From Kylie Jenner and Rihanna to Ariana Grande and Cardi B, celebrities are sporting long, acrylics – often heavily embellished with nail art – as an expression of their style. Nail fashion is now a booming industry with gel manicures and acrylic nails among the most popular current trends. While manicures might feel like self-care, they can ruin healthy natural nails – and might even cause unexpected health problems in a small proportion of people who get them.
For example, the nail glue used to attach acrylics to the natural nail is typically a mixture of alcohol, cyanoacrylate and photo-bonded methacrylate, with other ingredients including formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.
