(we always recommend a gel polish or even SNS over the top – see below). the upkeep is to have an 'infill' every two-three weeks, as opposed to removal and reapplication. around the world, hard based gel provides added length and strength to your nails and is more flexible than acrylic and SNS.
Using an organic polish that contains vitamins, is the best way to avoid damage. It will nourish brittle nails, and keep healthy nails strong.
Gel polish lasts between 2-3 weeks at the minimum, while regular polish is lucky to go a week without chipping. With light wear, your gel nails last at least twice as long as a normal polish, but realistically they get you four to six times a standard manicure mileage.
“We highly recommend using Shellac polish versus your typical gel polish because they soak off easier and are less damaging to the nails during the soak-off process,” Dunne says.
Shellac vs gel: the low down on which is better
For longer lasting, with more colour options, choose gel. For shine and ease, choose shellac. Talk to your nail technician and they may also have individual recommendations for you.
Shellac nails are easier to remove as they don't require as much scraping and soaking in acetone as regular gel nails, which means less damage to your regular nail.
Although gel manicures can be beautiful and long-lasting, they can be tough on nails. Gel manicures can cause nail brittleness, peeling and cracking, and repeated use can increase the risk for skin cancer and premature skin aging on the hands.
Your nail technician will use a file to ~gently~ buff your nails. This isn't to scrub the polish off – it just adds a bit of texture to the shiny surface so that the nail polish remover can do its thing. Each cotton pad will be dipped in the acetone and wrapped around each nail.
Shellac is much less damaging to nails than traditional gels (or acrylics), and if your goal isn't to make your nails longer, then they're a great choice. Shellac looks like a thick glossy gel polish, and the main benefit is that it reduces chipping.
Miracle Gel polishes were one of the first in the market of UV-free, long-lasting polishes, and they've continued to be an affordable drugstore favorite. (The Cut and the Strategist both love them.)
Any polish that is cured onto your nail has the potential for nail damage. Usually, shellac and gel manicures begin by intentionally damaging the top layer of the nail bed to essentially "rough it up." They do it because the polish adheres better to a textured surface.
At the drugstore, pick up the Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure (view at Ulta), free of a laundry list of 16 different chemicals, the most we've ever seen in any polish.
Acetone offers the most effective way to remove gel nail polish at home, says board-certified dermatologist Shari Lipner, MD, FAAD. Instead of wrapping your nails in foil, she recommends using plastic food wrap.
Over time, the bond between your nail and the polish starts to break down, causing the gel to lift away. And while we really do get how annoying it is, we urge you not to start picking or peeling. To help delay and prevent lifting, Jenni says it's imperative to care for your mani.
Fill a bowl with warm water, dish soap, and salt. Submerge your nails in this mixture for 15-20 minutes. Once the time is up, dry your hands and you should notice the polish starting to come off. This is also the best way to remove nail polish from your skin when you do not have acetone at home.
While gel might be cheaper at the outset, SNS typically lasts much longer. Where a gel manicure usually has a lifespan of about two weeks, SNS manicures can last four or more, especially if you make an extra effort to take care of your nails along the way.
Similar to gels, dip powder manicures last up to two weeks (some even longer). “Powder dips have been around for a long time and are a glue and acrylic powder type of enhancement,” says Stern. While they create an Insta-worthy look every time, it's worth noting that they come with a few downsides.
Cotton pads will be soaked in acetone, and wrapped around each nail, to dissolve the polish. Next, aluminum foil is wrapped, in individual pieces, around the varnish-vanishing cotton wool to keep it in place.
Additionally, while Shellac appears to help avoid the damage to the nails caused by acrylics, SNS goes a step further, according to Vo. “SNS is positively good for nail health. The SNS dipping powder system is fortified with no less than four vitamins, plus the all-important mineral calcium.
You can remove them easily enough yourself, with nothing more than a few cotton balls, some foil and nail-polish remover. Here's how to safely remove shellac or gel polish at home. Using a nail file, gently buff away the shiny layer of hard-to-dislodge polish until it takes on an opaque appearance.