Nail polish fumes

[Guest Cody76]

I have a problem anytime I do my nails I get high from the strong smell of it which can't be a good thing. What are the best ways to avoid this are there any kind of masks that I can get or what can I do I don't want to kill brain cells every time I want to do my nails.

[VickySGV]

Have a small fan pointed toward an open window, or at least have your bathroom fan on as you do your nails. Find the pick up vent for your air conditioner, especially if it is an exhaust pick-up. The stuff is pretty pungent and can mildly irritate your sinuses. The primary solvent in the polish is lacquer thinner. There are some brands that use a little different solvent in them, and a good cosmetics store can tell you which ones they are. Other alternative is go have your nails done in a salon where they do have proper ventilation. I suppose that a War Surplus store could sell you a gas mask, and there are industrial safety supply stores with masks as well. But once again, a WELL VENTILATED area to do your nails in (not the closet for sure) will do the least damage to you.

PS-- NO SMOKING while doing your nails!!

Edited February 18, 2014 by VickySGV
added PS in lieu of new post

[Guest Cody76]

Have a small fan pointed toward an open window, or at least have your bathroom fan on as you do your nails. Find the pick up vent for your air conditioner, especially if it is an exhaust pick-up. The stuff is pretty pungent and can mildly irritate your sinuses. The primary solvent in the polish is lacquer thinner. There are some brands that use a little different solvent in them, and a good cosmetics store can tell you which ones they are. Other alternative is go have your nails done in a salon where they do have proper ventilation. I suppose that a War Surplus store could sell you a gas mask, and there are industrial safety supply stores with masks as well. But once again, a WELL VENTILATED area to do your nails in (not the closet for sure) will do the least damage to you.

PS-- NO SMOKING while doing your nails!!

No need to worry about smoking wouldn't have a free hand plus I don't smoke. Thank you.

[Guest]

I'm a regular nail polisher these days - using around 4 coats each time I redo my nails and touch-ups in between the bi-weekly do-overs. I use a small fan for drying my nails and it also dissipates the vapor to some extent. But, I can usually still smell the polish as I curl up to sleep that night.

And, then again, I've been to nail salons where the atmosphere is thick and the workers are wearing masks as if it will protect them. I do worry about the health effects on those folks spend whole days and years breathing that stuff.

Luckily, I don't see health warnings where nail polish is sold. It must be relatively harmless in the big scheme of things.

Love, Megan

[Guest sydney]

I've switched to using Gels. Love them as the infrared light cures them with no fumes. Costco has the basic kit from Nailuv for $45 on sale few months ago that included everything you needed with about 6 or so colors. You can find other colors elsewhere. The only drawback to them is there are not as many colors available, but I love that each coat/layer takes less than a minute to dry. There are general 4 layers to it. A base, 2 color and one top.

[Guest devida]

Well, if you want to scare yourself silly you can check out the Environmental Working Group's report on dangerous chemicals in cosmetics. I'm dealing with the fumes from nail polish, which are certainly toxic, the same way I deal with the fumes from soldering, drawing the air away from the area with a small fan as everyone else suggests. I only wear organic makeup because of the chemicals routinely used in the industry but I doubt there's any organic nail polish. I also don't think there's any way for the plastics in nail polish to migrate to the rest of my body since they are a coating on a hard surface.

[Guest Edu]

PS-- NO SMOKING while doing your nails!!

Ouch! I had been using cigarretes as a timer to wait for the polish to harden for quite a while. Luckily, I am trying to quit smoking anyway

Here is a tip:

I often use non-toxic acrylics and a thin detail brush when I try to get creative on my nails. So the only fumes I need to worry about are from the quick-dry clear topcoat polish I add to protect the whole work.

The specific paints I use are from the Games Workshop / Citadel range (http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2320075a_image-header-xl.jpg). They are meant for something else, but work well enough on my nails Avoid the "Technical" and "Texture" ranges, and possibly the "Dry" ones as well (unless you are trying to do something really unusual); Glazes and Shades allow creating very interesting effects quite easily (especially when used on top of a metallic layer). I'll try to share some pictures the next time I do an interesting job.