If you know anything about skincare, then you would know the most important step in your skincare routine is wearing sunblock. We are told that wearing sunscreen prevents skin cancer and sunburns, but what if I told you there was another reason to wear it?
Sunblock also prevents the unnecessary aging of the skin. Your skin ages from the sun due to the ultraviolet rays damaging the elastic fibers in your skin that keep it firm. Without these fibers, wrinkles are more likely to form. Sun exposure can also cause the development of liver spots, or age spots.
But why should you wear it to the nail salon and indoor facility?
Well, it depends on the type of manicure/pedicure you prefer. Wearing sunblock to the nail salon is only beneficial if you get gel nail polish. Unlike regular nail polish that dries with time, gel nail polish will only dry, or cure, under a special ultraviolet lamp. These typically last longer on the nails because of this particular property. If this sounds familiar, gel curing lamps are very similar to tanning beds. There are many claims that tanning beds are worse than the sun, with the concentrated ultraviolet rays penetrating deeper into your skin and amplifying the symptoms listed above. If that’s the case, why aren’t we warned more about gel polish lamps?
Perhaps it is because of its small scale that downgrades in potential risk. Or simply, it’s because we don’t connect the dots. As someone who always wears sunblock before they leave the house and someone who has been doing their own gel-manicured nails for the last four years, it only occurred to me now that I’m doing the equivalent of putting my hand out in the sun. Now, I’m here to remedy this by sharing two ways to keep the sun damage at a minimum while still having a fierce set of nails.
The first way is just to wear sunblock. Just like before going outside, applying sunblock to your hands before a gel manicure will help prevent the aging of your skin. If you happen to go to a salon that cleans your whole hand, just ask them not to. Applying sunblock will not affect the outcome of your nails.
The second way is to wear black gloves with the tips of the fingers cut out. The black absorbs the ultraviolet rays before they can reach your skin, doing the same job as sunblock. I personally do this method when doing my own nails. Although, this method wouldn’t be quite so helpful if you were getting a gel pedicure.
Of course, there are other ways to stop your hands from premature aging. The easiest way is to just stop getting gel manicures. Or, at least getting a regular nail polish set in between gel polish sets. But if you’re adamant about getting gel polish sets, wearing sunblock or black gloves is the way to go.
If you’re the type of person to get their nails done once a month, I highly recommend starting one of these steps. Although you may not see it now, continued use of the gel UV lamp without any protection will lead to visible aging and harm to your skin. Stay safe, everyone!