As a society, we have accepted the fact that beauty is pain, and we are willing to suffer long-term consequences to improve our appearances.

Think about tanning beds, applying bleach chemicals to our hair and causing severe damage to our nails.

However, over the years we have taken steps towards improving some of our practices. For instance, there are now lotions to bronze your skin and avoid skin damage, there are safer hair products and there are plenty of formaldehyde-free nail polishes.

Most people tend to enjoy a gel manicure, such as shellac. While this can give a great, healthy nail appearance and stay on for weeks, it ends up being super bad for nails.

Since the removal process can be expensive and a hassle, people tend not to want to spend money to get their shellac manicure taken off properly by a professional, people often peel it off on their own.

This ends up doing more damage than you may think. It dries out your nail beds, permanently making your nails dry and brittle.

Gel manicures also need the use of ultraviolet light to set and dry the polish, making it long lasting. This could be exposing you to enough harmful rays that are potentially cancerous.

The good news is that there are many safer, less expensive products that last just as long. Many can be purchased at a drug store.

Safer Alternatives:

• Essie Gel Setter Top Coat-this works with any regular polish, and you simply use it as a topcoat. It creates a gel look that lasts up to a couple weeks. $12

• SpaRitual Gold System-the brand describes this nail system as “flexible,” and can double the length of your manicure. It also has self-repairing smudge technology. $18 each

• Sally Hansen Miracle Gel-this part lacquer, part gel manicure system lasts for up to 14 days, hardening as it’s exposed to natural light. Patented “tube technology” allows nail care ingredients to release into the lacquer, keeping the film glossy and durable. $10