I’ve had too many instances of getting a manicure and chipping it the following day (once I scraped my newly painted toes on the stairs of the salon on the way out. REALLY annoying.) That’s why I tend to get UV gels when I go for a manicure, because I know they will last. Here are a few tips I’d like to share about gels.
1. Cut your nails short before getting gels applied. If they are too long, you’ll end up with ridiculously long nails two or three weeks later, and you may not be able to function. I can’t get my contact lenses in and out if my nails are too long, so I always make sure to have them trimmed short so I can allow for growth while the gels are on.
2. Gels last two to three weeks, but you’ll get a gap on the nail bed where the new nail growth is coming in. I have three tricks for this, first, choose a polish colour you can fill yourself. A red, pink, or tan colour that you have at home is a good bet. Second, try a shade where you won’t notice the gap, like a pale gold or light pink. The final option, which I use when I am going on holiday, is to get a clear nail with a coloured tip. I usually get a black tip, which grows out nicely, and I can re-paint my nail with a clear polish which fills the gap and adds a bit of shine to the whole nail.
3. Make sure to get the soft gels, OPI Axxium is a good brand, and if you are in the UK, Nails Inc does an amazing UV gel. They should bend a little with your nail. I once got gels that were hard, and they started to peel after a week. Not only that, but I caught my nail on something and half the nail just broke off (the gel part, not my actual nail, thank god!)
4. Gels work great on toes! But only in the summer. Once they start grow out, they will get really uncomfortable if you are wearing close-toe shoes.
5. Don’t waste your money getting them removed, it is so easy to do at home. First, file the top of your nail, to roughen up the gel. Then, dip cotton balls or pads into acetone nail polish remover, and apply them to the top of the nail. Cover your nails in tin foil to hold the wet cotton in place. Wait 10-20 minutes (they say 20 but usually 10 is enough) and then use an orange stick to scrape the nail off. It should come off really easily. You’ve just saved $25 dollars!
The gap you can expect after three weeks growth.
My last gels were done at Suki’s spa in Vancouver (they use OPI Axxium), which I highly recommend as this is a proper spa so you get to sit (recline better describes it) in a very relaxing, quiet room while your toes are being done.
Image sources: Black french manicure, grey OPI axxium nails, and red nails.
