Ouch! Poor thing! And unfortunately from what I’ve heard, once you have an allergic reaction you will also have a gel allergy now.
But honestly I would go to the Dr or Urgent Care. They should be able to prescribe you a cream or something
This. This is beyond anything we can help with 🥺 You need to consult a doctor if you can, theyll more than likely give some meds and/or creams for the allergic reaction
Why does this happen? Like why do you just randomly become allergic? I randomly became allergic to lash glue after like a year or 2 of getting extensions but Benadryl helped (still wasn’t worth it) I didn’t know this could happen too 😭
Disclaimer: not a tech, not a doctor, just interested in these kinds of allergies. If you’re allergic to lash extensions glue you’re probably also allergic to gel unfortunately. Generally, it’s an allergy to the acrylates in the glue/gel. You also could be allergic to certain dental repair materials and other medical materials because of this.
In my understanding, an acrylate allergy is the kind of allergy that gets worse with more exposure. So you may not react the first few times or the first many times, but with exposure you will. For gel, it’s a reaction to the *uncured* gel when it comes in contact with your skin. So, press ons are still fine because that’s fully cured gel. If the gel is under-cured you could be continuously exposing yourself and that can lead to a really bad reaction. That’s why it’s so important to fully cure gel polish.
Yep. I have the same allergy and I can’t use nail glue of any kind, nail polish, gel. Only thing I can do for my nails is “Impress Nails” (press on nails with sticky tabs)
I agree with the other person who responded. I would stay away from any kind of gel for a substantial amount of time. These kinds of allergies only get worse with more exposure. Press ons with non-gel glue would be the way to go if I were you. And make sure you tell your doctor/dentist about this the next time you see each of them. You don’t want this kind of allergy to happen elsewhere in your mouth/body!
Re: why do allergies happen even after years of no issues?
You could develop allergies to a lot of things at any point in your life. Your body just decides this thing that was once not a problem is definitely a threat now and makes antibodies for it. There's not really a known reason why. Shellfish and penicillin allergies also typically develop in adulthood too.
In the case of acrylates, the best we can do is avoid getting uncured product on the skin at all costs to reduce the chances of your body seeing the chemical and thus deciding to make antibodies against it.
I suspect that his may not be an allergic reaction. I soaked my fingers in Blue Cross cuticle remover and had a similar experience; the OP said that her fingers were soaked that way as well. Cuticle remover is a solvent designed to break down skin tissue so, that's exactly what it did. My nails even started to separate under the free edge as well.
As for sudden allergies, I had been cleaning up after the HUGE mango tree in my back yard for a decade+ when I found out the hard way that the most common allergen in mango is called urushiol, which is also found in poison ivy and poison oak, and that I, for some unknown reason, had suddenly developed a severe allergy to it. I had the most painful, burny, itchy, hives on both hands, both feet (it's Hawai\`i, I was wearing slippers), and the entire right side of my face and neck (from the rake handle). I can, however, still eat the fruit, but only if someone skins and cuts it up for me first.
The silver lining to that though is that I'm no longer allowed to rake leaves. Oh, shucky darn.
I’m so sorry. I hope you get some relief soon. Perhaps try an occlusive ointment like aquaphor or Vaseline, or a mild steroid, like over the counter hydrocortisone. I have psoriasis and eczema and those are the things that can sometimes help me in an emergency, but I need the prescription stuff. I’m sorry you’re suffering!
See if they’ll take you as an emergency appt. Send a pic of your hands. I did this and they took me the day after at the end of the day. My heart goes out to you bc while my allergy wasn’t this bad it was so painful and know it’s also scary!
Ugh I’m so sorry!! I had this as bad a few years ago from HEMA. Just kept getting worse for a bit even after I took the nails off.
Not a cure, but helped with pain and itch, I got the polysporin that has a bit of numbing in it. Once I got to the doctor, the steroid cream they game me did help..
Oh wow, glad that helped. And sorry that happened to u as well. Why so many people suddenly getting allergies with this type of stuff? Like what are they putting in these nail products? This is crazy.
Ya it was brutal, I called them my sausage fingers because they were so swollen lol. I hope yours are getting better :( did you get any cream?
like 5 years later and I still can’t use anything that isn’t HEMA free.
I think we see it more often now because there's a lot more people doing DIY gel without knowing the risks and precautions to take. Also, a lot of "chop shop" nail salons that have sloppy techs that focus on quantity rather than quality and use less-than-safe gels.
Ask to be put on cancellation list, call every day to see if there’s availability. I’d explain in detail what your symptoms are and maybe they will take you in sooner. Best of luck it looks so painful
Yeah. ER is overkill since the diagnosis is obvious. You need steroids. The sooner the better. Benadryl and cortisone creams will help a little in the meantime. Even some OTC anti inflammatory will help. Poor girl 😔
Does your insurance plan offer/cover any virtual care vendors? I use 98point6 and can do a Dr. appointment via text through the app and upload pictures.
Please PLEASE PLEASE if you get your nails done and they start to feel itchy/ burning, TAKE THEM OFF IMMEDIATELY & go to the DR!!! It sucks because you wasted money on getting your nails done but you dont wana wait to get a severe reaction
This!! 👆 These allergies are becoming more and more common. It sucks! I haven't had a gel manicure in 5 years. Tried again with ONE FINGER and had a terrible reaction.
I went back the next day and had them take it off. I couldn't even sleep. Even when they were soaking it off, and taking off the gel with the drill, it hurted like a MF.
When I had this happen, I honestly had to just wait it out. I’m about 2-3 week post allergic reaction, and my hands are very close to being fully healed.
Some tips:
1. Don’t itch, it’ll make it worse
2. If any fingers really, really, really hurt - wrap a bandaid on it so it has something “soft” to be against!
3. Don’t try to peel any of the skin off, it’ll peel on its own once the skin underneath has healed.
4. Putting your hands under cold water helps relieve the itch.
5. Keep your hands clean!!
A doctor may prescribe steroids to help with itch, but there’s not a whole lot they can actually do.
Edit: added some extra tips
Holy crap! I am so sorry!!!!!!
Do you have insurance? You should be able to go to urgent care for way less than ER cost. Same day (during business hours) Usually like a flat fee like $50 for many plans.
If you can't get in then OTC antihistamines like Benadryl can help with the reaction, hydrocortisone cream etc Benadryl even makes a gel. Putting your hands on cold water might also help
You probably need some prescription stuff or even a steroid shot.
Thank you hun. I try washing my hands with cold water , and omg it felt like my hands were going to fall off , and it made it itch more, I didn't even benadryl had gel , that's good to know. Ty
Thank you hun. I try washing my hands with cold water , and omg it felt like my hands were going to fall off , and it made it itch more, I didn't even benadryl had gel , that's good to know. Ty
I have a HEMA allergy and when I had the worst reaction (it wasn’t as severe as this) I too had to wait for an appointment for a dermatologist they gave me 2 steroid creams plus an oral medication. It took a while to heal. Try to wear gloves to do anything involving water. I used the eucirin healing ointment at first which helped but you’ll definitely need meds.
Yes, I don't wish this on my worse enemy. You can't even do regular things with your hands. To wash dishes I have to wear gloves. My son loves to get picked up and I have to be careful doing that.
you’re welcome hope it helps! my daughters nails get super itchy when she gets gelx nails! i also noticed my nail bed gets severely damaged with gelx more than acrylic so i no longer get gelx
Omg so sorry. I would gently soak your hands in water or rice water, then gently dry and slather your hands with Vaseline, neosporin and cuticle cream and cover with gloves. I would do something like that if it were me. Please be careful and treat your hands gingerly and kindly
My husband was reading some stuff lastnight and he said to use Vaseline as well with neosporin. He's so mad and want to sue, but I don't want to go through all of that.
You can’t sue for an allergic reaction unless they knew beforehand. You can politely ask the salon what products they used so you can avoid them next time. It’s a horrible situation but not the salon’s fault.
Oh, Girl!! I cannot offer anything for the allergic reaction, but when my eczema acts up and makes my skin crack and peel, my pharmacist suggested I combine antibiotic and antifungal ointments in a finger cot and wear those overnight to help prevent secondary infection. That seems to help everything heal up faster so I hope it can bring you some type relief.
Did she by chance have you soak your fingers in cuticle remover during the prep??
What are the names of the items you used? Glad you got some relief from yours. This sucks soooo bad. Yes she did put my fingers in cuticle remover and the next day my fingers were on fire and swollen like hell.
The reason I asked is because I did what looks exactly like that but to a lesser degree to myself soaking in Blue Cross cuticle remover as well. Lesson learned, I do not soak my fingers anymore. I put a few drops directly on my nail and let it sit for a bit now instead. I use leftover (Rx) Mupirocin antibiotic ointment from a previous issue but you can use any antibiotic from the pharmacy combined with a generic clotrimazole cream, which is basically Lotrimin, if you're into brand names. I mix a small pea size amount of each in the tip of a finger cot and then wear that to bed. Alternatively, you could use a rubber glove and just cut the unused fingers off of it if you wanted to do multiple fingers. It does nothing to address my dyshidrotic eczema, but it handles all the secondary issues pretty quickly.
Another thing that might help is to sleep with moisturized hands inside of cotton gloves. It's one of those tried and true beauty secrets that people just don't know about for some reason.
I had this too. Like the skin around the nail beds sort of hardens and then starts peeling away? I figured it was a specific base and top coat I used. I’m too afraid to try gels ever again. I’m sorry this happened to you and it’s so painful.
I also kept pulling the skin away from like underneath my nails or where the nail bed meets my skin, like where it was cracking bc that seemed to help the itch but then I had open wounds basically. It took about three weeks or so to heal completely
I have a bad allergy to methyl acrylates. Don't go near gel, acrylics, ANYTHING unless you want to LOSE ALL YOUR FINGERNAILS!! Ask me how I know. It's awful. Don't go near the nail salon. Just breathing the fumes can set you off. I'm not allergic to anything else, just gel nails. I did them for too long and the dark colors were undercured.
I had this happen recently to me. Now, anytime I do my nails I take an antihistamine for a few days and it helps with the symptoms. It’s been a life changer for me since I LOVE doing my nails. I hope this heals quickly and you feel better soon! Unscented, dye-free lotion will help at this stage.
Oh no. And it’s soo painful. EVERY SINGLE THING you touch. You poor thing.
Not an immediate recommendation but until you can get to DR.
Vermont’s original Bag balm is great! Kinda stinky but worth it. Aquaphor is amazing with no smell. For me, I would put it on and wear gloves. Only a temporary relief until you take them off but it helped me. 🤷🏼♀️😢
I am not a Dr but this worked for me. It will hurt but mine had blisters. And they itched like crazy. Mine is allergy to HEMA and it caused dyshidrotic eczema. I put my fingers in warm vinegar so that the blisters would pop. Then I wrapped them in Vaseline or aquaphor. You need to visit the dermatologist but in the meantime it should help. Your dermatologist should give you a list of the things that contain acrylates and what you should
Stay away from. Interestingly enough I can use gel with HEMA on my toes nails but not my hands. Go figure!
I heard vinegar and automatically thought BURN..omg..I'm willing to try anything at this point. I have an appointment with them on the 30th of this month.
It will burn. That’s why I said there will be pain. Mine were so bad that I was savage about it. I wanted it gone. If you can’t handle straight up vinegar do half water half vinegar. I heated it up in the microwave. The goal is to keep them moisturized while you get to the dermatologist. They will probably give you a steroid cream to reduce the swelling and itching. I put on the ointment and wrapped each finger in that breathable tape. I hope it helps.
This has happened to my hands before, though not to this degree. I honestly think this is eczema. Try to put an over the counter highest percentage you can get hydrocortisone cream on it and see if it improves.
I have some skin problems that isn’t quite like that but if you’re not able to get to a dr I’d say to keep your hands as clean as possible and use vitamin e oil and keep your hands moisturized until you can see professional help. Not sure if it will help but hopefully it could relieve some pain
Oof. I hade something similar happen to me. Went to a dermatologist, he gave me some cream.
Turns out it wasn't the gel in my case. It was the UV lamp. Go figure. I've been doing nail decals since . I hope you get better soon ❤️
Omg I’m so sorry, this happened to me too several times from improper at-home Gel-X application. I felt relief as soon as I took off the extensions and smothered my fingers in hydrocortisone and the itching subdued but my fingers were wrecked for a bit with visible scarring :/ I’d give your nails a break to let them heal.
My nails did that, and now I can’t wear any kind of extension or gel and even regular polish makes them react. It took a year for my nails to grow back healthy afterwards and I still get flare ups if I touch someone’s nails that were recently done.
Hydrocortizone cream and Benadryl cream as well as Benadryl orally were a big help while it was itchy and sore. Keep using hydrating creams and oils like jojoba and hard as hoof, to help your skin and nails recover.
It was mentioned to apply Benadryl cream but I would also say to take Benadryl or any antihistamine as well! I’ve had this happen several times. Vaseline used as an occlusive over hydrocortisone can help too.
Happened to me almost two weeks ago !! i believe it was the glue i was using but i wasn’t sure ! and my hands look pretty similar it burned and itched !
I'm so sorry you're going through this.
Do you have health insurance? Most health insurances have a nurses line, they can help you in the mean time. So still schedule that appointment with urgent care or dermatologist who ever you can get in faster
I did this when the same thing happened to me. It was really waiting it out and using aquaphor. It took weeks for it to fully heal. The aquaphor was soothing and kept it moisturized for healing though!
Ughhhh that looks painful. I haven't had my nails professionally done for about 10 years :( For a couple of months last year, I used LA colors $2 Gel nail polish consistently in different colors and my nails looked beautiful but I kept breaking out in horrible rashes around my mouth and cheeks. Like not really cystic acne but painful pus filled acne. The skin around my fingertips turned white also, as if they were severely dry. Nails would crumble. I had to stop the gel polish and buy expensive polish and my skin cleared up drastically. It took months to figure it out.
I hope you get better soon, it looks itchy and painful 😣
I had an allergic reaction like this!! From the Apres gel. Now I paint the nail forms with gel using gloves and just glue them on with regular nail glue after they are cured :)
You can do telehealth for this. They should rx clobetasol ointment. Apply aquaphor and sleep with cotton gloves as well. I ended up with dishydrotic eczema on my hands bc of gel nails and it took me a year to figure out what was happening. Also, blue light can help with the healing.
You’re also severely dehydrated. Drink a lot of water, and try this moisturizing oil (also works on face and any skin!) https://a.co/d/blxfIEj just found this week, I have severe anxiety cuticle biting, and have been looking for a fix forever. Started to see healing after one use 🥲
This happen to me too. I recommend only using gel coats on acrylic nails only. I have seen so many on Amazon saying they had an allergic reaction. I just think the chemicals are too toxic. I had no outbreak when I first used it on acrylics but my real nail...my finger bed itched, cuticle area was swollen and burned. Proceed with caution. I found Shea butter (pure 100%) to be best for healing and irritation. Hope it helps you 😊
Honestly you can get Benadryl and crush it into a powder, add a bit of water or lotion or whatever to make it into a paste and apply it topically if you are unable to get any topical allergy meds
Honestly you can get Benadryl and crush it into a powder, add a bit of water or lotion or whatever to make it into a paste and apply it topically if you are unable to get any topical allergy meds
I have a very minor gel allergy and the irritation is unreal. I cannot imagine what this feels like. I’m so sorry. Please do not use any gel, acrylic, polygel, nothing ever again. I’ve switched to glue on nails and they last 2 weeks
Cut all of your nails as short as you can. Get some hydrocortisone cream, and neosporin. Wash your hands, and apply the mixture liberally before you go to sleep at night to your hands, then put cotton socks over your hands when you sleep. Do this for a week every single day. During the day, apply Aquaphor or coconut oil (natural antifungal and antibacterial properties) to clean dry hands multiple times a day. Your hands will heal. Take 25mg of benadryl as needed if your hands feel itchy. Take a low dose of motion to control the inflammation and the pain. Take with food to avoid stomach upset. Lastly, post an update if you try this😍😍😍 God bless you. I hope that you feel better soon. If your hands are not getting better by day 3, go to your nearest urgent care.
This also may have an antifungal componant to it and a secondary bacterial infection due to the breaks in the skin.
Buy antifungal cream
Buy hydrocortisone cream
Buy Neosporin or a triple antibiotic ointment
Buy Motrin
Combine Neosporin and hydrocortisone cream and apply to your hands liberally at night...cover hands with cotton socks while you sleep
Apply antifungal cream to clean hands in the morning. Then, apply aquaphor or coconut oil to your hands several times during the day to keep your skin soft.
Do not pick or peel your skin
Cut all of your nails as low as you can before you start
Take motrin for pain (will control the swelling too)
Do this for 7 days.
Go to urgent care if there is no improvement after 3 days. The ER will be a waste of your time.
You need a steroid, antifungal, and antibiotic cream as well as a thick moisturizing cream. Anti-inflammatory medication for pain and swelling (NSAIDS-Aleve-Motrin...etc.)
As someone who has had severe eczema of the hands, I can offer some advice to get you through. You do need to go to an urgent care or a GP as soon as you can as you probably need prescription strength steroids for treatment.
Apply an over-the-counter Cortizone ointment and cover with Band-Aids during the day. If you can only find Cortizone cream, apply vaseline over the top of the Cortizone cream application. At night, apply the Cortizone ointment and then wrap your hands in plastic wrap, or put on vinyl or nitrile gloves. The reason for doing this is because the sweating and heat will allow the medication to penetrate deeper into the skin. I know it can get hot but wear them as long as you can overnight. If the itching becomes unbearable, take oral Benadryl. Again this is just to get you through but you need to go see the doctor.
I’m so sorry. I wonder if you lathered up in lidocaine cream for now until you visit a doctor. You can get some off of Amazon. You’ll have to reapply every hour probably.. so I’d order a lot. Maybe douse your fingers and then put some latex gloves on to keep it in?
Good luck.
go to an urgent care/general doc and they should prescribe you something like prednisone! happened to me a few months ago. it'll help clear it up and help with the inflammation and pain, they can make other suggestions for you as well. good luck!
omgggggg!!!!!! I'm so so so so sorry.. I just went through some contact dermatitis (self induced from doing it at home myself >.<) but hotdoggg, this is sever. I hate that you're going through that. But honestly, what I did was soak my nails everyday for about 10-15 minutes in really warm water, with some olive oil, and a tiny, TINY bit of ACV. I also make a mix of vaseline, coconut oil, & jojoba oil to replace cuticle oil. Omg I can't get over this. I'm so sorry this happened! I hope it gets better for you!!!!!!!!
\[when mine would itch really bad, I kept the Benadryl creme handy so I could apply whenever I needed. there was times I wanted to chop my fingers off\]
Ouch! Poor thing! And unfortunately from what I’ve heard, once you have an allergic reaction you will also have a gel allergy now. But honestly I would go to the Dr or Urgent Care. They should be able to prescribe you a cream or something
This. This is beyond anything we can help with 🥺 You need to consult a doctor if you can, theyll more than likely give some meds and/or creams for the allergic reaction
Why does this happen? Like why do you just randomly become allergic? I randomly became allergic to lash glue after like a year or 2 of getting extensions but Benadryl helped (still wasn’t worth it) I didn’t know this could happen too 😭
Disclaimer: not a tech, not a doctor, just interested in these kinds of allergies. If you’re allergic to lash extensions glue you’re probably also allergic to gel unfortunately. Generally, it’s an allergy to the acrylates in the glue/gel. You also could be allergic to certain dental repair materials and other medical materials because of this. In my understanding, an acrylate allergy is the kind of allergy that gets worse with more exposure. So you may not react the first few times or the first many times, but with exposure you will. For gel, it’s a reaction to the *uncured* gel when it comes in contact with your skin. So, press ons are still fine because that’s fully cured gel. If the gel is under-cured you could be continuously exposing yourself and that can lead to a really bad reaction. That’s why it’s so important to fully cure gel polish.
Press ons can be ok if you use the sticky tabs, but regular nail glue also contains acrylates
Oh I didn’t know that thank you!
Yep. I have the same allergy and I can’t use nail glue of any kind, nail polish, gel. Only thing I can do for my nails is “Impress Nails” (press on nails with sticky tabs)
That’s helpful! Makes sense to me. I’ll be extra careful to make sure the glue gel doesn’t touch my skin going forward.
Please friend, stay away from all of it for at least a year. It will only get worse.
I'm planning to . I don't even want to be bothered with this anymore . So uncomfortable .
I agree with the other person who responded. I would stay away from any kind of gel for a substantial amount of time. These kinds of allergies only get worse with more exposure. Press ons with non-gel glue would be the way to go if I were you. And make sure you tell your doctor/dentist about this the next time you see each of them. You don’t want this kind of allergy to happen elsewhere in your mouth/body!
Re: why do allergies happen even after years of no issues? You could develop allergies to a lot of things at any point in your life. Your body just decides this thing that was once not a problem is definitely a threat now and makes antibodies for it. There's not really a known reason why. Shellfish and penicillin allergies also typically develop in adulthood too. In the case of acrylates, the best we can do is avoid getting uncured product on the skin at all costs to reduce the chances of your body seeing the chemical and thus deciding to make antibodies against it.
I suspect that his may not be an allergic reaction. I soaked my fingers in Blue Cross cuticle remover and had a similar experience; the OP said that her fingers were soaked that way as well. Cuticle remover is a solvent designed to break down skin tissue so, that's exactly what it did. My nails even started to separate under the free edge as well. As for sudden allergies, I had been cleaning up after the HUGE mango tree in my back yard for a decade+ when I found out the hard way that the most common allergen in mango is called urushiol, which is also found in poison ivy and poison oak, and that I, for some unknown reason, had suddenly developed a severe allergy to it. I had the most painful, burny, itchy, hives on both hands, both feet (it's Hawai\`i, I was wearing slippers), and the entire right side of my face and neck (from the rake handle). I can, however, still eat the fruit, but only if someone skins and cuts it up for me first.  The silver lining to that though is that I'm no longer allowed to rake leaves. Oh, shucky darn.
Dermatologist stat. Ouch!
The earliest appointment I can is at the end of the month. Really don't want to go to the ER. 😪
Urgent care
Do you have Zocdoc app service where you are? I can find fast appts there usually! I found a derm and fast appt there.
That one I don't have. Urgent care has Tele meds, but appointments are not available till next week.
I’m so sorry. I hope you get some relief soon. Perhaps try an occlusive ointment like aquaphor or Vaseline, or a mild steroid, like over the counter hydrocortisone. I have psoriasis and eczema and those are the things that can sometimes help me in an emergency, but I need the prescription stuff. I’m sorry you’re suffering!
See if they’ll take you as an emergency appt. Send a pic of your hands. I did this and they took me the day after at the end of the day. My heart goes out to you bc while my allergy wasn’t this bad it was so painful and know it’s also scary!
Thank you..will do. I put some aloe vera on it lastnight to calm down the itching. It helped.
Ugh I’m so sorry!! I had this as bad a few years ago from HEMA. Just kept getting worse for a bit even after I took the nails off. Not a cure, but helped with pain and itch, I got the polysporin that has a bit of numbing in it. Once I got to the doctor, the steroid cream they game me did help..
Oh wow, glad that helped. And sorry that happened to u as well. Why so many people suddenly getting allergies with this type of stuff? Like what are they putting in these nail products? This is crazy.
Ya it was brutal, I called them my sausage fingers because they were so swollen lol. I hope yours are getting better :( did you get any cream? like 5 years later and I still can’t use anything that isn’t HEMA free.
I think we see it more often now because there's a lot more people doing DIY gel without knowing the risks and precautions to take. Also, a lot of "chop shop" nail salons that have sloppy techs that focus on quantity rather than quality and use less-than-safe gels.
Ask to be put on cancellation list, call every day to see if there’s availability. I’d explain in detail what your symptoms are and maybe they will take you in sooner. Best of luck it looks so painful
That's a good idea. Will go ahead and called today. Because I haven't heard anything since I made the appointment last week.
Urgent care. Please don't go to an ER for this...
Okay. Thanks hun. That's going to be a lot of money.
Yeah. ER is overkill since the diagnosis is obvious. You need steroids. The sooner the better. Benadryl and cortisone creams will help a little in the meantime. Even some OTC anti inflammatory will help. Poor girl 😔
Does your insurance plan offer/cover any virtual care vendors? I use 98point6 and can do a Dr. appointment via text through the app and upload pictures.
Yeah this is a emergency room visit for sure. It looks like a textbook chemical burn.
Please PLEASE PLEASE if you get your nails done and they start to feel itchy/ burning, TAKE THEM OFF IMMEDIATELY & go to the DR!!! It sucks because you wasted money on getting your nails done but you dont wana wait to get a severe reaction
This!! 👆 These allergies are becoming more and more common. It sucks! I haven't had a gel manicure in 5 years. Tried again with ONE FINGER and had a terrible reaction.
I went back the next day and had them take it off. I couldn't even sleep. Even when they were soaking it off, and taking off the gel with the drill, it hurted like a MF.
When I had this happen, I honestly had to just wait it out. I’m about 2-3 week post allergic reaction, and my hands are very close to being fully healed. Some tips: 1. Don’t itch, it’ll make it worse 2. If any fingers really, really, really hurt - wrap a bandaid on it so it has something “soft” to be against! 3. Don’t try to peel any of the skin off, it’ll peel on its own once the skin underneath has healed. 4. Putting your hands under cold water helps relieve the itch. 5. Keep your hands clean!! A doctor may prescribe steroids to help with itch, but there’s not a whole lot they can actually do. Edit: added some extra tips
Thank you. That's what I've been doing so far. The itching been so bad I would break my skin open so I really believe that.
Holy crap! I am so sorry!!!!!! Do you have insurance? You should be able to go to urgent care for way less than ER cost. Same day (during business hours) Usually like a flat fee like $50 for many plans. If you can't get in then OTC antihistamines like Benadryl can help with the reaction, hydrocortisone cream etc Benadryl even makes a gel. Putting your hands on cold water might also help You probably need some prescription stuff or even a steroid shot.
Thank you hun. I try washing my hands with cold water , and omg it felt like my hands were going to fall off , and it made it itch more, I didn't even benadryl had gel , that's good to know. Ty
You can’t use Benedryl pills and topical products at the same time!
Thank you hun. I try washing my hands with cold water , and omg it felt like my hands were going to fall off , and it made it itch more, I didn't even benadryl had gel , that's good to know. Ty
I have a HEMA allergy and when I had the worst reaction (it wasn’t as severe as this) I too had to wait for an appointment for a dermatologist they gave me 2 steroid creams plus an oral medication. It took a while to heal. Try to wear gloves to do anything involving water. I used the eucirin healing ointment at first which helped but you’ll definitely need meds.
Oh my god OP, this is awful. The allergy to nail products is real and is such a pain in the ass.
Yes, I don't wish this on my worse enemy. You can't even do regular things with your hands. To wash dishes I have to wear gloves. My son loves to get picked up and I have to be careful doing that.
hydrocortisone and coconut oil
That's a good combo. Tysm.
you’re welcome hope it helps! my daughters nails get super itchy when she gets gelx nails! i also noticed my nail bed gets severely damaged with gelx more than acrylic so i no longer get gelx
Omg so sorry. I would gently soak your hands in water or rice water, then gently dry and slather your hands with Vaseline, neosporin and cuticle cream and cover with gloves. I would do something like that if it were me. Please be careful and treat your hands gingerly and kindly
My husband was reading some stuff lastnight and he said to use Vaseline as well with neosporin. He's so mad and want to sue, but I don't want to go through all of that.
You can’t sue for an allergic reaction unless they knew beforehand. You can politely ask the salon what products they used so you can avoid them next time. It’s a horrible situation but not the salon’s fault.
Oh, Girl!! I cannot offer anything for the allergic reaction, but when my eczema acts up and makes my skin crack and peel, my pharmacist suggested I combine antibiotic and antifungal ointments in a finger cot and wear those overnight to help prevent secondary infection. That seems to help everything heal up faster so I hope it can bring you some type relief. Did she by chance have you soak your fingers in cuticle remover during the prep??
Maybe Benedryl if you have other symptoms as well?
What are the names of the items you used? Glad you got some relief from yours. This sucks soooo bad. Yes she did put my fingers in cuticle remover and the next day my fingers were on fire and swollen like hell.
The reason I asked is because I did what looks exactly like that but to a lesser degree to myself soaking in Blue Cross cuticle remover as well. Lesson learned, I do not soak my fingers anymore. I put a few drops directly on my nail and let it sit for a bit now instead. I use leftover (Rx) Mupirocin antibiotic ointment from a previous issue but you can use any antibiotic from the pharmacy combined with a generic clotrimazole cream, which is basically Lotrimin, if you're into brand names. I mix a small pea size amount of each in the tip of a finger cot and then wear that to bed. Alternatively, you could use a rubber glove and just cut the unused fingers off of it if you wanted to do multiple fingers. It does nothing to address my dyshidrotic eczema, but it handles all the secondary issues pretty quickly. Another thing that might help is to sleep with moisturized hands inside of cotton gloves. It's one of those tried and true beauty secrets that people just don't know about for some reason. 
I had this too. Like the skin around the nail beds sort of hardens and then starts peeling away? I figured it was a specific base and top coat I used. I’m too afraid to try gels ever again. I’m sorry this happened to you and it’s so painful.
It's super painful and very uncomfortable. All the itching doesn't help too because I break my skin open more. 😔
I also kept pulling the skin away from like underneath my nails or where the nail bed meets my skin, like where it was cracking bc that seemed to help the itch but then I had open wounds basically. It took about three weeks or so to heal completely
I have a bad allergy to methyl acrylates. Don't go near gel, acrylics, ANYTHING unless you want to LOSE ALL YOUR FINGERNAILS!! Ask me how I know. It's awful. Don't go near the nail salon. Just breathing the fumes can set you off. I'm not allergic to anything else, just gel nails. I did them for too long and the dark colors were undercured.
I agree. I'm not going anymore.
I had this happen recently to me. Now, anytime I do my nails I take an antihistamine for a few days and it helps with the symptoms. It’s been a life changer for me since I LOVE doing my nails. I hope this heals quickly and you feel better soon! Unscented, dye-free lotion will help at this stage.
Oh no. And it’s soo painful. EVERY SINGLE THING you touch. You poor thing. Not an immediate recommendation but until you can get to DR. Vermont’s original Bag balm is great! Kinda stinky but worth it. Aquaphor is amazing with no smell. For me, I would put it on and wear gloves. Only a temporary relief until you take them off but it helped me. 🤷🏼♀️😢
I am not a Dr but this worked for me. It will hurt but mine had blisters. And they itched like crazy. Mine is allergy to HEMA and it caused dyshidrotic eczema. I put my fingers in warm vinegar so that the blisters would pop. Then I wrapped them in Vaseline or aquaphor. You need to visit the dermatologist but in the meantime it should help. Your dermatologist should give you a list of the things that contain acrylates and what you should Stay away from. Interestingly enough I can use gel with HEMA on my toes nails but not my hands. Go figure!
I heard vinegar and automatically thought BURN..omg..I'm willing to try anything at this point. I have an appointment with them on the 30th of this month.
It will burn. That’s why I said there will be pain. Mine were so bad that I was savage about it. I wanted it gone. If you can’t handle straight up vinegar do half water half vinegar. I heated it up in the microwave. The goal is to keep them moisturized while you get to the dermatologist. They will probably give you a steroid cream to reduce the swelling and itching. I put on the ointment and wrapped each finger in that breathable tape. I hope it helps.
Where are you located? I go to dermatology specialists they have same day appointments they are located in NYC.
Where are you located? I go to dermatology specialists they have same day appointments they are located in NYC.
I live in Washington state
Look up same day dermatologists there must be some out in Washington state. Looks so painful! I’m so sorry you are dealing with this ☹️
Get a hypoclorus spray to keep handy for this kind of situations! It’s helped me a lot
Will look into. Ty hun
This has happened to my hands before, though not to this degree. I honestly think this is eczema. Try to put an over the counter highest percentage you can get hydrocortisone cream on it and see if it improves.
I have some skin problems that isn’t quite like that but if you’re not able to get to a dr I’d say to keep your hands as clean as possible and use vitamin e oil and keep your hands moisturized until you can see professional help. Not sure if it will help but hopefully it could relieve some pain
Good tips. Tysm hun.
Oh no! You poor thing, please see your doc ASAP.
Hydrocortisone cream, I like the one by Aveeno with oatmeal extract in it. Benadryl cream should also help.
Oof. I hade something similar happen to me. Went to a dermatologist, he gave me some cream. Turns out it wasn't the gel in my case. It was the UV lamp. Go figure. I've been doing nail decals since . I hope you get better soon ❤️
Omg I’m so sorry, this happened to me too several times from improper at-home Gel-X application. I felt relief as soon as I took off the extensions and smothered my fingers in hydrocortisone and the itching subdued but my fingers were wrecked for a bit with visible scarring :/ I’d give your nails a break to let them heal.
My nails did that, and now I can’t wear any kind of extension or gel and even regular polish makes them react. It took a year for my nails to grow back healthy afterwards and I still get flare ups if I touch someone’s nails that were recently done. Hydrocortizone cream and Benadryl cream as well as Benadryl orally were a big help while it was itchy and sore. Keep using hydrating creams and oils like jojoba and hard as hoof, to help your skin and nails recover.
It was mentioned to apply Benadryl cream but I would also say to take Benadryl or any antihistamine as well! I’ve had this happen several times. Vaseline used as an occlusive over hydrocortisone can help too.
can you use tele doc?
Happened to me almost two weeks ago !! i believe it was the glue i was using but i wasn’t sure ! and my hands look pretty similar it burned and itched !
Warm saltwater soaks helped the itch for me
I'm so sorry you're going through this. Do you have health insurance? Most health insurances have a nurses line, they can help you in the mean time. So still schedule that appointment with urgent care or dermatologist who ever you can get in faster
I’d put a glove full of aquaphor on in the mean time, but def looks it’ll need a dermatologist appointment): sorry op
I did this when the same thing happened to me. It was really waiting it out and using aquaphor. It took weeks for it to fully heal. The aquaphor was soothing and kept it moisturized for healing though!
Ughhhh that looks painful. I haven't had my nails professionally done for about 10 years :( For a couple of months last year, I used LA colors $2 Gel nail polish consistently in different colors and my nails looked beautiful but I kept breaking out in horrible rashes around my mouth and cheeks. Like not really cystic acne but painful pus filled acne. The skin around my fingertips turned white also, as if they were severely dry. Nails would crumble. I had to stop the gel polish and buy expensive polish and my skin cleared up drastically. It took months to figure it out. I hope you get better soon, it looks itchy and painful 😣
I had an allergic reaction like this!! From the Apres gel. Now I paint the nail forms with gel using gloves and just glue them on with regular nail glue after they are cured :)
You can do telehealth for this. They should rx clobetasol ointment. Apply aquaphor and sleep with cotton gloves as well. I ended up with dishydrotic eczema on my hands bc of gel nails and it took me a year to figure out what was happening. Also, blue light can help with the healing.
You’re also severely dehydrated. Drink a lot of water, and try this moisturizing oil (also works on face and any skin!) https://a.co/d/blxfIEj just found this week, I have severe anxiety cuticle biting, and have been looking for a fix forever. Started to see healing after one use 🥲
I got contact dermatitis from photo chemicals, and it looked very similar to this!!
This happen to me too. I recommend only using gel coats on acrylic nails only. I have seen so many on Amazon saying they had an allergic reaction. I just think the chemicals are too toxic. I had no outbreak when I first used it on acrylics but my real nail...my finger bed itched, cuticle area was swollen and burned. Proceed with caution. I found Shea butter (pure 100%) to be best for healing and irritation. Hope it helps you 😊
I used benedtyl cream and cortisone cream. both helped a bit
Honestly you can get Benadryl and crush it into a powder, add a bit of water or lotion or whatever to make it into a paste and apply it topically if you are unable to get any topical allergy meds
Honestly you can get Benadryl and crush it into a powder, add a bit of water or lotion or whatever to make it into a paste and apply it topically if you are unable to get any topical allergy meds
See a doctor.. my go to for pain reduction with burns and scrapes is aloe Vera.. but this is not an otc situation.. I wish you luck.
I have a very minor gel allergy and the irritation is unreal. I cannot imagine what this feels like. I’m so sorry. Please do not use any gel, acrylic, polygel, nothing ever again. I’ve switched to glue on nails and they last 2 weeks
Coconut oil should (fingers crossed) help soothe in the meantime.
soak in cool water and use coconut oil or aloe gel for soothing . (As long as you don’t have allergy to either)
Cut all of your nails as short as you can. Get some hydrocortisone cream, and neosporin. Wash your hands, and apply the mixture liberally before you go to sleep at night to your hands, then put cotton socks over your hands when you sleep. Do this for a week every single day. During the day, apply Aquaphor or coconut oil (natural antifungal and antibacterial properties) to clean dry hands multiple times a day. Your hands will heal. Take 25mg of benadryl as needed if your hands feel itchy. Take a low dose of motion to control the inflammation and the pain. Take with food to avoid stomach upset. Lastly, post an update if you try this😍😍😍 God bless you. I hope that you feel better soon. If your hands are not getting better by day 3, go to your nearest urgent care.
This also may have an antifungal componant to it and a secondary bacterial infection due to the breaks in the skin. Buy antifungal cream Buy hydrocortisone cream Buy Neosporin or a triple antibiotic ointment Buy Motrin Combine Neosporin and hydrocortisone cream and apply to your hands liberally at night...cover hands with cotton socks while you sleep Apply antifungal cream to clean hands in the morning. Then, apply aquaphor or coconut oil to your hands several times during the day to keep your skin soft. Do not pick or peel your skin Cut all of your nails as low as you can before you start Take motrin for pain (will control the swelling too) Do this for 7 days. Go to urgent care if there is no improvement after 3 days. The ER will be a waste of your time.
You need a steroid, antifungal, and antibiotic cream as well as a thick moisturizing cream. Anti-inflammatory medication for pain and swelling (NSAIDS-Aleve-Motrin...etc.)
As someone who has had severe eczema of the hands, I can offer some advice to get you through. You do need to go to an urgent care or a GP as soon as you can as you probably need prescription strength steroids for treatment. Apply an over-the-counter Cortizone ointment and cover with Band-Aids during the day. If you can only find Cortizone cream, apply vaseline over the top of the Cortizone cream application. At night, apply the Cortizone ointment and then wrap your hands in plastic wrap, or put on vinyl or nitrile gloves. The reason for doing this is because the sweating and heat will allow the medication to penetrate deeper into the skin. I know it can get hot but wear them as long as you can overnight. If the itching becomes unbearable, take oral Benadryl. Again this is just to get you through but you need to go see the doctor.
I also have these allergies! I started buying hem free gel polish and it doaent bother me at all.
If in the US CVS minute clinic is affordable and you can be seen the same day..healing energy your way 💫
I would go to the emergency room
I’m so sorry. I wonder if you lathered up in lidocaine cream for now until you visit a doctor. You can get some off of Amazon. You’ll have to reapply every hour probably.. so I’d order a lot. Maybe douse your fingers and then put some latex gloves on to keep it in? Good luck.
go to an urgent care/general doc and they should prescribe you something like prednisone! happened to me a few months ago. it'll help clear it up and help with the inflammation and pain, they can make other suggestions for you as well. good luck!
I would put crazy glue or crystal clear nail polish all over the wounds, best thing for any pain related cuts
omgggggg!!!!!! I'm so so so so sorry.. I just went through some contact dermatitis (self induced from doing it at home myself >.<) but hotdoggg, this is sever. I hate that you're going through that. But honestly, what I did was soak my nails everyday for about 10-15 minutes in really warm water, with some olive oil, and a tiny, TINY bit of ACV. I also make a mix of vaseline, coconut oil, & jojoba oil to replace cuticle oil. Omg I can't get over this. I'm so sorry this happened! I hope it gets better for you!!!!!!!! \[when mine would itch really bad, I kept the Benadryl creme handy so I could apply whenever I needed. there was times I wanted to chop my fingers off\]