The Hidden Dangers of Fake Nails: Are They Worth the Risk?

If you suffer from brittle nails and are unable to grow them past a certain point, you may be tempted to invest in fake nails to get the look you want. Most so called “fake nails” are composed of acrylic fabric which covers the entire natural nail surface extending out beyond the natural nail to add the appearance of length. Although these nails tend to be expensive when applied by a professional, this isn’t the only problem encountered with false nails. Here are some reasons you may want to reconsider getting acrylic nails:

Risk of Infection

When an acrylic nail is applied to the natural nail surface, minor types of trauma to the acrylic nail which can happen from something as harmless as scraping a nail against a firm surface can cause separation of the nail from its nail bed. This allows bacteria and fungus to potentially enter the separated area setting up an infection. In fact, some hospitals won’t allow their employees to have fake fingernails sue to the risk of harboring infection which could be transmitted to patients. Several deaths of premature infants were blamed on an acrylic nail infection transmitted to the babies by a nurse in the late 1990’s. Infection can also be a risk when you have nails applied by a disreputable nail salon that doesn’t follow sanitary practices.

Exposure to Nail Chemicals

The chemicals used to apply acrylic nails are notoriously unhealthy including such offenders as resins and formaldehyde which may play a role in causing cancer. If you have acrylic nails applied on a frequent basis you may be getting significant exposure to these dangerous agents. Is it really worth the risk? To further add to the risk, some disreputable nail salons are using a poisonous and illegal substance called MMA in their nail adhesives. This chemical has been outlawed for use in many areas, although it’s still being purchased on the black market and added to nail products. It can cause serious damage to the lungs as well as permanent damage to natural nails when used as an adhesive. Exposure to this chemical through your nails over a long period of time can result in complete nail loss by destruction of the nail matrix.

Hard On Your Pocketbook

All of those trips to the nail salon to maintain your acrylic nails can add up. Wouldn’t it be more pleasant to save that money for a future vacation?

As you can see, acrylic nails are not without their risks and disadvantages. Take these factors into consideration before committing yourself to a handful of potential problems.