Meaning of Manicure
A manicure is a cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands. It involves shaping, filing, and buffing the nails, pushing back and trimming the cuticles, and applying nail polish or other decorative elements to the nails.
Product Details
Nail polish is a common product used in manicures. It is a lacquer that can be applied to the human fingernail or toenails to decorate and protect the nail plates. Nail polish consists of a mix of an organic polymer and several other components that give it colors and textures. Nail polishes come in all color shades and play a significant part in manicures and pedicures.
Gel nail polish is another type of nail polish that has gained popularity in recent years. It is formed of methacrylate compounds and photoinitiator compounds like benzoyl peroxide that don’t dry but instead adhere to the nail when exposed to UV light. Plasticizers are added to gel nail polish to give it its strong but flexible nature. Gel nail manicures stay fresh for longer and aren’t prone to chipping like normal nail polish.
Positive Aspects
- Nail polish can be used to decorate and protect the nail plates.
- Gel nail polish is durable and flexible, and it stays fresh for longer than normal nail polish.
Negative Aspects
- Many nail products contain potentially harmful ingredients, but are allowed on the market because they are safe when used as directed. For example, some nail polishes contain resins that form a strong coating on the nails, rather than hardening the nails themselves. There is evidence that some people may become allergic to these resins.
- Nail products may contain phthalates, which are a group of chemicals used in a wide variety of products, from toys to carpeting and medical tubing. Phthalates are used in nail polishes primarily at concentrations of less than 10% as plasticizers, to reduce the brittleness of the polish. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to a range of health problems.
- Gel manicures require the use of UV light to cure the polish, which can increase the risk of skin cancer.
Ingredients or Materials
- Nail polish may contain potentially harmful ingredients such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde. Most common nail polishes like Essie are "3-free," meaning they are formulated without these chemicals. "5-free," "7-free," and "15-free" polishes also exist, which exclude additional chemicals.
- Gel nail polish consists mostly of methacrylate compounds, photoinitiators, and plasticizers.
- The plasticizer in some nail polishes and base coats used instead of dibutyl phthalate is trimethylpentanediyl dibenzoate.
