Secondly, SNS has less fumes and tend to be orderless, which make it a healthier choice in the long-term. Now, onto Acrylic. What is it? Acrylic is the industry standard for artificial nails, that combine a polymer (powder) and a monomer (liquid) to create a strong, colourless layer on top of your nails when it cures.
There is very little evidence that SNS is any better or worse for your nails than gel polish, hard gel or acrylic. What causes damage to your natural nails is not the product itself, but the application and removal process. This is why your technician will advise you not to pick at or peel off your gel or acrylic.
Unlike acrylics, SNS nails simply soak off with acetone nail varnish remover. There's absolutely no drilling required. Once the polish has soaked off, there's no lingering nail damage so you can go straight back to your natural nails or immediately reapply another SNS manicure.
If you're one of them, these tips from dermatologists can help you reduce the damage: Choose soak-off gel nails instead of acrylic nails. While gel nails can cause nail brittleness, peeling, and cracking, they're more flexible than acrylic nails. This means your own nails are less likely to crack.
The use of high-quality dip powders and safer ingredients make dip powder a healthier alternative to acrylics and other conventional manicure techniques.
While some can argue that acrylic is damaging to your nails compared to dip, the fact is that acrylic is no more harmful than a dip. Dip nails is referring to a plain powdered product that your nail is dipped in after applying a bonding liquid to your natural nails.
Speaking of toxic, most dip powder formulas are free of toxins commonly found in nail polish. SNS dip powders are 3-free and don't contain Formaldehyde, Toluene or DBP.
Gel Nail Extensions: Similar to acrylics, but without any of the toxic methyl methacrylate, gel extensions are a solid alternative. You can pick from a variety of shapes like square, round, or stiletto, and your manicurist will use a small amount of gel to secure the extension to your own nail.
Bottom line: Both gel and dip manicures have the potential to damage your nail, but this can be avoided (or at least minimized) by following correct and patient removal and after-care protocols. One of the biggest downfalls of dip powder manicures is that, when handled without care, they can be easily contaminated.
Acrylic nails can also damage the nails in the longer term, as the surface of your natural nails is filed down for application, meaning the natural nail becomes weaker.
Another reason the SNS procedure tends to weaken nails is the removal process. This is an inflexible product, so any breaks or lifting usually takes your own nail with it! People prone to picking or removing can also peel away layers of their own nails with the product.
The best false nails alternative is press on nails.
They are all long-lasting and pretty durable. However, press on nails seems to be the least damaging fake nail on the market at the moment. Acrylics or gel nails might look fabulous.
They are worried about the possible harmful effects of UV light exposure." Additionally, while Shellac appears to help avoid the damage to the nails caused by acrylics, SNS goes a step further, according to Vo. “SNS is positively good for nail health.
SNS DIPPING POWDERS AND SAFETY
Unlike traditional acrylics and nail polishes, the SNS Dipping Powder does not contain any of the following harmful chemicals: MMA (Methyl Methacrylate) considered harmful to humans, and is banned by the FDA.
But we've found Shellac to be a little less damaging to our nails long-term than SNS nails. Another difference is that Shellac needs to be cured, or dried, under a UV or LED lamp, whereas SNS is dry instantly.
It does not take layers off or weaken the nail over time as SNS does, which means stronger, less damaged nails. Gelicious is free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, tuolene, camphor, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, ethyl methacrylate, parabens, acetone, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) – which means no nasty gel polish smell!
Terrell suggests taking a break from dip powder depending on how frequently you get it. If it's a regular occurrence in your beauty routine, she says to skip out on the fan-favorite mani for a few days every three to four months to give your nails a breather.
When you remove too many layers of the nail, the dip powder and liquids can actually penetrate the remainder of the nail and even go down to the skin beneath the nail bed, causing soreness. If you start to feel your nails hurt while applying dip, you should stop immediately before you cause any serious damage.
While dip powder doesn't lay on as thick as acrylics, both are strong materials that can have adverse effects on the natural nail—specifically, they can be quite heavy on the nail beds, sometimes suffocating the area and leading to irritation.
So, if you are interested in trying something new, or you are looking for an alternative to acrylic nails, consider one of the following options: nail stickers (wraps), gel nail polish, dip powder, or gel nail extensions.
Summary. Acrylic nails are popular nail choices that generally do not cause serious health effects. However, acrylic nails may cause nail damage or skin irritation. Individuals who get acrylic nails may experience allergic reactions, eczema, or nail thinning.
If applied and removed properly, gel extensions are very safe. "They're considered a healthier version of acrylics, especially because they don't have the powder or harsh chemicals like methyl methacrylate and toluene," says Seney.
SNS products do not contain toxins like parabens, phthalates, synthetic sulfate, triethanolamine, formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP. SNS nails are stronger and last longer.
Therefore, professional nail products — be it dip powder or gel — are equally healthy for the nails. In fact, the most important thing to know about dip powder or gel is that neither inherently causes damage to the nail. Instead, damage is caused by improper application or removal of nail coatings.