Although gel manicures can be beautiful and long-lasting, they can be tough on nails. Gel manicures can cause nail brittleness, peeling and cracking, and repeated use can increase the risk for skin cancer and premature skin aging on the hands.
This largely depends how you use it. Gel polish can be tough on the surface of your natural nails. But occasionally getting this type of nail polish applied and removed by licensed professionals isn't likely to have any long-term adverse effects on your nail health.
Overall, Dip Powder Manicures are a great way to get a healthy manicure that will protect and strengthen your nails without causing any damage. Just like any nail treatment, you do have to make sure you properly remove it to keep your nails safe and healthy – Don't pick at your manicure!
If you're worried that your bi-weekly gel manicures or monthly acrylics have ruined your nails, there's no need to fret. The good news is: Damage is often reversible. By finding the right treatments and incorporating gentle ingredients into your routine, you can gradually nurse brittle nails back to life.
"The biggest risk to leaving a gel manicure service on for longer than three weeks is that the extra weight can start pulling on the edge of your nail, causing tears in the base of your nails," says Reynosa. "They can then lift, which peels back keratin layers and causes more mechanical damage.
Paper-thin nails after acrylics are another common issue. Gel and acrylics cause the nails to lose moisture and become brittle, flaky and peeling. This can also be caused by improperly peeling the gel and removing the nail plate.
While regular polish can take longer to dry and may chip sooner than your gel manicure, there is essentially zero damage happening to your nail throughout the process.
However, Hadley suggests removing a gel manicure after two to three weeks maximum to avoid damaging nail beds and cuticles. Harpring agrees, adding that overextending gel manicures can not only lead to weakened nails, but also introduce potentially harmful bacteria.
So how long should you leave between applying builder gel again? In our experience a break for a week every eight weeks will be the perfect length of time to let your natural nails breathe. During the break period, make sure to keep your nails moisturised and hydrated.
It's recommended that you give your nails at least two weeks between each gel manicure or switch up the type of manicure you get, like regular polish or dip powder. If you begin to experience discoloration, brittleness, or pain around the nail beds, it's time for a break, so it doesn't lead to nail damage long term.
SNS has become a popular choice recently for a long-lasting manicure, but in our opinion, gel nail brands like Gelicious are a much better choice for a healthy manicure.
A gel manicure and a Shellac manicure are essentially the same thing: long-lasting polishes cured under UV lamps. The difference is that "gel nails" or "manicure" is the generic term for nails done under a UV lamp, while Shellac is a brand of gel nails by the company Creative Nail Design (CND).
How often is it safe to get them? Gel nails usually last 2–3 weeks. While people can safely have gel nails every few weeks, dermatologists recommend keeping the nails bare for at least 1–2 weeks in between manicures. This helps to strengthen, repair, and rehydrate the nails.
Gel and shellac manicures are chip resistant and lasting, but they can also cause nail brittleness, peeling, and cracking. To keep your nails healthy before, during, and after your manicures, apply the Nourish My Cuticles - Nail and Cuticle Oil to strengthen, hydrate, and repair your cuticles and nails.
Nail polish can dry out your nails: TRUE
"Leaving your nail polish on for too long can dry out the nails, leaving them brittle," says Dr. Curry. "Thin, brittle nails pose a health hazard because the nail is a barrier to keep out bacteria and fungus."
Let's talk about balancing nail health and polish use.
In short, the answer is no. But there are caveats. Nails don't need surface access to air because they get oxygen and nutrients from your blood. Keeping nails hydrated is important if yours are prone to breakage, and a pause in polishing to moisturize would help.
A Shellac manicure is great for someone who wants to reduce damage to their nail, as shellac polishes are super easy to remove—no nail drill needed. Regular nail polish takes a long time to dry and gel can sometimes lead to damage if removed incorrectly—a shellac manicure is your happy medium.
In the first week of a gel manicure, you probably won't notice much of a gap between your nail bed and the bottom of your gels, as your nail growth will be minimal (in some cases, less than a millimetre). By week two, however, it may be time to get your manicure touched up.
Since then, I've been testing a few polish systems that are much easier on nails than gels, and there are two I really like: Dazzle Dry, a lacquer system that lasts longer than traditional polish or hybrids and doesn't need to be cured by lights or soaked off, and the Green Flash system from Manucurist (yes, that's the ...
To quickly remove gel polish, most nail salons applying acetone-soaked cotton balls directly to your nails and wrap them in aluminum foil. If residual polish isn't easily removable after a 10 minute waiting period, your local nail salon may also opt to use professional tools, like a nail drill, for a clean finish.
Avoid using your nails as tools as this could lead to cracking. Instead use the pads of your fingers (for example typing). Avoid long periods of time in water (for example long baths, swimming, washing up etc). Avoid picking or peeling the product off as this could damage your natural nails.
“We highly recommend using shellac polish versus your typical gel polish because they soak off easier and are less damaging to the nails during the soak-off process,” Dunne says.
Dip Powder Manicure
For this type of manicure, each nail color comes in the form of a pigmented powder, which your nails are dipped into after being applied a clear liquid formula. It's generally stronger than gel and lasts longer.
Unlike nail polishes, gels require much more work to safely remove them without damaging your nails. Not so good if you like to change up your colour all the time! Because they last longer and tend to look more polished, gels can also be a bit pricier.