What is gel polish?
Gel polish is a universal decorative gel-like product for nails that can stay on them from two weeks to a month. Initially, gel polish came to us from Europe. Every year it began to gain popularity. How often can you get a gel polish manicure? Today, most girls have forgotten about using conventional varnishes. Every month ladies give themselves a manicure using gel polish or shellac.
What if shellac doesn’t stick to your nails?
Getting such a manicure is not that cheap, so women get upset if the result does not live up to expectations. It happens that shellac, when applied, had the perfect tone and pleased with the highlights, but in the near future it cracked or even peeled off. What is the reason for this and are there any contraindications for applying such a coating?
- A common reason why shellac does not stick to nails is fungal diseases. The same situation occurs with those nail plates in cases where the disease is just beginning to develop. Only treatment by a dermatologist can solve the problem.
- Weak nails are not a contraindication to applying gel polish, but the material most likely will not last long on them. A weakened nail plate tends to peel off in scales along with the coating applied to it. Before you decide to have a manicure with shellac, you should treat your nails.
- If the work of a beautiful lady involves constant contact with water or intense stress on the nail plate (for example, if you have to print intensively every day), then the shellac will peel off or crack on its own. Here, any methods of preserving the coating are powerless.
Composition of the product
How often can you get a gel polish manicure? Is its composition harmful? In fact, experts say that high-quality gel polish is absolutely harmless. It should usually include the following components:
- A photoinitiator is a substance that protects the nail plate from exposure to ultraviolet rays when drying gel polish. This component is considered completely non-toxic and harmless.
- A film former is a substance that creates a film on the surface of the nails and is responsible for long-lasting manicure wear. How often do corrections need to be made? Everything is very individual, but in most cases the period can reach up to a month.
- Various pigments that determine the color and saturation of the varnish. The more there are, the better.
- Thinners are substances responsible for good adhesion of gel polish to the nail plate.
- Additional fillers - for example, glitter of different sizes and so on.
The benefits of such a manicure. How often should I do it?
Some doubt whether gel polish is a completely harmless substance. How often can you get a manicure with it? Today we will talk about its benefits and learn in more detail about the beneficial substances that may be included in its composition. Pros of use:
- A huge advantage is that the gel can remain on the nail plate for a long time. Depending on its quality and brand, it can last up to a month.
- The second important advantage is that gel polish is very practical and easy to apply.
- Thirdly, this manicure looks very beautiful and neat on your nails. In addition, it is not destroyed by chemical elements.
- There are also medicinal varnishes, which may contain useful and nutritious components. For example, various vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and so on.
What harm is possible?
How often should you get a gel polish manicure? Experts recommend taking breaks at intervals of two weeks to a month. In fact, the gel can become harmful only if the master is careless about his work and neglects the rules.
- If you apply gel polish frequently, the nail plate may dry out and begin to peel.
- A low-quality gel may adhere poorly to the nail, which will lead to its rapid destruction.
- In addition, gel polish can cause allergies, so it is better to do a test first.
How often do you get a gel polish manicure?
Modern girls find it difficult to imagine their image without a complete and beautiful manicure. However, doctors assure that often doing a manicure with gel polish is very harmful, since its use can lead to the destruction of the natural top layer of the nail plate. In addition, some experts say that fungus or other diseases may even occur. For example, gel polish contains a component called formaldehyde. If it enters the body, it can have a negative impact on the functioning of some organs and systems. Scientists say that most modern varnishes contain a minimal amount of harmful components and are considered safe.
Much depends on the quality of the gel and the work of the manicurist. If the specialist does everything correctly, the nail plate will receive minimal damage. In addition, toxic substances will not enter the body. However, doctors still recommend taking breaks of several weeks before the next manicure.
How often should you take a break from gel polish?
As for the “rest” of nails tortured by gel polish, remember the following information. The nail is keratinized dead tissue that does not “get tired.”
Nails grow and nourish under the cuticle, in the matrix area. Cells released from the matrix are unable to breathe, feel or suffer.
True, there is an opinion that under artificial coating the nails become “lazy” - in the matrix zone they begin to divide less actively. This may be so, but the rate of cell division does not affect the thickness and shape of the nail.
How to choose high-quality gel polish?
Today there is a huge variety of varnishes on the market. The price of some is loyal, while the cost of other gel polishes reaches almost a thousand rubles. Does quality depend on price? Experts say yes. More expensive varnishes are of high quality. For example, Kodi gel polish. Its cost varies from 300 to 700 rubles. This brand has gained trust in the market, so the following rule follows - it is best to purchase varnishes from trusted manufacturers.
In addition, you should pay attention to the composition of the product. A high-quality gel should contain the most harmless substances. The presence of a sufficient amount of oligomer indicates that the product will adhere well to the nail plate and be worn for a long time. A plasticizer is considered an essential component of varnish. It is responsible for cold and heat resistance. A quality product should contain a minimum amount of acids, which can lead to nail peeling.
How long can you wear gel polish on your nails?
Myths that gel coating harms the condition of the natural nail plate and the health of the matrix, which were common several years ago, have been dispelled. However, restrictions on how long it is recommended to wear a manicure on your hands are still prescribed by masters.
Typically, the frequency of correction depends on the length of the finished nail and its shape:
- For long, sharp nails, when the length of the free edge exceeds the size of the nail bed, the work needs to be corrected every 18-20 days;
- With an average length of the plate, when the free edge does not exceed 5-6 mm, correction should be done once every 25 days;
- If you have short nails that have practically no free edge, a second session can be performed a month after the previous one.
Any nail has a “Stress Zone”, based on which you need to decide how long to wear gel polish. You can see it only when you remove the color pigment.
When pressing on the free edge of the nail bed, a border is formed between the flesh and light zones. This is the danger zone, which determines how long you can wear the coating, since before it you can wear the gel base. When it grows longer, wearing it becomes dangerous for the condition of the natural manicure.
If a girl wears colored dye for more than three weeks, and it does not grow back much and does not cause discomfort, it means that her nails grow quite slowly, which is why the period of safe wearing of the manicure can be increased.
However, also keep in mind that nail polish used in salons contains polymers. This allows the layers to remain in the same state for a long time, however, it also means that they completely cover the natural nail bed, which is why oxygen does not reach it.
Because of this, it is recommended to periodically take a break from manicure: the optimal time for it is every 3-4 months.
Recommendations from experts
If you go to a manicurist, there are several tips that will help you keep your manicure looking beautiful and neat for a longer period of time.
- First of all, in order for your manicure to last longer, you must avoid contact with very hot water. This may cause the gel to peel off from the nail plate.
- Be sure to wear rubber gloves before coming into contact with chemicals, as they can corrode the manicure coating.
- It is advisable not to file your nails, as this can lead to chipping of the gel polish.
- It is necessary to properly care for the gel. Special means should be used. For example, oils, hand cream. If you have a small UV lamp, then you can purchase a top product and cover your manicure with it once a week. This way it will last longer.
The difference between gel polish and shellac
There are two types of long-term coating - gel polish and shellac. What are their differences or are they completely identical? Gel polish is a gel-like product that must be dried using a special lamp. Shellac has more properties of a varnish than a gel. There is not much difference between them. They differ only in properties and price category. Shellac is a little more expensive than regular gel. Which one is better to choose? Gel polish is better applied to the nail plate. Plus it lasts longer. Before applying the gel, you must apply a primer. It will be a little more difficult to remove such varnish, because it dissolves only with the help of a special product. Also, when using shellac, you do not need to sand the nail, which preserves its integrity.
Is it possible to permanently apply gel polish?
Sometimes your nails turn into shabby and miserable after the first manicure. Reviews in the style of “horror-horror”, “never again”, “I wouldn’t wish it on my enemy” appear online with alarming frequency. Who is to blame and how to protect yourself?
- Less chemicals
There really are problems when wearing gel polishes. Some materials are downright toxic - containing formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate. Don’t be fooled by the low price, but ask what brands the master works with and study the composition on the Internet.
- Master's Case
Alas, even eco-coating cannot withstand the unprofessionalism of the master. You can turn strong nails into “rags” with one movement of a file. It is known that a file is used to buff the nail plate before applying the coating and during manicure removal.
Let the nails consist of at least a hundred layers of keratin; with diligent filing, you can cut them off at the root. A couple of strokes of the buff are enough to provide roughness for the compound to adhere to.
- Process costs
Finally, the overall shabby look after gel polish is a logical consequence of the technological process. Soaking the coating in an acetone-containing liquid is not a nourishing bath, but a procedure that traumatizes the nails.
Alas, “intelligent” solvents that dissolve only gel polish have not yet been invented. All removers remove fat and water from nails.
It would seem that everything is clear - not formaldehyde, but acetone will destroy the nails, which means it is unsafe to wear a long-lasting manicure, especially constantly.
