7 Things You Need to Know Before Your Next Gel Manicure Appointment

Gel manicures can leave your nail dehydrated and make them thinner. When you have a gel polish which lasts for weeks, it also means the nail underneath it cannot breathe. It also prevents the nail from transferring oxygen. It shouldn’t frighten you, but you just have to be reasonable with your number of yearly visits and watch out for your health.

That sounds obvious but always choose and request the best quality for the beauty products you are using on yourself. Your nails and skin deserve the best after all and you should never settle when it comes to your beauty! For gel manicures, it means demanding the last generation of products, the ones who would be removed easily in due time, and check they are free from toxic components like toluene or DBP. Remember, never settle!

Gel manicures are cured with UV lamps. It dries our nails quickly and helps to make them beautiful and shine with that dry coat we adore. However, as brief as the exposure is, the radiation is intense. Besides, there is little regulation of the devices and the strength of the exposure differs from one machine to another. Everyone reacts differently to UVA, and we have little knowledge about the potential damages of those machines. There are some easy solutions, though. You can seek alternatives like LED lamps or why not invest in some fingertip-less gloves for gel manicures that will protect your skin?

This is the part where you risk damaging your nails. Indeed, gel manicure is hardened by UV lamps which means it's removal takes time and needs to be done carefully. You have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. In general, nail salon workers will simply use acetone and wrap cotton soaked in it around your nails. That should remove the gel gently if the gels have been cured properly. You should definitely ask how they will proceed in your salon, as some will make the mistake of using a gritty file or some other tool to scrap intensively the product off and it may cause a lot of damages, even some permanent ones, to your nail. They have to do it safely and with the best quality available for their products to avoid causing any harm to your nails.

Nails, like any body part, need to be treated gently and with care. You should never neglect your beautiful body. You especially need to hydrate your nails once a gel manicure is removed and also between two salons visits. What you need to do is to invest in a good product to rehydrate and repair all the surrounding skin, your cuticles, and your precious nails!

We all love how fabulous and empowered we feel after getting a wonderful manicure. We love to show it to our friends, to post pictures on social media, but it’s in our nails best interest that we sometimes take a break with manicures from time to time. Sure, it’s hard to see your nails “naked” without an exquisite color on them but it really is for the best. You have to take care of yourself and this includes your nails too! With some effort and a little wait, you can balance healthy nails and having wonderful gel manicures.

Sometimes, money is tight and making yourself beautiful at home can be a fantastic way to win time and money. You might be doubtful at first, but there are a lot of quality products on the market for an at-home gel manicure. Use the right products and do it safely, especially the removal part once it starts to fade. Remember Rome wasn’t made in one day and we all need time to acquire some skills. You always have the opportunity to seek help in a nail salon if needed and there are quite a number of tutorials on streaming websites to help you.