Getting a trendy manicure that fully expresses your personality — think intricate designs, nail gems, the whole nine yards — has gotten increasingly expensive, yet extremely popular amongst the online beauty community. So when TikTok began circulating a cheap hack using press-on nails and gel curing, DIY-ers everywhere rejoiced. But nail professionals have issued a dire warning against the viral beauty trend.

"I personally think this is a very alarming and scary trend that's happening on TikTok at the moment," says Amber Thomas, founder of The Healthy Nails Collaborative, in her video. "UV light cannot go through a full cover press-on nail that is colored. It needs to be absolutely clear… You are leaving yourself open to developing an allergy to gel products." 

The trend in question began circulating earlier this summer when creator @yasyyada's video brought it to the spotlight, raking in 2.3 million views. It involves using a bonding gel adhesive like Aprés's Extend Gel to attach inexpensive press-on nails that you'd typically get from a drug store. After applying the nail, the technique tells viewers to cure under a UV lamp, which should dry out the gel and produce a long-lasting and intricate manicure for low effort and low cost. 

Both the issue and the draw, however, are that most affordable press-on nails from a drugstore come pre-designed. The nails are already painted and often feature impressive designs that nail novices can't accomplish themselves at home, making the whole process much easier. But those designs make the nails not completely clear, as Thomas says is necessary, and therefore block the UV light from actually fully curing the nail and the gel bonder beneath it.