Chemical Overexposure.
The Story Of Evil Dr. Allergic Reaction Versus The Sinister Mr. Irritation.
To begin our epic story, lets learn a little more about each of our characters.
Sinister Mr. Irritation usually begins with an itchiness around the nail unit. (Either under the plate, or the surrounding tissue.) If the irritant is removed, then Mr. Irritation will disappear. Or, sometimes the itchiness will subside as the body builds up a defence to the irritant. As far as nail products go, Mr. Irritation is usually a result of product coming into contact with soft tissue. This can be from actual acrylic products (wraps, adhesives, gels, monomer/polymer) getting on the skin, to dust, and improper handling of the products.
Dr. Allergic Reaction is usually a result of Mr. Irritation constantly hanging around. In other words, Mr. Irritation turns into Dr. Allergic reaction.
This is generally the body saying…”All right All right!! I give up trying to talk to you, you never listen! I’m not takin this anymore.” The body becomes permanently sensitised to the certain chemical that was irritating. It is caused from prolonged and repeated exposure to a chemical beyond levels specified as safe by regulatory agencies. Symptoms of an Allergic reaction are usually blisters and rashes.
So what should you do if you encounter Dr. Allergic Reaction?
Remove the product by safely dissolving it.
If reaction is severe… Refer to Dr.
If not as severe…Refer to Pharm for OTC cream to help subside reaction
Once OKed, then try reapplying with a different system. Usually, the body has become sensitised to a particular chemical or ingredient, not the entire product.
But pay heed:
If you or your client comes across any of the evil foes mentioned in this story, avoid at all cost screaming. This has an odd tendency to freak clients out. And keep in mind that if your client became allergic to one system based on your application techniques…there is a good chance that it can happen again with any system you use if you don’t change your technique.
What to do if the tek becomes allergic?
Try wearing gloves. Use nitrile gloves as this is a synthetic material that will not be as prone to cause an allergic reaction such as a natural glove like latex.
Ways the tek can protect themselves from becoming over exposed:
Change your table towels in-between appointments…(Ive seen some teks use the same towel for weeks on end)
Don’t use your fingers, mouth, or any other body part to shape the brush…Use a towel for this. DON’T EVER TOUCH PRODUCT TO SKIN!!!!
Avoid taking a swim in your monomer.
Use proper mix ratios….Too wet of ratios can leave pockets of uncured monomer in enhancement that can eventually reptate through product and eventually irritate soft tissue under the plate.
Avoid excessive filing… Dust from freshly applied product is rich in uncured monomer since monomer takes about 24 to 48 hours to fully polymerise.
Don’t drink your monomer.
Extract dust and vapours from area with an EXTRACTION system. Most charcoal filters will become clogged after about 18 hours of use making them ineffective.
