Gel manicures seem ideal for anyone who’s a little clumsy, busy, or uninterested in visiting the nail salon every week. The gels work by forming a hard, shiny, budge-proof seal over the nails when they’re cured under a UV or LED lamp. The resulting polish can last two to three weeks without a chip. But, wouldn’t you know, there’s a hitch. The EU recently banned a chemical, trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO), used in many gel polishes. We asked our cosmetic chemist, Javon Ford, to explain the risks of gel and how to protect your nails and your health.—Linda Wells
I’ve gotten gel manicures, so I can speak about my experience and the science behind them. The way that gel and acrylics work is you start with what’s called a monomer, which is one type of molecule, and the UV lamp cures it. That causes it to crosslink with itself and create a polymer. And that’s how you get that nice, strong gel that does not come off easily.
