Chipping a superbly good manicure is one in every of life’s most annoying frustrations. Since I’m consistently opening packages and typing tales, carrying gel nail polish has been a saving grace on the subject of preserving my mani. Whereas I really like the pliability a daily manicure offers, gel polish is a lot extra sturdy—which is why I are inclined to stretch every manicure for so long as potential.
“With gel polish, your manicure can final from two to 3 weeks, however with common polish you are fortunate if it lasts 5 to seven days with out chipping,” Kristin Pulaski, proprietor of Paintbucket Nails in Brooklyn, tells SELF. In keeping with Pulaski, along with endurance, one other nice good thing about gel is that it offers a tougher layer of safety over the pure nail, which can lead to elevated nail progress.
Sadly, this sturdiness and safety might be tough in your nails and make them weaker and liable to splitting. Nobody needs that, so there are some things to remember to take care of the well being of your nails whenever you’re getting gels. We requested Pulaski, movie star manicurist Skyy Hadley, and Christy Harpring, co-owner of Sea Salt and Sugar Nail Bar in Savannah, Georgia, to clue us in on gel polish errors to keep away from.
1. You’re getting gel manicures back-to-back.
Since eradicating and making use of gel nail polish could cause a whole lot of put on and tear in your nails, it is best to house out your manicures. “By getting gel nails each two weeks persistently, the nail plate will get extraordinarily suffocated,” explains Hadley. This will result in nail dehydration and finally breakage, so be certain to offer your nails downtime between gels. “It’s essential to have an expert nail technician assess your nail well being between functions to find out in case your nails may use a sabbatical from polishes,” explains Harpring.
2. You’re leaving gel polish on too lengthy.
Since gel nail polish might be worn for weeks on finish with out even the tiniest chip, stretching the lifetime of your manicure is tempting. Nevertheless, Hadley suggests eradicating a gel manicure after two to 3 weeks most to keep away from damaging nail beds and cuticles. Harpring agrees, including that overextending gel manicures can’t solely result in weakened nails, but additionally introduce probably dangerous micro organism. “You will need to keep in mind that as soon as the gel begins to carry, it does enable for moisture to get underneath the gel and probably result in bacterial progress,” explains Harpring.
3. You’re eradicating an previous gel manicure with out skilled assist.
As soon as a gel manicure is on its final leg, it’s possible you’ll be tempted to take away it your self, however specialists advise in opposition to it. “The most secure strategy to take away gel polish is by an expert,” says Harpring.
In case you completely can’t make it to the salon for elimination, she advises you first gently file the highest of the polish to take away the shine, which permits the acetone to penetrate and dissolve the gel simpler. Subsequent, soak cotton balls in acetone (a chemical generally utilized in gel nail polish elimination), apply a cotton ball to every nail, and wrap it in tin foil. Go away the wraps on for 10 to fifteen minutes, after which, utilizing a wood cuticle pusher, gently push the gel off of the nail plates. To complete, flippantly buff the floor of the nail with a buffing device, and apply oil to your nails and cuticles to rehydrate.
4. You’re not utilizing cuticle oil.
In keeping with Hadley, you’ll be able to assess nail injury primarily based on their flexibility: Regular nails are considerably versatile, however the tougher and sturdier the nail, the extra probably it’s to interrupt. Since chilly climate tends to make pores and skin drier general, correct cuticle hydration could make an enormous distinction. Moreover, acetone might be extraordinarily drying to the nail mattress, inflicting nails to interrupt or change into brittle over time.
To fight nail dryness, specialists counsel holding cuticle oil shut at hand (no pun meant). “I swear by cuticle oil and personally love NCLA’s,” Pulaski tells SELF. “I used to assume that cuticle oil wasn’t important, however I began utilizing it about two years in the past and I all the time carry it with me now, particularly within the colder months!” Including a couple of drops of oil to your nails and cuticles in between salon visits will maintain them hydrated.
Preserving my nails wanting good, with or with out polish, is unquestionably a precedence. So whereas I in all probability gained’t quit on gel nail polish altogether, I’ll positively assume twice earlier than attempting to stretch my manicure for longer than two weeks at a time.