Gel nails painted red.
Gel nails are a type of artificial nail that more closely resembles the natural nail. Gel nails are similar to acrylic nails in that they are both made from a combination of a liquid monomer and a powdered polymer. The liquid monomer reacts with the powdered polymer to form long polymer strands. The wires, when dry, form a hard resin that resembles a nail. Gel nails, unlike standard acrylic nails, contain additional short-chain monomers known as oligomers that make nails more flexible.
Isopropyl alcohol, which should be used to clean the nail bed before applying gel nails.
The gel version of artificial nails is available in two types; Light-curing and non-light-curing gels. Light-cured gel nails are hardened by placing your fingers under ultraviolet light for approximately two minutes. Non-light acrylic gel nails are cured by applying a special gel activator that can be brushed or sprayed onto the nails. An additional variety of the non-light version can be cured by soaking the nails in plain water.
Gel nails cured under ultraviolet light.
Gel nails are very similar to standard acrylic nails. You can paint, use French tips and airbrush designs on both types of artificial nails. Both can be worn long or short without there being a considerable difference between the two. Both types of artificial nails can also be filed square, round or pearl shaped.
There are advantages to choosing gel nails over acrylic. The biggest advantage of gel nails is that they are identical to natural nails. They are thin and flexible, with a shiny appearance. The mixture used to make the resin is also completely odourless, making the use of artificial nails safe for pregnant women. Due to the thin layer of acrylic when applying the nails, it is not necessary to fill them as often.
Nail polish can be used on gel nails.
There are drawbacks to artificial gel nails. They are more expensive but break much more easily than other varieties of artificial nails. Gel nails also don’t hold onto nail polish, which means you need to paint them more often. When nails break, they tend to break, which means you can’t do a self-correcting job. You will have to visit the salon to file and replace it.
Gel nails are very similar to standard acrylic nails.
As with any other variety of artificial nails, there is a risk of developing a fungal infection during the application process. Be sure to clean the nail bed with isopropyl alcohol before applying artificial nails. Take care of your false nails by moisturizing your cuticles and filling them regularly. If you decide to have your artificial nails removed, go to a nail salon as they need to be filed down.