Three weeks after my first experience with a gel manicure has left me not only convinced of it but questioning the ridiculousness of a traditional nail polish that last 4 days at best, if you want it looking perfect. Why did I go through all that trouble sittin in a chemically smelly salon only to come in a week to do it all over again? Surely they could have come up with a solution that could last through normal daily activities – hand washing, showering, buttoning tight jeans.
My nails still looked perfect after 3 weeks, all I needed was a little cuticle treatment. But I was tired of the look and wanted something new. Well, the timing actually was, I saw these French tip alternatives from an old YSL ad and had to get it done immediately. Then, the tired of the old nails. I knew the only pragmatic way to have this type of tips was the non-chipping gel manicure because it would look terrible if any of the tips were nicked. But little did I know how impossible it actually is.
I optimistically and naively showed pictures of what I wanted to the manicurists. And then was curious of the tsk tsk reaction. She told me she needed to think about it first and that I surely did not have enough time to do it that day if I only had an hour. Ok, I’ll come back tomorrow.
It took a full 2 hours mainly because I was her guinea pig and she had to try different techniques. Gel, unlike, nail polish is very thick so you can’t paint the tip over the undercoat. And mistakes cannot be made because at each step the gel is forever dried and sealed so reversal requires soaking off or filing off. So what she did was paint the first coat, and before drying, she used a brush and acetone to remove just the tip ever so carefully ad perfectly. She can only do 2 fingers at a time because it couldn’t dry before the removal of the tip. Then it was dried. Two at a time meant this process went on 5 times. The next step was top apply the tip and she needed to make sure the thickness was about the same as the other.
It was all well worth it because just look how cool it turned out! She was excited that she had a new technique and promised it will be quicker the next time. There was limited colors to choose from but as gel colors expand, the possibilities will be even more fun and exciting!!
It looks amazingly cool! Now I just wish they could find an easier way to remove them when it’s time…
When I had my first two gel manicures, I absolutely LOVED how my nails looked and how long the manicure lasted. Then… a couple of times the polish chipped off before it could be soaked off, and it took the top layer(s) of the nail with it. I never knew that kind of pain before, and never want to know it again!
Showed it to my doctor who, upon learning of the UV technique used to cure it, read me the riot act. The primary risks are skin cancer (already documented) and damage to the eyes. Very bad damage to the eyes. That’s why I’m now back to “sitting in a chemically smelly salon only to come in a week to do it all over again.” Hopefully, I will be able to read those raggedly old magazines for a long time to come. It may be only a matter of time before the issues with UV gel manicures reach the public.