Walk into almost any shopping centre or busy street in Kenya, and you are likely to find a nail salon offering gel manicures. With nail bars sprouting across Nairobi and other cities, gel polish has become a routine beauty treatment for many Kenyan women — whether it costs as much as Sh5,000 or as little as Sh400.

But a chemical used in some gel nail products has recently come under scrutiny, raising an important question for Kenyan consumers: are the gel products used in nail salons safe? Are women and men using these gels at risk of infertility, testicular problems, birth defects in their children, or liver and kidney injury?

The chemical in question is trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, better known as TPO. It is used in some gel nail polishes to help them harden when exposed to the UV or LED lamps used in salons.

The European Union banned TPO in September 2025, while a similar restriction took effect in the UK on August 15, 2026. The move has prompted questions about what the ban means for countries such as Kenya, where gel manicures are increasingly popular but the cosmetics industry is not as tightly regulated.

Why is TPO being banned?

According to Dr Immaculate Clare, a dermatology pharmacist and cosmetic scientist at Humane Pharmaceuticals, TPO is a photoinitiator — in simple terms, one of the ingredients that helps liquid gel polish harden when exposed to light from a UV or LED lamp. TPO became popular because it works quickly and does not easily cause the polish to yellow.

The concern is that TPO has been linked to fertility and reproductive problems in animal studies; researchers say the risk could be similar in humans, though this has not been confirmed.

Dr Clare says the animals experienced fertility and reproductive problems after being exposed to high levels of the chemical through ingestion. However, there is limited evidence on what the same exposure means for people who have gel polish applied to their nails.

This is partly why regulators have taken different approaches. The EU has chosen to restrict TPO because of its potential hazard, while the US continues to allow its use under a regulatory approach that considers factors such as the level and type of human exposure.

So, should Kenyan women stop getting gel manicures?

Experts say consumers should pay closer attention to what is in the products used on their nails. Dr Clare says there are concerns about repeated and prolonged exposure to chemicals in gel products, particularly for people who get manicures very frequently — continuous use, she says, increases the risk of infertility.

She recommends that consumers ask their nail technicians whether the gel polish they use is TPO-free.

"Clients can look at the brands being used in the salon or ask the nail technician directly whether they are using TPO-free gel polishes," she says.

Consumers who want to reduce their risk can also buy their own TPO-free nail products and take them to their salons.

What about Kenyan nail salons?

This is where the issue becomes particularly important for Kenya. Unlike in the UK and EU, where cosmetic ingredients are subject to more established regulatory systems, Kenya's growing nail and beauty industry can be difficult to monitor consistently. The market is also awash with counterfeits. Nail salons are sprouting across Nairobi and other towns, including in dingy spots, but consumers may not always know exactly what is inside the products being applied to their nails.

Dr Clare says this makes awareness particularly important. For customers, that could mean asking simple questions before a manicure: What brand are you using? Is it TPO-free? Can I see the product label?

For nail technicians, the concern may be greater, since they handle gel products for several hours a day, repeatedly, over many years. Dr Clare recommends that technicians wear gloves to minimise contact with the gel and take precautions against inhaling fumes from nail products.

Are TPO-free gels completely safe?

No.

There are alternatives to TPO, including photoinitiators such as BAPO and HCPK, and some manufacturers have already developed TPO-free gel products. But Dr Clare notes that some studies have raised concerns about the effects of alternative ingredients such as BAPO at certain concentrations. This is why she recommends avoiding continuous exposure and giving your nails a break between treatments.

What about UV nail lamps?

Curing Gel Nails Under UV Lamp in Nail Salon — Curing gel nails under a UV lamp: Gel nail polish has become a routine beauty treatment for many Kenyan women.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

For anyone worried about the UV or LED lamps used to cure gel polish, Dr Clare says the exposure during a typical manicure is very small compared with everyday exposure to sunlight. She does not consider the UV exposure from these lamps a significant cancer concern. However, some researchers suggest repeated exposure may be linked to skin cancer, and recommend wearing sunscreen on the hands before a manicure.

As for traditional options such as henna and cutex, Dr Clare says there is currently no data on toxicity, so they can be considered safe for now. However, she cautions this does not mean they are 100 percent safe either, as future studies could reveal health concerns. Her advice is to err on the side of caution and use such products in moderation.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.