Well now, for the first time, we are seeing that they may not be great for you.
Perfectly polished nails for two weeks, gel manicures definitely work, no chips no cracks. But dermatologists are now saying not so fast.
"I just want people to be aware of the risks that go along with it," said Dr. Chris Adigun, a Dermatologist at NYU.
In a new presentation Dr. Adigun takes a comprehensive look at the research on possible health risks caused by the popular nail treatment.
Among them, nail thinning from the chemicals used in the process, and a slightly increased risk of skin cancer and photo-aging, which means older looking hands all caused by the UV light used to cure the polish.
"For these UV lamps to cause skin cancer, it is really quite low," said Adigun.
But the risk goes up if you get the manicures all the time. If that's you, it's worth it to use sunscreen or fingerless gloves.
The professional beauty association says that gel manicure UV lamps provide "the equivalent of only a couple of minutes exposure to sunlight."
But now some nail salons are skipping the UV lamp altogether, using an LED light instead to seal the polish.
One solution for anyone who just can't give up that perfectly polished look but also concerning is the removal process.
First they soak your nails in 100% acetone-which can dry out the skin.
Then they scrape off the rest-which can damage your nails.
Another option to make a regular manicure last longer, you can use a nail protein as a topcoat-something like nail-teek which they sell in drug stores.
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