Becoming qualified and my allergy to HEMA

Due to my on-going allergic reactions to nail products I decided I might look into becoming a qualified nail technician.

I discovered there was a TAFE course, a Cert ll in Nail Technology. So I enrolled and started a few weeks later.

The first lesson was pretty much boring housekeeping type of stuff such as OH&S, getting set up on the TAFE website login, Moodle (where you submit assignments online) etc.

Week two we were pretty much into the practical side of things. We were shown how to do a manicure and after the demonstration we set about doing these on each other.

At first I did not realise we would be doing manicures and pedicures along with nail science. It seems rather basic to me although I still enjoyed it. It’s amazing though how much the nail science has come in handy. I still use the correct terminology today.

We did not start doing acrylic nails until we were way into the second part of the year, about July from memory.

I voiced my concerns about my allergies to the head lecturer and she suggested I use the NSI Universal Liquid. She explained that it’s clear, not purple like a lot of other monomers, and people who often had allergic reactions seemed to be able to use this without any problems. So I bought some for my own home use and luckily I did not have a reaction. I was quite happy about this.

The second part of the year doing acrylic and gel enhancements was where the pressure really started. Building up skill and speed was difficult but I got there in the end.

I was pleased to finish a few weeks early and glad it was over, the course was beginning to take its toll on me. I was a bit over it all.

Overall I found the course okay. I would not say it was great, just okay. But I got the end result, I got my certificate and I was qualified.

The fact I am now qualified has opened up a lot of doors for me, without my qualifications I doubt I would have been able to tap into these resources.

My clientele started to build at my home salon and I could safely use the NSI Universal monomer on them and myself without any reaction, however I still did not know why this product was okay and others weren’t. I tried other brands, very well-known reputable ones, but I still had allergic reactions.

By chance I mentioned this to a tech I was chatting to on Facebook. She said ‘I think you might be allergic to HEMA (Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate)’. I thought to myself okay, whatever and didn’t give it much thought, I am not sure why.

I had been using NSI Superbond primer when doing my nails but one day I wanted to try the NSI Acid Free Attract primer instead. I had a massive reaction. It was incredible. I thought it was just because my cuticles were split in a few places. I left the enhancements on and after a few days they started to calm down and return to normal.

A few weeks down the track I did my refills and used the NSI Superbond primer and they were fine.

A few weeks later I did my refills again and used a mixture of the NSI Superbond and Attract primers….. again I had a reaction.

So this got me thinking about this HEMA chemical that was mentioned to me. I pulled out all my Material Safety Data Sheets and could not believe it. The Superbond did not contain HEMA but the Attract primer DID!!! It was like a light bulb moment for me. I felt I was finally on the right track.

Now I always check products for HEMA. If any products I test contain HEMA I do a swatch on my arm and EVERY TIME I react!

During my ‘allergy journey’ (as I like to call it) I have learnt so much valuable information from other techs and online forums. I have discovered that correct application procedures should be followed to lower the risk of overexposure to all products in general. Not being sloppy with you application of acrylic and letting your brush wipe over the surrounding skin, being light handed with primer, wiping off the inhibition layer of gel correctly and so on…. All these things contribute to lowering your risk of overexposure and possible allergic reactions. It does not help to just have HEMA free products you must adhere to this as well.

Once I had pin pointed that I did not want to use products with HEMA I then set about finding other acrylic brands which are HEMA free. Surprisingly there are a few options available so that is great.

I have settled on using Perfect Nails which is manufactured in Australia by an Australian company. My local distributor is very knowledgeable in HEMA and its dangers. She has helped me understand it a lot more and educated me on so many things for which I am forever grateful.

I use ibd Just Gel Polish as my chosen brand of Gel Polish and although most of the colours do not contain HEMA , the top and base coats do. So I am currently trialling the use of Light Elegance top and base coats and so far the results have been great. This will be used alongside my ibd JGP.

My aim is to use as many products which are HEMA free as possible in my salon. This is not only to protect myself from outbreaks but also to stop overexposure of this chemical to my clients.

When I first started having reactions I felt alone and could not get any answers. I did not give up and one step led to another to another to another and so on. I am still learning more and more as time goes on.

Don’t be ignorant if this happens to you, tap into those resources around you and learn more about the products you are using and exposing yourself to.

I am always happy to talk to people about this as well so if you would like to contact me please do so via private message on my Facebook page.