Europe has recently banned certain gel nail polishes as a precautionary measure due to possible health hazards according to Dermatology and Laser Center of Chapel Hill dermatologist Chris Adigun.
The ingredient, trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, or TPO, (which was banned in Europe on Sept. 1) gives gel nail polish a hard surface and is said to be linked to infertility according to Sharrón L. Manuel, an infertility specialist at HRC Fertility in Pasadena, California featured in Everyday Health. However, this information has been pulled from studies on rats because there has not yet been a large-scale human study on the health risks of TPO.
“There hasn’t been any human data that really backs that up,” Dr. Francisco Alemán, a St. Luke’s Family Medicines specialist, said. “So you have to extrapolate and assume that if it’s harmful on rats and study subjects, it could also be harmful to humans.”
Though gel nail polish doesn’t have to be avoided all together, there are other alternatives to painting nails. Some methods don’t require people to place their hands under a UV light, reducing the risk of cancer and other skin issues.
“If you want, you can use the dip powder. It’s better than the gel,” Vanity Nails, based in Kansas City, Kansas, said. “The dip powder dries itself, so you don’t need to put your hand in the machine at all. It’s all natural.”
Because gel nail polish is extremely popular in both nail salons and at home, according to L’Oréal Paris U.S.A., knowing its effects on some of its largest consumers, the youth, is crucial, according to the Market U.S.
“Well, when I take the gel off, they feel very thin and brittle,” senior Morgan Michaelis said. “And some of the time when I use certain polishes, the skin around my nail starts feeling itchy and gets red, almost like a rash.”
Ultimately, the ban on gel nail polish in Europe is simply a precautionary measure with little scientific data backing it up. As of the present, the United States has taken no policy shift in regards to manicures, according to Women’s Health Magazine.
“They are overly cautious,” Alemán said. “But I think ultimately, it’s a good step.”
