The hidden dangers of your favourite gel polish

Gel nail polish has been around for a long time but only gained popularity in the last 10 years. The gel polish are quick, practically bulletproof, and the shiny, glossy color won't budge for at least two weeks. This is why it has gained popularity.

However, like there are two sides of a coin, there is a negative side of the gel polish that no one will ever tell you about.

They can contribute to skin cancer. "UVA irradiance or strength emitted by nail lamps used to dry gel polish, whether fluorescent or LED is at least four times stronger than UVA from normal sunlight," Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in nail disorders, general dermatology, and cosmetic dermatology says. The lamps emit UVA radiation. UVA radiation contributes to the premature aging of our skin. It is advisable you use sunscreen while applying gel polish to reduce exposure. The removal of them is a little harmful as you need to soak them in pure acetone which tends to dry the fingers a lot. According to a US study, nails could require up to 6 weeks recovering completely if you ever want to go back to the normal polish. That’s a long time in a woman’s nail life. Nails breakage can apparently be more painful as the nail breaks at a much higher point. Sometimes, from wrong procedures, you might get some infections. According to WebMD, if you put gel polish for seven or eight consecutive times, without giving time for the nail to “rest”, it may lead to extreme damage of the nail plate, and that is something that can be even more costly and that you want to avoid!