harm from removing nails after building

Building materials can be soluble (removed by soaking in a special liquid), and insoluble (removed by sawing). If you cut off the artificial material completely with the help of a milling cutter or coarse files, you can easily remove part of the natural nail. To avoid damage to the nail plate, remove half the thickness of the coating with a file with an abrasive of 180 grit. The remaining material is better to gradually splice and cut off the end as it grows, until the nail plate is completely renewed. Considering that regrowth will take at least 4 months, at this time it is better to cover the nails, which will make them denser. It can be easily removed by dissolving without damaging the nails. And in this case, if there is harm from nail extensions- this is the result of insufficient qualifications of the master.

Is it harmful to increase nails every month?

With the correct removal of artificial gel nails, only 2-3 layers of keratin plates are removed. But, given that the complete renewal of the nail plate lasts from 4 to 6 months, it is not recommended to completely file off the material and model new nails every 3 to 4 weeks. In any case, this will lead to a gradual decrease in the natural thickness of natural nails. Instead of a complete sawing, it is possible with a change in design. Another option is not to remove the artificial material completely before a new extension, leaving 1 mm of the old and not affecting the natural nail. Thus, a competent master does not apply damage to nails during extension.

Damage from nail extensions as a result of incorrect modeling geometry

If the rules for nail modeling are not followed, not only the artificial coating, but also the natural nail plate can break. During the extension, it is necessary to take into account the apex zones, the correctness of the C-curves, even transverse arches, stress zones, parallel lines. Each form of nails has its own modeling features that nail service masters need to take into account in their work. An important point is meeting the deadlines, since during the growth of nails, the zones that are responsible for the strength and appearance of the coating are shifted. These zones are shown in the figure on square-shaped nails. The displacement of the apex and the stress zone at the time of the necessary correction is clearly visible, when the free edge can tilt down during the growth of natural nails. During the fusion of the artificial material, the natural nail can be damaged due to the displacement of the zone of gravity - upon impact, it can easily crack along with the artificial one just above the middle of the nail. To maintain the ideal condition and appearance of the nails, the interval between corrections should be no more than 3-4 weeks. And here harm from nail extensions can be obtained through the fault of the master, who does not comply with the laws of geometry and the timing of correction.

Harm from nail extensions using non-certified and low-quality materials

Always work only with certified materials. Materials containing methyl methacrylate (MMA) cause lung cancer in nail technicians over long periods of time. Vapors of this substance are very harmful! Back in the 70s of the last century, the American association FDA (Food and Drug Administration - Office for Sanitary Inspection for Food and Drug Administration), having considered many complaints about harm to health as a result of the use of liquid acrylic monomers containing methyl methacrylate, introduced a ban on production in the United States monomers containing MMA and set tough sanctions against companies that ignore the ban. There were precedents when methyl methacrylate led to serious damage to the nail plate and even to its complete loss, to the occurrence of allergic reactions, to various irritations and infections. Given that methyl methacrylate is a banned drug, it is rarely found on the list of ingredients on the label. It is recommended to use monomers containing EMA (ethyl methacrylate), which does not cause such effects and is used in the manufacture of many types of cosmetics. You should also not buy cheap building materials, which are often of very dubious quality. Such materials can quickly exfoliate from natural nail plates. Outcome: harm in nail extensions may be obtained from the use of non-certified or low quality materials.

Nails do not breathe under the material - another myth about the dangers of nail extensions

One often hears about the strong harm to acrylic nails, which allegedly does not allow the nails to "breathe" and, conversely, about the existence of gels that allow oxygen to pass through.

In fact, nails do not breathe at all. They do not have a respiratory apparatus, and their composition indicates that the nails are not able to breathe with the help of the surface, even without artificial coating. As for gels and acrylics, they belong to the same chemical group - acrylates, and therefore cannot “breathe” or “not breathe”. In the nutrition of nails, an important task is performed by the circulatory system, which delivers the necessary nutrients through the capillaries located directly under the nail bed.

The next myth about the dangers of nail extensions is “artificial nails are a breeding ground for bacteria”

Many argue that bacteria multiply between false and natural nails. The opinion is quite common, but where does it come from? Only because of the errors of the master when performing the correction! If there are, they must be removed. During correction, it is impossible to cover the detachments with new material - ideal conditions for the development of bacteria are created in the resulting cavity in a humid environment. Correctly made correction completely eliminates the appearance and reproduction of bacteria between the artificial coating and the natural nail plate - no damage from nail extensions will not be.

Health hazards in nail extensions due to insufficient disinfection of hands and tools

Before starting any nail procedure, whether manicure, pedicure, extension or correction, it is always necessary to disinfect the working surfaces of the table, tools and hands of the master and the client. Otherwise, infection of the hands or nails may occur, both for the client and the master. Before the procedure, always use a skin antiseptic, which not only ensures the sterility of the hands, but also protects the skin from germs for a certain amount of time. The skin tool is sterilized at high temperature, disinfected and stored under an ultraviolet or infrared lamp.

Clients with hand or nail skin conditions should be referred to a doctor. Otherwise, the master runs the risk of becoming infected himself and infecting another client. In addition, it still won’t be possible to solve the problem, you can only disguise it under artificial material, and the disease under it will progress without proper treatment. So, harm from nail extensions in this case, it can be obtained through the fault of the master.

Changing the shape of natural nails after building

With prolonged wearing of artificial nails, the shape of natural nails changes - they become longer and narrower - this is a fact. During the extension, the master clamps the artificial coating, the natural plate of the nail is squeezed from the sides - as a result, the nail bed gets used to this position and eventually takes on a new shape. Thus, clients who had short ones get beautiful elongated nails. As we can see, in this case not only no harm from nail extensions, but even there is a benefit.

Allergy to artificial materials - harm from nail extensions

Materials for modeling nails can sometimes be an allergen, just like cosmetics, food, etc. Allergies can manifest both the next day and after the allergen has completely accumulated in the body (up to several years). Itching may appear in the area of ​​​​the cuticle and lateral ridges. With the accumulation of the allergen in the body and direct contact of the material with the skin, cracks in the upper layers of the skin may appear. In such cases, the coating should be removed as soon as possible and no more experiments should be carried out. The percentage of people with such a reaction is very small, but such is their nature and there is nothing to be done about it. How to minimize the likelihood of allergies: try to avoid getting artificial materials on the skin, use only certified materials, work in a mask, with a hood and an air purifier. Carefully remove the sticky layer from the surface of the nail with different wipes, do it carefully to prevent the dispersion layer from getting on the skin. So you can avoid intoxication with the material. Do not put yourself and your customers at risk - work professionally only with high-quality materials!

Another misconception about the dangers of nail extensions - "UV lamps cause cancer"

Such information even sounded on television in the Info-SHOCK program, which caused some excitement in the nail industry.

Summing up, we can conclude that the main reason damage from nail extensions are unskilled craftsmen who do not have the necessary amount of knowledge or save on materials.

Nine conflicting assumptions or opinions, about how natural nails feel under artificial material and after removal of artificial nails.

Modern women are already accustomed to nail extensions. It seems that this service has always existed, but this is not at all the case. Nail modeling technology appeared in the 60s of the last century. During this time, the nail extension procedure, like any other, has acquired a large number of erroneous opinions and assumptions.

Artificial nails look unnatural!

1. Many women, girls, are afraid that extended nails will look unnatural, rough, because they are thicker than natural ones. They think about how uncomfortable they are to wear and do any housework. Perhaps this was the case in the initial technology of nail extension. But the time of the initial technology is over. Nowadays, you can build up your nails with gel or acrylic technology, without any doubtthat they will not look natural. And the latest achievements in the nail industry allow,choose for the client, the color of the material for nail modeling, according to the color of the nail plate, taking into account the individual characteristics of skin color, hand shape, client.

Extended nails are afraid of water!

2. This is an erroneous opinion about extended nails, which appeared from unskilled craftsmen. In fact, modern artificial nails, made of gel or acrylic, are not at all afraid of water. They are made from high-tech polymers that interact very closely with the keratin of the natural nail. Therefore, neither washing dishes nor taking a bath, as well as visiting the sauna andthe pool cannot affect the delamination of the artificialmaterial from a natural nail plate. Of course,your husbands do not need to know that this is the case, otherwise they will not help you with household chores.Knowing how much you will spend for breaking nails, their hands themselves reach out to wash the dishes.

After removal of extended nails, natural nailsexfoliate, become weak and brittle!

3. The nail plate deteriorates not from the materials on which the extension is made, but from non-professional craftsmen, or from yourself if you are trying to remove your nails without havingrelevant knowledge, skills and tools. The main reasons that spoil nails are improperly prepared nails.for building, incorrect correction, work on cheap low-quality materials.The inept work of the master makes the extended nails look thick and rough. The most important thing in quality work is the master himself and his qualifications. Often people think that during the nail extension procedure they harm their own nail plate. However, this opinion was formed as a result of the work of self-taught masters who do not comply with the technological aspects and can really cause harm by incorrect filing of the natural nail before the procedure, incorrect or insufficient chemical treatment of the natural nail and technologically incorrect laying out of the material on the natural nail, which leads to delamination of the artificial material. and damage to natural nails. The opinion that the nails "stop breathing" is also erroneous, since they do not have their own respiratory apparatus and cannot breathe at all. There is an increase in the humidity of the nail plate and a decrease in evaporation as a result of covering them with an artificial material, which can also be nail polish, gel or acrylic, which helps to accelerate the growth of natural nails. Many people ask how often it is necessary to “rest” natural nails and remove the artificial coating, without thinking that every month at the time of correction, their master works with a new part of the natural nail. Consequently, after 3-4 months, the nail is completely renewed and during the entire period of time under the artificial material it is free from contact with household chemicals, water, which do not benefit natural nails.

Extended nails - long nails!

4. Many women believe that if you build up nails, then those that would be visible to everyone. Of course, this does not mean that such nails are fashionable. This is a matter of individual taste of each client. Moreover, the current trend in manicure is naturalness. Mostly popular and comfortable, the nails are medium long and oval in shape. Actually the nails can be of any length and shape.The main purpose of building up is to hide the flaws and emphasize the merits. Recently, this procedure has shown its popularity among men. Moreover, male simulated nails visuallyindistinguishable from natural. It is advisable to choose nails of such length and shape,whichever you like. The main thing is harmony and comfort with your image.

You can get allergies from extended nails!

5. Modern materials for nail extension do not contain any harmful components that maycause an allergic reaction, and even more so harm your health. Quite the opposite, extended nails can help solve some problems: for example, acrylic modeling will help with ingrown toenails. Of course, you should be careful when filing nails, because artificial nail dust, like any other, is harmful and can cause allergies. Therefore, the masters in the salons believe that it is better to work in a mask. And this is understandable: they have to serve 3-4 clients a day. If you visit your master once every three weeks, then you have nothing to fear. Dust from filing gel and acrylic nails is not harmful, unlikefiling of natural nails. So if you prefer extensions, there is nothing to worry about.

Before modeling, be sure to do a manicure!

8. Yes, you need to! But not classic by any means, but a mini manicure. To do this, the master simply shifts the cuticle and cleans the pterygium with a nail file or spatula. If the master offers you to do a trimmed manicure before extension, this means that the master has insufficient qualifications. During a classic manicure, the nails absorb water and change their shape, becoming flat. Water evaporates over time and the nails become as they were before. All this has a bad effect on the simulation result. As a result, artificial coating does not adhere well to natural nails. In addition, not a single master is immune from the fact that no matter what the cuticle is hooked with a nail file. If the manicure is done before the build-up, then the continuation of the procedure will be painful in terms of sawing when the cuticle is touched, and not safe in terms of health. It is recommended to do a classic manicure 4-5 days before the extension procedure or after nail modeling. Only then will your nails really be in perfect order.

Extended nails are very expensive!

9. Of course, you can’t save on beauty and health for a purpose. Nail modeling is a modern service in every sense. It is not only convenient, but also economical. First of all, artificial nails save your time, nerves, and strength. Visiting a beauty salon for correction 1 time in three or even four weeks, you will completely forget aboutmanicure. A classic manicure should be done every week. On artificial nails, lacquer and painting are kept in perfect condition until the correction itself. Thaton natural nails at the first washing of dishes, you need to change both the varnish and the pattern.So the choice is always yours.

Many lovers of long nails at least once or even much more often resorted to the nail extension procedure. And many even do it regularly, every month. Some girls note that after removing such a manicure, their own legs look far from the best. In this regard, the question naturally arises, is nail extension harmful?

Wizard errors

Of course, in itself, the presence of a natural nail under a dense chemical layer in conditions of oxygen deficiency cannot but have a negative impact. However, very often it is aggravated by the fact that the masters violate the extension technology or make other common mistakes. The following violations can bring the greatest harm to their own nails:

Very much the harm or relative harmlessness of building depends on what materials your manicurist uses. Modern certified materials used in most beauty salons are relatively safe for health, but sometimes masters can use low-quality or uncertified outdated basic and auxiliary materials. This is due to the fact that low-quality gel or acrylic are much cheaper, especially often masters working at home try to save money in this way. In addition to the fact that such features significantly harm their own plate, they, in many ways, negatively affect the quality of the manicure. In particular, when using them, various detachments, scratches, breaks and chips can occur.

Unconditional harm

Along with the mistakes of the master, when answering the question of whether acrylic or gel is harmful to nails, one can mention the unconditional harm of building, which is associated precisely with the procedure itself and some of its features. This is the harm that even the most experienced and professional master cannot effectively minimize. First of all, this is the fact that any layer of building material does not allow air to pass to the nail.

The lunula zone itself is covered for the first few days (until the nail grows back). It is known that it is in it that the active development of the building material of nails - keratin - takes place. Thus, under conditions of insufficient aeration, the nail may grow back curved, distorted, and otherwise deformed. Thus, although it seems that the nails do not need to “breathe”, since they are a layer of keratin, in which there is not only a respiratory apparatus, but even blood vessels, they nevertheless need a constant supply of oxygen.

Another aspect that makes one wonder whether it is worth doing extended nails and whether it is harmful or not is the problems with the development of a natural protective layer of the nail, which stops when long-term artificial compounds are applied to its surface. This is a problem not only of building up, but also of applying shellacs, gels, etc. As a result of the fact that this layer ceases to be produced, and its remnants are initially removed during extension by grinding, the nails remain completely defenseless against aggressive chemicals that remove (dissolve) extended nails.

After that, for quite a long time, the nails remain just as vulnerable. During this period, it is worth wearing rubber gloves when cleaning. Carry out restorative procedures, etc. However, the plate can still become brittle, thin, change color to yellow or gray.

Potential Harm

The next question in the discussion of whether gel or acrylic nails are harmful is related to the high likelihood of bacteria developing under the coating. And although, ideally, the master should disinfect all tools, materials and your nail in such a way as to completely exclude this possibility, it is practically impossible to do this in full quality. For example, the same nail fungus can be completely invisible even to a professional in the early stages, but in a few weeks the lesion can develop significantly and become quite large. This is especially likely under a layer of gel, since you not only do not see the first symptoms of the disease, but also cannot disinfect the nail even by washing your hands.

Damage to extended nails according to this indicator occurs especially often in cases where multiple corrections are made. The very development of bacteria occurs in various kinds of detachments and air pockets, which, at times, are so small that even an experienced craftsman cannot always notice them. Thus, the more "old" your nails, the higher the likelihood of infection developing between the artificial and natural layer.

Thus, everyone has to decide for himself whether it is worth doing nail extensions with gel or acrylic and whether it is harmful. In some cases, perhaps, "the end justifies the means." But be that as it may, after removing the plates, the nails need restorative procedures, moreover, quite long ones.

It is useful for ladies who want to have a beautiful manicure to know whether it is harmful to build up nails and whether it is worth doing this procedure. Currently, any woman who is dissatisfied with the shape of her nails can correct almost any defects with the help of a professional manicure.

Build-up is a procedure of unnatural elongation of the plate to improve its aesthetic appearance and correct various imperfections of the natural state. Most manicurists claim that modeling is the most popular cosmetic procedure.

Nail extension: pros and cons

If a woman was able to build up a nail artificially, then she can not worry about the appearance of the plates and forget about manicure for a long time - this is a huge plus. After modeling in the salon, everything looks great, the plates are smooth, even, beautiful.

Often, clients of beauty salons are interested in whether nail extensions are harmful. Honest masters at the same time make a reservation that when building up, the harm directly depends on:

1. The quality of the materials used.
2. Master qualifications.
3. Compliance with the wearing rules by the client.
4. From whether the client has an individual intolerance to the raw materials for building.

Now the client will know exactly the pros and cons of extended nails, as well as the conditions under which flaws may occur during modeling.

There are several types of raw materials for building, but the most popular are acrylic and gel.

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Acrylic extensions: the pros and cons of this adjustment

Although women are sometimes frightened by stories about the toxicity of acrylic and its ban in Europe, this is not at all the case in the 21st century. Acrylic is created by mixing a monomer with a polymer - these substances are absolutely non-toxic. And throughout the territory of present-day Europe, many manicure masters work with acrylic, bringing pleasure and beauty to clients. And in no country in Europe has acrylic been banned.

During the removal of acrylic plates, no harm is done to natural nails. This process is painless and easy with the help of a special solution. It is worth noting that the acrylic coating is very durable. Due to this, it can help correct the growth of the natural lamina and improve its aesthetic appearance.

Read also: Artificial nail extension: lessons for beginners

Acrylic also has its downsides. For example, if an acrylic surface is damaged, then a person will feel a slight pain in the fracture area. Also, when building with acrylic, there is an unpleasant chemical smell. After removing any artificial nails, natural nails become sensitive and thin due to pre-nail extension procedures. It is worth noting that the plates will quickly recover (within 2-3 months) if the cuticles are treated with vitamin oil.

For 3-5% of people, acrylic extensions are not suitable: artificial nails in these people do not hold or cause discomfort.

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Gel extensions: pros and cons

When building with gel, there is no unpleasant chemical smell. If the surface of the gel is damaged, then the person does not feel discomfort or pain, and the natural plate will not suffer. Gel coats do not need to be polished. In the composition of the gel, the monomer and polymer form one whole. Polymerization occurs when ultraviolet radiation hits the substance.

Cons of gel extensions Gel nails are fragile. There are unpleasant sensations during polymerization during heating under a UV lamp. This procedure causes particular discomfort for clients with a thin plate. And when removing the surface from the gel, the remains must be cut down, which gives pain to the client. The gel does not correct the surface of the coating in the same way that acrylic does. Often masters claim that the quality of the gel is inferior to acrylic.

Just like with acrylic, there are 5-6% of people who are not suitable for gel coating.

In the course of gel nail extension, tips are always used to create an even and regular profile.