I try to live life with no regrets. #Yolo and all that. But there’s no escaping the regret I still feel for how I treated my nails one Friday night in 2023. As a result, they’ll never be adorned with a gel manicure again. In the words of Taylor Swift: like, ever. As a beauty writer whose job is to report on nail trends, the tangled emotions are worse than those I felt after finally cutting contact with my ex-situationship of six years, which is saying a lot, I think.
Let me take you back to the fateful night. It was 9pm when I decided the best way to wind down after a long week of work was to start – well, rush – a full set of DIY gel nails using my low-budget at-home kit. Yes, I work in beauty and love a boujee buy, but sometimes a cheap fix speaks to me – I’m just a girl!
With a weekend full of outings to prep for, I unpacked the kit and sifted through colour options. Like many beauty lovers, I learned how to do my own treatments at home during the pandemic: upper lip threading, hair lasering – the works! Sitting cross-legged on my bed, machine plugged in and dusty pink polish in hand, I started painting. Many coats and yawns later, my nails looked great – and I still had the money I would have spent on an in-salon mani saved in my back pocket… winning! (Or so I thought.)
Just 24 hours after wrapping up my pre-weekend nail set, my hands were swollen and itchy. Initially, I didn’t think much of it, until the burning sensation grew unbearable – not to mention the rash on my fingers. I removed the set as soon as I could and consulted Dr Google, where I found the news no beauty lover wants: you’ve developed an allergy to the ingredients in gel nail polishes. This can happen when a layer of gel isn’t cured (set) under the UV lamp properly. Which is why I’m here to tell you never to rush a late-night mani, my friends.
‘We call this allergic contact dermatitis,’ says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth. ‘It’s a type of reaction to a specific chemical that is lifelong due to the skin’s memory.’ The rash occurs when the skin is exposed to an irritant or allergen, and, in the majority of nail cases, it’s an ingredient called hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). There are brands that offer HEMA-free gel alternatives, but my allergy is more severe and, after some trial-and-error allergy testing, I found that all chemical acrylates – yes, even HEMA-free ones – cause a reaction for me.
It’s become a constant tug of war between wanting to have some fun experimenting with nail art and fearing the painful consequences. I can’t compare notes with the nail girlies of TikTok, which can be surprisingly lonely and frustrating when manicures are one of your fave forms of self-expression.
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Getting my nails done is part of my job description! My time as a human guinea pig is over. I’m a plumber with a dud spanner; an electrician with no bulbs; an accountant with no numbers. A beauty writer who can’t test nail polishes? Ha! Pathetic!
Highly privileged? Absolutely. Theatrical? Sure. But being stripped of something that’s been a constant in my life and job for as long as I can remember launched me into a sense of mourning. While this allergy may sound niche, I’m not alone. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) first warned about the dangers of methacrylate chemicals back in 2018, finding that 2.4% of people who used gel polishes had an allergy to the chemicals used. Fast-forward to early 2023, and the government reported a spike in these allergic reactions. There are no safety warnings with these ingredients, even though the Office for Product Safety and Standards does state that ‘all cosmetics available in the UK must comply with strict safety law.’
You’d hope that, by now, there would be a better understanding of the dangers of at-home kits. But the government has yet to issue an updated report, and there’s still more the nail industry could do to better serve people with gel nail polish allergies, starting with an increase in hypoallergenic options. One brand already paving the way is Manucurist. ‘My main goal was to find a clean and harm-free alternative to traditional gel polishes,’ explains founder Gaëlle Lebrat Personnaz. ‘Something that could be removed easily and without damage, featuring a plant-powered formula that’s free from controversial ingredients.’
I discovered the brand soon after developing my allergy and, thanks to the clean formulations, I’m able to achieve high-shine, bold-colour, long-lasting, damage-free, vegan, plant-based, instant-dry gel nails – albeit at home. Sure, I’ve taken my Manucurist bottles to professionals to use in the salon. But I shouldn’t have to come equipped to my own appointment. I’d like to see allergy-friendly services already being implemented into salons, with acrylate-free gels, like Manucurist, available.
In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of inclusivity in beauty, with silent services and mirrorless haircuts, to name a couple – so, why can’t the nail industry take heed? Above all, fostering awareness of allergies within the industry and providing education for both professionals and clients could ensure that those with sensitivities still have the chance to enjoy getting their nails done – without compromising their health. Personally, I think a Dragon’s Den proposal is calling…
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Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
