Your hands play a big part in how you look, especially your nails. They’re oftentimes the first thing people notice about a person. It leaves a bad first impression if the nails are chipped, not trimmed right or have peeling nail polish on them. But there’s a solution to this problem, and it’s called nail gel. Having a manicure and adding gel to the nails will make them look neat, clean and pretty.
Hard Gel
This is a nail gel that’s very similar to acrylic in its chemical content. Its main ingredients are oligomers and/or monomers. There are also other ingredients that make it adhere to the nail, easy to work with and harden properly. There’s no need to mix it with other substances to make it available and it’s cured under a UV or LED light.
When you go out to buy hard gel for strong long-lasting nails, you’ll also find it under other names such as structure gel, builder gel or sculpting gel. It’s mainly used to add length to your nails and make them thicker or stronger. Some nail technicians combine it with nail tips to make enhancements or extensions. Overall, it’s a very practical type of nail gel.
Once the gel is baked it turns into a compact polymer that’s resistant to solvents. This means you can’t take it off with acetone, you need to file it. Another important pro of this gel is its lack of odour. It doesn’t smell like anything which is perfect for people who have sensitive noses. You won’t get that unpleasant acrylic smell during your appointment.
Hard gel is also easy to work with because it requires no mixing or measuring anything before you apply it to the nail. It comes at a perfect consistency right from the jar. This is great because the wrong mixing ratio can make the nail fall off in a couple of days. This is a great gel for beginner nail technicians because it’s easy to manipulate.
Hard gel is also non-porous. Its structure and strength won’t be affected by acetone or dyes. The nails won’t get any stains or change their colour when in contact with some chemicals. A manicure done with this gel can last for 2-3 weeks. This mainly depends on the growth speed of the nails and the brand you’re using. But overall, this is a very durable gel that’s worth investing in.
Soft Gel
When people are talking about adding gel to their nails, they’re thinking about soft gel. This is the most common gel in manicures. It’s very traditional and it’s cured with UV light. Soft gel isn’t durable enough to be used as builder gel or to form nail extensions, it provides a certain level of protection for your nails.
It works perfectly for short to medium-length nails. You apply it just like a regular nail polish and to remove it, you just need some acetone. It comes in many colours and there are even shimmering soft gels that look amazing. Plus, its structure makes it perfect for nail art. You can create fun drawings on the nails because it’s soft and easy to work with.
Gel Polish
Gel polish is a hybrid between gel and regular nail polish. Although you apply it as regular polish, it has the performance of a gel. But unlike nail polish which peels after a few days, gel polish will last for several weeks. Yes, it can get damaged, but that’s rarely the case. Just like the other gels, it won’t dry on its own. You’ll need a UV light.
It’s highly pigmented and comes in every colour and shade you can imagine. What makes it strong and durable is its thick consistency. It contains components that strengthen, harden, and promote healthy nails, keeping them from breaking with each growing millimetre. When you want to remove it, you can do it by yourself. You’ll need 100% pure acetone.
Dip the nails in it for several minutes and they’ll loosen up. If you can’t do it at home, any nail technician can do it for you. But don’t try to peel it off. This can damage your natural nails by peeling them as well. This is a gel that gives the nails a natural look, plus, it won’t get damaged easily when you scratch or bump them into something.
Poly Gel
This is another hybrid, this time between acrylic powder and clear gel. It does not self-level, but it is more flexible and stronger than gel. Once it’s on the nail, the technician uses a file or an e-file to shape it into a desired form. Poly also needs an LED or UV light to cure. This is not a gel you can remove with acetone, it needs filling. This is a gel that’ll last for 2-3 weeks and just like when you buy hard gel, you get the odour-free experience.
Shellac
The first brand that patented shellac is CND. This is also a hybrid, but now between regular nail polish and gel. There’s no need for you to file the nails to make shellac adhere properly. It’s simple to apply, just like regular, store-bought nail polish. It just needs a UV light to harden.
Just like hard nail gel, it usually lasts for 2 weeks, and in some cases (if not damaged) can go up to 3 or more. This is a product made for people who get bored with the same nail colour very fast and want to change it faster and without having to spend 1 hour in the nail technician’s chair.
Acrylic
Acrylic is the most durable gel of them all. It has a dough-like consistency made by a mix of liquid monomer and powder polymer. A nail technician takes a small portion of this mix and places it on the nail. Then they shape it into the desired thickness, shape and length. Once again, you’ll need a UV light to harden it. They add colour with regular polish or a gel polish.
These nails last for 2-3 weeks, sometimes even 4 or more. To get a new set of acrylic nails, the previous layer needs to be filed a bit. After some filing, the nail technician will wrap them in a tin foil and soak them into a special acetone. After just 15 minutes the acrylic nail just needs a little push to fall off your natural nail.
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