If you visit a nail salon for the first time, you can encounter questions like, “What polish would you like for your nails, gel polish or nail polish?” You could find it intriguing because you feel that nail polish and gel polish are the same. However, they are not. Though you apply gel polish and nail polish to your nails, they have subtle differences. Let us look at these distinctions and examine the pros and cons of both these manicures. At the same time, let us understand how to get the best gel polish manicure on your nails.
The Traditional Nail Polish
Traditional nail polish owes its origins to more than 3000 years back into the pre-Christ era, where you had the Chinese using natural products like vegetable dyes and beeswax to produce homemade nail polish. Though technology has improved and you have chemical products today, the traditional nail polish method has its charm. Here are some pluses and minuses of traditional nail polish manicures.
The benefits
Traditional nail polish is healthy because it does not contain any inorganic chemicals that could harm your nails and skin.
Vegetable colors are easy to apply and remove. Just as you had nail polish in those days, there were natural nail polish removers available, as well.
The natural ingredients were available in plenty.
Besides, the natural nail polish was inexpensive.
The drawbacks
Vegetable colors were good, but they did not have the shine and gloss of gel polish.
The colors do not last long and fade away quickly within a week or two.
Gel Polish Manicures
With technology improving by the day, gel polish proved to be the innovative trend. One of the crucial aspects of gel polish was its gloss and durability factor.
Advantages of gel polish
Gel polish lasts longer than traditional nail lacquers. A well-done gel nail manicure using the best gel polish products can comfortably last for two to three weeks.
Secondly, gel polish does not cause chipping or breaking of the nails. On the contrary, they help in strengthening the nails.
Compared to traditional nail manicures, gel polish gives a more professional look.
Gel polish is available in a fantastic array of colors with thousands of shades.
While it is advisable to have a gel manicure at the salon, you can master the technique and do it at home.
Disadvantages of gel polish
While the traditional nail polish comes off easily from the nails, gel polish removal can take time. As they last long, they adhere to your nails and require a lot of effort for their removal.
As gel polish lasts longer, it can be more expensive than traditional gel polish nails.
Now that you know the variance between gel and nail polish, here is how you apply gel polish to your nails.
The Gel Nails Manicure
You start by prepping your nails for the job. It involves cutting and filing your nails into the perfect shapes that you want. Besides, it also requires buffing the nail to rough up the surface and allowing the nail polish to stick to the surface. Finally, one should also ensure to push the cuticles back using an orangewood cuticle pusher.
It is better to clean the nail surface of all the debris and oil using an alcohol-based solution. Alcohol disinfects the nails and kills the bacteria that accumulate on the nails.
The next step involves applying the basecoat in thin layers because you have to apply subsequent gel polish layers to thicken the nail. It is essential to cure the nails after the basecoat application.
The gel polish layer is the next step. Again, you can experiment to the maximum using the best gel nail polish from various high-quality brands. The curing of the nails under a UV lamp is critical for every gel polish manicure. It helps the nail polish to adhere to the basecoat and become dry.
Finally, you apply the topcoat layer. If you love a matte finish, you can go for the thin layers, whereas a thicker layer is necessary for a glossy feel. Simultaneously, you should remember to cure the topcoat application under the UV lamp.
Your gel nails are now ready to last for more than two to three weeks.
The gel manicure is incomplete without knowing the removal procedure. Removing gel polish from your nails can take time. First, you need to buff your nails to shake off the excess polish layers before exposing the nails to acetone.
Soak cotton balls in acetone-based nail polish remover and place them on the nails. It is better to wrap the nails with aluminum wraps and keep the cotton balls in place. After a 20 to 30 minute soak, the gel polish slides off your nails comfortably.
Give a break for about a week before going in for a new gel manicure.
Thus, you notice that a gel manicure has become one of the most straightforward procedures today.