When it comes to getting a gel manicure, I have been doing the “should I or shouldn’t I?” dance for a year now. I’ve been torn! Fans love the convenience of getting to hold out three weeks between trips to the salon. Haters can’t stand the gaps at the cuticles when your nails starts to grow, and personally, I’ve never liked the visible thickness – sometimes it looks like you’re wearing acrylics. Once I was inspired by a clear option on someone else, with a fun, subtle sparkle design at the tips that reminded me of a scattered glitter French manicure, I was finally motivated to dive into gel.
My nails are looking sweet and sparkly (for now), but am I still on the fence? Allow me to mull over the pros and cons of the gel manicure.
Pros:
- Glitter gives the job an even longer life – as sparkles chip away it’s not nearly as obvious as total opaque. Plus, a clear coat is thinner, so no hump over my nails.
- As a mom and a constant hand-washer, I don’t have the time to get a manicure once a week. So I have nice nails one week, semi-chipped nails the next, and if I’m really busy, another whole week lapses, when I have removed the polish alogether and have chewed up cuticles and shabby-looking hands. Not an ideal cycle.
- It is totally dry as soon as your manicure is done, since the UV light bakes it right in so no waiting under the fans! You can go ahead and rifle through your bag, go to the bathroom (yes, even with tight jeans on), and buckle your seat belt in your car without worrying about ruining your new manicure.
- While it’s more expensive at the onset (on average it is $15 more than a regular manicure), take into consideration that it lasts three times longer, so it’s actually cheaper.
Cons:
- The gel formula does not account for cuticles, so I’ll still have to maintain those myself (OPI cuticle oil will be on hand at all times).
- You cannot remove the gel yourself. It requires a soak in a chemical, which doesn’t sound good to me. Then again, acetone is not all that gentle either
- If the gel isn’t applied properly, it will start to lift up at the edges and if you’re like me and like to pick at loose cuticles and such, then you have another enticement for a bad nervous habit.
- If it’s done really wrong, you can get nerve damage. Obviously, this is on the extreme end. GMA reported on a woman who had “fake” gel done – gel is more expensive to do and requires special products, and the procedure requires the nails to be filed using an electric file (gel adheres better to a rough surface) – and the technician doing the gel manicure nicked her skin in the process, and proceeded to soak her hand in a powder chemical solution, which is not a part of a real gel manicure.
My verdict: The pros outweigh the cons. I am going to convert. And by the way, the actual procedure is: electric file, clear gel coat, color coat and a sealant, and in between each step you put your nails under a UV light to dry.
I tried this over the winter holidays as I would be traveling and while I loved the maintenance free great looking nails even with bags and all that (plus I asked for two colors to be layered so I got the perfect festive ruby slipper look)I was appalled that it came off so poorly at the salon and then they dumped the chemical solution onto the ground outside to get rid of it. It was rough on my nails and even buffing did not really help and I had to wait for my nails to grow out.
And the salon charged me for the removal, which I was not told about before I had the gel applied. (And I’m not a stranger there.)
So, not a solution for me.
I am a soak-off gel convert. OPI and Calgel both make soak-off gels (I prefer OPI). They are much less rough on your nails and come off with acetone nail polish and minimal buffing. As added bonus, OPI gels match with their polishes in colour 🙂
I do gel on both finger and toes – less hassle and while i noticed my natural nails do get thinner, it’s a good trade-off to chipped and yellow nail polish-abused nails.
Kelly, I believe you forgot an obvious con…..the UV light. This is like sitting in a tanning booth for your hands. No, you don’t get tan, but, as a woman in her early 50s I can tell you that those little spots don’t need any encouragement! I did this once, for a long holiday vacation. My nails looked great, and stayed good for two weeks, but when the gel came off, my nails were ribbed and thin. Never again……..
Cute nails! I really love that design.
Sue hit the nail on the head! According to my board-certified dermatologist, the UVA exposure can cause cancer. And not just on the hands. The manicurist will typically turn the light-emitting gizmo away from her, angled towards you. Yep, UV light shining straight into your eyes. I will spare you the story of the blue-eyed surfer from California who shunned sunglasses, dead of retinal cancer before the age of 21. This UV light is even more concentrated. Is this a chance you want to take? Finally, my experience matches Sue’s. After a couple of days of normal hand use, the corners started to peel. When I innocently levered the gels off, the underlying nails were weak and vulnerable, and my hands really hurt. Eventually, the nails grew in normally. But… no more gels for me!
Who the heck looks directly at the UV light? I am too busy talking with my manicurist to sit there staring at my nails while they set. And depending on your skin, the minimal time once a month under the light won’t have any negative effect. I’m a fan of gels. I’m a mom, too. If you aren’t blessed with naturally strong and long nails, gels are a nice alternative to sad natural nails.
She never said you should look straight into the UV lamp. She said it can shine toward your eyes. The UV question deserves addressing here! £:-D }3 <|=;
What about applying sunscreen to hands before the polish is applied. I go routinely every 3 weeks to get a fresh gel manicure and after old polish is removed and I’ve washed my hands, i apply sunscreen up to my wrists. Seems like a small thing, but I’m hopeful it makes a long term difference.
More of a question. My stylist applied the gel after the polish. And now I have a smuge of my thumb nail. Any way to fix? I tried to polish over it with clear, did not work. I tried to polish over it with the color, did not work. I even tried to use polish remover thinking I could just polish it fresh. The color would not come off,since the gel was applied after the color. Just looks nasty 🙁
Thanks
I wore gel/acrylic nails for years and then went cold turkey after I realized how much money I was spending in a salon that only spoke English when then greeted me and when they asked for me to pay for service. Nevertheless, my nails will grow but will break after getting to the free-edge area. I have always been told that a well manicured hand is one that all nails are of the same length, cuticles are in tack, and if you are wearing colored polish, it must be fresh and neat.
I went 3 years without nails and I can not say that I missed them much but after trying to polish my natural nail, I grew weary of how the polish would not last but a day (if that).
I have pondered with the idea of trying the gel manicure so I had my 18 year old daughter to go first. I was impressed with the look, and the durability, so a week later I got my nails done. Now what I can say is this, the gel is not as sturdy as that of an artificial nail but the color has not chipped even after filing my nail down due to a chip. I am sold on this procedure and will go back. I will have to see how this soak off and change of color pans out.
If you are going to try the gel manicure pick your color wisely, especially since the color last until you decided that you can not take that outgrown cuticle look any longer.
Dr. Oz Show says UV isn’t necessary to cure the gel nails, and may use harmless LED lights instead. He also warns against high risk of nail surface damage (from acetone color removal soak)and nail scraping with a sharp metal instrument resembling a tiny chisel. You could definitely encourage serious bacterial and fungal infections.
You don’t have to have your nails drilled to have gel nails. All it requires is first buffing the shine off the natural nail, which can be done with a hand file and is much kinder to your nails.
I love gel opi nails. Have been doing it for over a year now. Working in nursing is very hard on nails and I love that they do not chip. I color just the tip and when it grows out I file the edge near the cuticle so there is no noticeable ridge. I go every three weeks and have noticed no change in the couple of age spots I had before starting. All I can say is old nail polish is Out The Window for me.