WAUSAU, Wis. (WAOW)– A social media trend is leaving nail technicians worried.
Since the pandemic began people have been learning how to do their nails at home, but the latest trend that is supposedly easy and cheap can cost you more in the end.
TikTok’s trend of people doing their nails at home has been a viral sensation for years, with creators showing the latest designs and colors to use. The latest trend, though, shows people using fake press-on nails that are easily purchased at the store with professional quality gel, but it’s causing infection and damage to the nailbed.
“In the olden days of products, it required a knowledge of chemistry to understand how these products react,” said Marc Foley, a nail technician and instructor at Mid-State Technical College. “This new product doesn’t really need that.”
That new product, poly gel, is a combination of acrylic and hard gel. Foley said while those videos look quick and easy to do, they aren’t showing the dangers on the other side of the nail.
“You can have complete nail shedding, you can develop an infection that would cause the body to release the nail from the nail bed,” Foley said.
Foley has worked in the nail service industry for over 30 years and recommends leaving long-term nail products to professionals. But if you are looking for a cheap alternative, Foley says using the fake press-on nails with the glue they come with is fine for short-term use.