MYTH OR MUST
We’Ve all heard that gel manicures — the chip-free polish that lasts two weeks after being set under a UV lamp — might not be the best for your digits. But should we really avoid them at all costs?
When it’s time to take the gel off, and it removes easily after a 15-minute acetone soak, yours was safely applied, according to dermatologist and nail specialist Dr. Chris Adigun. (The wrong kind of lamp will result in hard-to-remove gels and, even worse, potential nail-cell damage.) Wearing UV-shielding gloves — like YouVeeShield, available online — that block the rest of your hands from the glow of the drying lamp can combat photoaging, which causes wrinkles and spots.
“If someone’s using a good protective barrier on their hands, they can get gels every two to three weeks,” says Adigun. “As long as they look at their nails between gels and don’t see an infection.”
Color us relieved!