Some recent Blogs here plus some ‘Ask The Experts’ have talked about unreacted monomer left on the skin. This can come about from filing and shaping enhancements or when using a ‘builder’ UV gel. It can also happen if an uncured product touches that skin or during the removal of the inhibition layer.
This applies to both clients and nail professionals! With or without wearing gloves!
If you read the Blogs, you will see that the essential use of nail oils can encourage allergies if there is any trace of monomers on the skin. The use of nail oils is ‘non-negotiable’ but monomers on the skin is entirely avoidable.
This nail sector has a very large percentage of ‘home salons’ often in a dedicated garden room with no water supply. Is this a problem? Well, yes it can be! But there are solutions.
There are many stages during a nail service that hand washing with liquid soap and water will ensure safety for the client. So, what are they?
- L&P services. The L&P system can take many hours to properly polymerise. Even if you are using a matched system and the correct ratio (usually ‘medium dry’) by shaping the overlay there is a good possibility that some unreacted monomers will be released in the dust. These need to be washed away from the clients’ hands before the finishing stages and certainly before the application of nail oils or hand creams.
- A dust brush is not as efficient as washing; it can bring oils from the skin down onto the nails and the brush needs to be a clean one for every client.
- Any shaping or filing when using a UV cured product has the potential to have uncured monomers in the dust.
- When using a UV cured top coat (and this also applies to a ‘tack free’ or a ‘no wipe’ top coat) the final cleansing can easily leave monomers on the skin.
At all these stages, hand washing with liquid soap and water is essential before any final stage i.e., massaging in a good nail oil.
We have all learned the importance of hand washing through the pandemic but it has many other implications for us as nail pros. Hand sanitisers may be useful for viruses, but they do not wash away debris. Wet wipes are, again, a good temporary solution when no water is available. But NOTHING takes the place of proper hand washing.
For those who work without running water there are many solutions and these should be in place for every H&S reason!
- There are many portable basins with running water solutions available
- If this is an option that is too expensive, then there are many attractive water holders with a tap. These, with a bowl under (that is emptied after every client), liquid soap and disposable towels is a perfect solution.
Please do not dismiss this important step in your nail services. Why risk the health of your clients in the fight against allergies. You will just lose them as a client.
Please also read: Is oil contributing to the allergy crisis? Blog in order to understand more of the facts.
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