Acrylic nails may be all the rage, but what you’re about to learn will make you rethink your manicure routine. Brace yourself for the shocking truth about how acrylic nails can harm your natural nails and skin:

“Roughing Up” Your Natural Nails

To apply acrylic nails, your natural nails are brutally filed down to create a rough surface for adhesion. The result? Mechanical damage and thinning of your once-healthy nail plate.

Potential Skin Reactions to Acrylic Chemicals

The liquid/powder mixture in acrylic nails can cause allergic reactions if it comes into contact with your skin. Expect itching, redness and flaky skin on your fingers, hands, wrists and even face and neck. Allergic reactions can be immediate or delayed and often require the removal of your acrylic nails.

Habitual Picking and Peeling

Unfortunately, many can’t resist the urge to pick and peel at their acrylic nails, accelerating the damage.

The gruesome result? Parts of your natural nail plate get caught under the acrylic and sabotage the strength of your nails.

Trauma from regular touch-ups

Acrylic nails may shine for six to eight weeks, but you’ll pay the price if you touch up every fortnight.

These touch-ups lead to new damage and brittleness and push your nails to the edge of their resilience.

Risk of cracked and broken nails

• Acrylic nails are known for their durability, but this strength can be their downfall.
• Acrylic nails disrupt the moisture balance of your natural nails and make detachment from the nail bed more likely.

Can acrylic nails cause cancer? 

Some acrylic nail products contain carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde. The verdict on whether acrylic nails significantly increase cancer risk remains unclear. While UV exposure while nails are drying has been linked to cancer, the risk is minimal with regular salon visits.

Think twice before your next visit to the nail salon!

Written by Ebru Arman 
Source: https://www.livestrong.com/article/13776149-are-acrylic-nails-bad/