Are Dip Powders Bad For Your Nails?

In case you missed it, dip powder nails are all the rage right now, and given that they supposedly last on your nails for almost three weeks without so much as a chip, it's easy to see why. But are they too good to be true? Are dip powders actually bad for your nails?

"I personally don't like dip powder for a variety of reasons, the first being sanitary concerns," professional nail artist Mazz Hanna told The Zoe Report. "You technically aren't supposed to dip different clients' fingers into the same pot, even though this is something salons do quite often." Nail technician Harli G. agrees, explaining to Elle that when salons share dip powders between their clients it can lead actually to infection. "Even pouring the product over multiple clients' nails and allowing the product powder to fall back into the container is an easy way for nail infections to be passed between clients," she warned.

Beyond the risk of infection, Josephine Allen, a nail technician a Samuel Shriqui Salon, told PopSugar that dip powders can also cause damage to the nails and put the health of your nails at risk. "Dip powders are temporarily damaging to the nails as the seal layer of your nails is broken in the process of this type of manicure," she revealed. And Hanna agrees, telling The Zoe Report, "The product is basically just glorified acrylic, which is notoriously toxic and damaging to the nail plate."

Though Allen confirmed that the root of the nail can't be affected or damaged by dip powders, it's worth keeping the damaging effect of dip powders in mind when you go for your next manicure. There are pros and cons for gel, acrylic, and dip powder manicures, so choose the option that's best for you.