What you need to know about the coating of nail gel polish during pregnancy?

The desire of a woman to be attractive and stylish at any time of her life, including during pregnancy, is quite natural and deserves respect. But with the onset of the “interesting position” a lot changes - there are restrictions in nutrition, physical activity, there are also certain restrictions on the use of cosmetics. In this article, we will tell you whether it is permissible to coat your nails with gel polish when carrying a baby, how to do it, and what you need to know in pursuit of beauty.

Gel polish is not an ordinary nail polish, but a durable, long lasting manicure. Gel polishes gained popularity not so long ago, and therefore not all of their characteristics are thoroughly known. This is one of the reasons why doctors do not recommend that pregnant women use gel polishes. It should be immediately noted that the instructions are advisory in nature, there is no strict prohibition.

The composition of the gel polish causes concern among doctors of different specialties, after all, this decorative coating cannot be called safe. The composition contains esters of benzoic acid, which under the action of UV rays create a solid and long-lasting coating on the nails.

There are special substances - film formers, esters of acrylic acid, coloring pigments and additives. It is additives that cause the greatest concern, because among them there are toxic formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, sharply smelling camphor.

pros from the use of gel polish are obvious: the hands of a woman look well-groomed, from her such a manicure does not require frequent trips to the master, because gel polish lasts a long time and looks very presentable. Many masters of nail service claim that harmful substances in the composition of the decorative coating can not penetrate through the nail plate so deeply as to affect the child. Compared with acrylic or gel buildup, applying gel polish is more gentle, and therefore for pregnant manicurists such a tool is considered not only relatively harmless, but also useful, referring to the fact that varnish become more durable.

Not so optimistic experts in the field of medicine. They argue that some of the components of the gel polish can be dangerous and affect not only the coating of the nail, on the plate, but also on the body of the pregnant systemically. In particular, formaldehyde, which increases the period of wearing a decorative coating, is not only a preservative, but also a toxic substance with a pronounced carcinogenic effect. Through the nail plate, he is quite able to penetrate and gradually build up over time in the body. It causes allergies, with frequent use destroys the nail plate. Toluene affects the nervous system, can cause increased toxicosis, cause nausea, dizziness. Dibutyl phthalate affects the endocrine system, skin, respiratory organs.

Does all of the above mean that it is better to give up gel polish, preparing for the birth of a child? Every woman should answer this question independently, after weighing all the pros and cons.

To make an informed decision, you need to not only consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist on this issue, but also pay attention to the composition of a particular brand of varnish. There are manufacturers who use an abundance of harmful and toxic substances as part of their product, there are manufacturers who are trying to reduce the negative impact to a minimum. You can use these gel polishes, but only if certain important conditions are met:

• gestation period is more than 12 weeks;
• the procedure is carried out in compliance with hygiene requirements;
• for removing gel varnish no solvents, acetone containing substances and other means are used, which in themselves can be much more harmful than varnish;
• use should not be permanent, regular, without a break, nails need to rest.

To close the question of harm, it is worthwhile to consider several popular opinions that women share with each other in thematic forums on the Internet.

• A UV lamp is dangerous during pregnancy - it is not. The radiation under such a lamp is several times less than just in the open sun on a summer day, moreover, a woman under radiation is not placed entirely in full height, but only with her fingertips, the exposure time is insignificant. There is nothing to fear.

• Gel Polish on the nails of a pregnant woman will not hold. During childbearing, the woman’s endocrine system does undergo major restructuring, which theoretically could affect the quality of hair and nails dyeing, but in practice, there is no clear correlation. According to the reviews of women, gel polish is quite smooth, in some cases it has to be removed a little earlier, because it starts to get damaged.
• From a gel varnish a child may have hypoxia. The child in the mother's womb breathes in a peculiar way - receives oxygen from the mother's blood through the system of uteroplacental and placental-fetal blood flow. The presence of varnish on the nails of a woman limits the local “breathing” of only the nail plates, which does not affect the condition of her blood, the amount of hemoglobin in it. Therefore, intrauterine hypoxia due to the fact that the mother paints the nails with gel polish is impossible.
• On the varnish at the future mom may begin allergies. But this is true. Endocrine changes may well cause an inadequate immune response of a woman to some of the components of the decorative coating, even if nothing like that was observed before pregnancy.

But for some reason, women also believe that nail products, in the name of which there are prefixes "bio" or "eco", are safe. Nothing like this. Such attachments do not exclude the presence of harmful substances in the decorative coating.

During pregnancy, a woman should, more than ever, be attentive to the rules of the procedure for applying and removing gel polish. To minimize the risks of negative impact, you should only manicure the master, who does not neglect the cleanliness and hygiene. It should carefully handle the nail plate, cuticle, before applying the varnish. Cover the nails should not be too thick varnish, Be sure to warn the master about your pregnancy so that he accelerates his actions as much as possible, then you will not have to inhale the “scent” of gel polish for a long time.

If the nails under the action of pregnancy hormones become weak, the woman does not have enough calcium in the body, you first need to be treated, get a doctor's appointment on the occasion of hypocalcemia, and only then go for a manicure. Pregnant women are allowed and it is strongly recommended to use medicated oils and varnishes that are sold in pharmacies.

The procedure of applying varnish from the traditional one does not differ First, the nails are treated, flatten the surface, then treated with a base, only then gel varnish is applied and dried in a UV lamp.

Doctors of different specialties have not yet come to a common opinion about whether or not gel polish can or cannot be used during pregnancy. Relevant clinical trials are not and have never been done before; this is not the responsibility of the manufacturers of cosmetics, because gel varnish is not a medicine. At the same time, there are no data on actual complaints associated with manicure. Pregnant women, in whom pregnancy pathologies or fetal malformations are found, and their doctors, do not even think to try to connect the health problem of the mother or child with the use of a manicure gel polish by the woman.

No one doctor will provide you with official data on the harm or safety - neither obstetrician-gynecologist, nor dermatologist, nor allergist, nor neonatologist. If there were no tests, there is no evidence for the findings. The doctor may simply express her opinion to the expectant mother in response to her question.

Also, doctors warn against gel-polish nails before childbirth - it is better to come to the hospital with clean, neatly trimmed nails, devoid of any decorative coating. The fact is that the color of nails in childbirth can be an informative sign of emergency conditions associated with impaired blood circulation (their cyanosis can tell the doctor about problems before laboratory blood tests are ready). Cutting nails is important not to scratch the newborn (although this too!), But also to reduce the likelihood of bacterial postpartum complications, because bacteria can accumulate under the nails when penetrating the genital tract (when washing, changing pads), can cause severe inflammatory processes.

About what you need to know about the coating of nail gel polish during pregnancy, see the following video.