Manicures- Shape your fingers

Beautiful manicured nails are a trademark of elegant grooming. Perfect looking fingers are all women’s dreams. It is a beauty treatment done for maintaining trimmed and clean nails in the hands. Filing and shaping of the edges, pushing back of cuticle, cutting off any unwanted tissues, massaging of the hands and fingers and application of polish constitutes the manicure process.

The nails are naturally made of a protein named keratin. The nails should be made flexible and maintained with a certain moisture in order to grow in a healthy way. Harsh chemicals used on the nails makes them easily breakable. Moisturizers and proteins may provide nourishment.

Hot oil and paraffin are used by some in order to maintain the moisture the nails and to soften and clean the cuticles.

Different shapes of the nails are made according to the style demand of the customer. Oval, pointed, square, with or without cornered edges are mostly preferred.

The polishing process can be allergic to some and the parlor manicures pose several health hazards. The nail products as a whole; including polish removers, glues, etc. contain toxic chemicals. Acetone, phenol, benzene, toluene, acrylic monomers, formaldehyde and even cyanide are some among them.

Toluene, found in many nail polishes and polish removers damage kidney, liver and lungs. It even causes harm to the fetus if inhaled enough. Some polishes emit formaldehyde, a possible carcinogen can cause allergic reactions.

Allergy can occur on the neck, face and eyelids which are caused by contact using polished nails to these areas. Certain cases of allergy may even lead to loss of the nails.

The risks can be reduced if used in small quantity and in a properly ventilated room. Toluene and formaldehyde free products may prove to be less toxic. But their identification may be difficult. Any products that have caused an allergy or respiratory distress should be avoided.

Removers are more dangerous than polishes. They are known to cause lung irritations and dizziness. Certain water- based removers are under trail, but these are rarely available.

The nail products are generally flammable in nature. Most of them are also poisonous. So prevent using polishes on the right hand. Pushing back the cuticle may induce chances of infection.

In salons, the equipments may not be properly sterilized and act as a spreading ground for Candida infections. Staphylococcal infections and warts are also common. But hepatitis or HIV are not being reported so far.

Prevention of infection:

1. Do not apply artificial nails if the natural nails are infected.
2. Prefer nail extensions or tips instead of whole nails.
3. Use artificial nails continuously only for 3 months.
4. 1 month rest should be provided thereafter to prevent moisture accumulation leading to fungal or bacterial infections.
5. If an artificial nail comes off, immerse the fingertip in rubbing alcohol, before reattaching the nail.
6. Leave the nails bare for several days in a month to prevent brittleness made by removers and polishes.
7. Nail polish removers with acetone should be avoided to prevent dryness.
8. Nail polish removers should not be used more than once a week.
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