Like the machines that measure your height weight, and blood pressure, a young man holding a disk with brightly colored fake nails has become ubiquitous with the melee that makes up Nairobi. A walk in downtown and you'll find rows and rows of containers packed to the brim with eager customers waiting to get their nails or eyebrows done.But, how safe are these areas when it comes to hygiene and are the nail technicians properly trained? On the hygiene aspect, it might be next to impossible to maintain by the book cleanliness standards judging by the sheer traffic that goes in and out of these tiny containers. Add on to the fact that these 'salons' hardly have access to clean and running water. Then there's the issue of whether your nail technician is properly trained. Again, if even if their credentials were in order, the number of customers they receive at a time and the tiny work spaces accorded to them makes it difficult for them to follow all the steps required for a professional manicure or pedicure.A survey by the British Association of Dermatologists shows that 2.4% of people in the UK are allergic to (meth)acrylates - the main class of chemicals used in gel nails, acrylic nail and gel polish nails application and manufacture. The danger occurs when the uncured (still wet) chemicals touch the skin, which will happen if the time used to cure the nails under the UV lamp wasn't sufficient.Signs of the allergic reaction include loosening of your real nails, a severe red and itch rash around the fingertips and anywhere else on the body that came into contact with the (meth) acrylate and in rare cases, breathing problems.How to prevent a potential allergy?

• Visit a professional salon where technicians have been properly trained on application and removal of artificial nails.
• Avoid home application kits. You may not know much time is needed for acrylates to cure or you may handle them incorrectly.
• If you are on a tight budget, the students at Ashleys beauty school are always looking for clients to practice on and you can be sure every ingredient used is safe.