Last month’s news that gel nails could trigger a life-changing allergy had women looking with concern at the ends of their brightly painted fingers. Zahra Hankir reveals how nail polish became political
said it was investigating life-altering allergies caused by gel and acrylics, a worrying trend that Curtis has also observed. If gel polish isn’t sufficiently cured, methacrylates can leak into the skin and cause irritation. People can then become sensitive to materials containing acrylates; for some, this has meant they can’t have certain medical treatments, such as joint replacement surgery, or take specific medications, including for diabetes.
I hadn’t realised the long-term damage these machines could cause until I stumbled upon a beauty influencer’s TikTok that advised people getting gel manicures to use sunblock on their fingers to prevent hand wrinkles. More serious potential ailments weren’t mentioned. DNA mutations? Bad. Wrinkled hands? Worse.
Over the centuries, across cultures and continents, nail painting has been integral to beautification. Ancient Babylonians created the first manicure set: its tools were made from gold, male warriors in the region were said to paint their nails before combat to startle their enemies. Ancient Egyptians dipped their fingertips in henna and gilded their nails. Henna was also used to embellish nails in ancient China.
Manicures sit at the intersection of class, gender, power, and race; nail polish is far more than makeup – it can be political. In communities of colour, wearing false nails with exaggerated designs can signify a rejection of Eurocentric beauty norms and a celebration of one’s ethnic identity. Women of colour are often judged differently for how they present: a white woman with manicured hands may be seen as trendy, while a Black or brown woman may be seen as transgressive.
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