Gel vs Acrylic nails

Acrylic nails, which are also called Liquid and Powder or Dipping Powder Overlay, became very common in many nail salons and are generally cheaper than gel nail application. Yet, we don’t offer it and do only gel-based enhancements. Why?!

Before we get deep into the differences, let’s recap the basics of each procedure. Gel nails are made through a three-step process, which consists of brushing a base coat, nail polish, and top coat over your natural nails. With each coat, the nail is placed under a UV light to cure the coat. Acrylic nails are made of a combination of liquid and powder that’s laid over your nail with a brush. Once the mixture is applied, your nails are filed and shaped to emulate the look of natural nails.  After your acrylic nails are shaped, each nail is typically painted with a regular base coat, nail polish color, and finished with a top coat. Sometimes acrylic nails are done using the Dipping Powder Overlay procedure.

In summary, if a nail tech paints some thick substance on your nail and then sticks your hands under UV, it’s gel. If she mixes a liquid and powder and then mushes it on your nail, it’s acrylics. And if she paints your nail with transparent goo and then sprinkles powder on, it’s the dip. Don’t let the nail tech literally dip your nails into a jar of powder — that means they’re using that same powder on multiple people, which is unsanitary.

There are several key reasons why we choose gel nails over acrylic nails:

  • Appearance: gel nails have a more natural glossy Wow-looking appearance over acrylic. Acrylic nails can also look bulky if your tech doesn’t take the time to smooth them down to look more natural. Acrylics, being more porous, are more likely to stain.
  • Durability: Acrylic nails are hard and also look thicker than gel nails. Any stress applied to acrylic nails can hurt the original nail. Gel nails are flexible and not hard on the touch.
  • Treatment: If you’re using regular nail polish over acrylic, drying time can take a while, so you may want to tune into your favorite podcast while you sit in the salon and wait. The mixture has a strong smell which can be unpleasant to most people. These nails are also challenging to remove without damaging your nail beds.
  • Maintenance: To keep your acrylic set intact, you’ll have to refill your nails every few weeks. And once you remove acrylic nails, you’re often left with nails that are long but weak. You’ll have to wait for the damaged nails to grow out to get your nails back in shape. On contrary, gel nails with proper manicure look great up to 4 weeks and your own nails stay strong.

Gel nails
(Russian Manicure)
Acrylic nailsPolygel nails
Acidity (Lower=better)LowHighLow
Thickness (Less=better)NormalNormal-highNormal
Strength (Higher=better)NormalHighHigh
Flexibility (Higher=better)HighLowMedium
CuringUV-FastSlowUV-Fast
FinishGlossyLess glossyLess glossy
LookNaturalLess naturalNatural
Durability3-4 weeksBackfill after 2 weeksBackfill after 2 weeks
RemovalFiled and buffedSoaked off and filedFiled and buffed
Nail healthBestRequires pauses for nail recoveryBetter
OverallBestOkBetter

Always have a professional remove your gel or acrylic enhancements to prevent doing any damage to your natural nails. If gel and acrylic enhancements are applied and removed correctly by a professional, there should be no damage to your natural nails.

Perfect Nails:
Russian Manicure

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