throbbing, itching nails. is it the acrylic?

I was told that my "sensitivity" was due to a common chemical used in all nail products. It started out as a red, swollen, itchy reaction around my cuticle and sides of my nails. Took a one year break and yesterday I did a test run on my thumb nail and today the underside of my wrist is swollen and itchy in the spot where your thumb muscle and wrist meet. Read online that this is related to the chemicals I used on my test thumb nail. Soaked it all off now waiting for the swelling to go away. It said that after so many years (been getting my nails done for 20+ years), some people suddenly develop a sensitivity (allergy) to whatever the common ingredient is and once you have the allergy, you always will. Sorry to say, I am forced to live with my brittle ugly nails. Ugh!

The Samething also happened to me . I thought it was caused by the use of dirty instruments. I tried different nail salons but I still had itchy and swollen nail beads after a couple hours. The itchyness always seemed to get worste at night.

Ive found that if the acrylic nail itself is to close to some cuticles my fingers get itchy because I have a well whats considered a weak nail bed next time ask them to do your nails slightly further from the cuticle area I Found its helped me :)

I have exactly the same issue. Three weeks ago when I had my gel manicure I thought I had an allergic reaction to the lotion or something as my fingers were red and itchy. I went again this past weekend and feel as if my fingers were burned. The upper part of all my fingers are swollen, red and itchy like having a terrible sunburn. I have small blisters on one finger. The manicurist said that the salon owner adjusted the UV lights so that they didn't shut off when your hands are under the light. I wonder if they are supposed to shut off as a safety precaution, and now with their "adjustment" it actually burned my fingers.

Uv lights have two options one to keep them running and one to shut off after 90 seconds most salons put it on the ongoing time so that they don't have to worry about turning the light on all the time or clicking a button every 90 seconds to have the light run again if you are sensitive to UV light you could be getting a slight burn but that would cover the entirety of your hand that is underneath the light it wouldn't be just the cuticle area

I have been getting my nails done for over 20 years. I have been doing gels for about 13 years now. Just in the last 4 to 5 months every time I get my nails done they become red, hot & itchy. It's unbearable! I had this reaction once before when I was doing a French & my nail technician used a white powder. I figured it was acrylic. Once I stopped doing those my nails were fine. Now I am back to this problem again. I am so upset about how horrible my fingers look & I hate to give up my nails, but I don't see any alternative. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

Thanks...now I know it's the acrylic chemicals causing the cracking, peeling, super sensitive and swollen fingers. I might try the gel nails. But for now these symptoms are making me rethink the value of having pretty nails. Is it really worth the pain I'm experiencing.

I have been having my nails done also for many years with no problems.  About 6 months ago or so after having my nails done I started having alittle itching around my nails.  I didn't think to much of it until it progressivly got worse.  I actually felt I needed to give my nails a break and quit getting them done for a few months.  Last month I went back to the salon and talked to the guy who does my nails and told him about the reaction I was having so we decided to try a new primer.  He said he had one other client who had the same problem so he had a different primer that he used on her that kept her from having problems.  We tried that and OMG it was worse that night.  My finger tips swoll up and the itching was horrific.  This lasted a few days and my finger tips actually had skin peeling up around them from what looked like little blisters.  Two weeks later when I needed a refill I told him that the new primer did not work and was actually worse so I wanted him not to use any primer.  After that nail application with no primer I had alittle itching but it went away by morning.  I was happy so I figured that was the trick.  Well yesterday I went in for a fill and told him what happened so he said well I'll use a better powder and put the solar nail acrylic on without primer.  This has not helped and I'm sitting here writing this post with my finger tips itching beyond belief even after using benedryl and they are red and irritated again.  I guess I have to quit getting my nails done since I have evidently developed an allergic reaction to the whole process.  My daughter has been using the whole acrylic nails you can buy in the store to glue on. I may try that since my nails won't be drilled, filed and have the wet chemicals touch my skin.  I know I will be dealing with the glue but I will try to be careful not to get too much on.   

This has been so helpful, thank you! I thought it was just me. After years if acrylic nails I've started to have intense itching, flaking skin and even blisters after my last 4 infills. Guess I'll have to get the acrylics taken off :-(

I, too, have had the same reaction. However, I get solar nails & have the option of getting them just buffed or brushed with something and placed under the UV light to set. So I have tried a few things. I have changed salons a few times. That doesn't seem to be it. I stopped letting them paint my nails with whatever that stuff is and sticking them under the light. It worked out great last time. No burning and itching. But I went in yesterday & she used a lot of acetone for some reason - I'm not sure why because I didn't get a new set, just a fill and now I'm wondering if I have a sensitivity to the acetone. What have you done to eliminate the burning & itching. It is so bad, it woke me from a deep sleep and I am in agony. I hate to think I am not going to be able to get my nails done anymore, but this is killing me.

Yes we all have the same symptoms who has the RELIEF

I've had this problem before as well. I thought getting gel would prevent the itching, thinking it had something to do with the acrylics, but the itching didn't stop. I still haven't figured out why my cuticles itch. They usually start to feel (looking horribly ugly) after a couple days. I'm debating on whether I should even keep doing my nails /:

you can have them removed, but i just benadryl tablets x 2 and this stops the itching, i go my nails done in a chinese salon a couple of times and i will not go again because i have had my nails for 20 years and recently my fingers are really itchy, best to go to a proper salon and pay extra, hope this helps

I'm yet another who has had nails for umpteen years and is just now experiencing this.  As for the itching, I use just regular anti-itch cream and it works for me.  I do my own nails and have tried both gels and acrylics.  The problem started when I started using gels and I had to soak off the gels with acetone nail polish remover.  The acid is what made them burn.  I switched back to acrylic because I could use non-acetone remover.  Then it happened with acrylic.  However, and this is weird, not all my nails were affected.  Three on one hand and two on the other.  So I know it is not the UV lamp.  What I am thinking is it might be the primer, considering it has the acetone in it.  Thinking back, I remember my nail person just dotting on the primer here and there.  Me, wanting to make sure my whole nail stays put, brush the primer on my own nail all the way up to the cuticle, not just dabbing like her.  Don't know if this is the problem yet but when I do my nails next, I am going to make sure I just dab a few spots of primer away from my cuticle and also keep the acrylic from reaching the cutle.  I have always wanted to go as close to the cuticle as I could so it looks natural and I wouldn't have to refill my nails so often.  Looking forward to seeing if this works.

Omg!! I have the same thing, For years I used to get acrylics but now I switched to Gel Nails. Eveytime I get my nails done some of my cuticles get red and tender. Right now two of my cuticles are cracked with pain and or itchy. I also feel the tingly feeling like some kind of insect crawling underneath my skin. So what is your suggestion? Stay away for the UV light or can it be the primer they put on before the gel polish?