Why Beginners Should Invest In Gel Polish

Gel polish is one of the best, if not, the best medium for beginners at nail art. While there are some upsides and downsides that I will be discussing, it's overall a great tool for painting intricate designs, giving an extra-glossy look, and drying instantly whenever you want it to. Here are the pros and cons of using gel polish as your medium.

Pros

1. Dries Whenever You Want It To

One of the best things about gel polish is that you don't need to stress about drying time. Unlike regular polish, gel gets "cured" (or dried for those of you that don't know about gel) in an LED or UV lamp. This means that you can play with it for as long as you want, to get your design perfect. Then, once it's perfect you can cure it and it will dry instantly!

2. Lasts Longer

Another thing about gel is that it can last up to two weeks! This is a HUGE plus considering that, on most people, regular polish chips when you sneeze. Yes, the struggle is real... But, it's not a problem anymore if you opt for gel nails.

3. Anyone Can Do It

Unlike acrylic nails, most people without nail experience can easily do gel nails. You don't have to work fast, and should honestly take your time with it. Once you get an affordable gel manicure kit like this one from Redcarpet manicure, you will save a lot of money not going to the salon. The removal is simple too: just buff, and soak in pure acetone.

Cons

1. They Can Weaken Your Natural Nails

Obviously, this isn't an issue if the gel is on top of acrylic, fiberglass or polygel nails. But let's be real here: it's completely normal for anything you put on your nails (besides regular polish) to weaken your nails TEMPORARILY. Yes, that's in all caps because your nails should heal after a while with your gel nails and/ or acrylic nails off. This completely depends on how long you wore them, and if you did it consistently or not. If you wish to restore your natural nails I talk about how in the article here.

2. The Safety Risk

The risk of using LED and UV gel lamps isn't very high, however it is important to note that UV exposure isn't good for the skin. According to an article from Harvard Medical School "...the level of UVA exposure associated with a gel manicure every two weeks probably isn't high enough to increase the risk of skin cancer significantly, but you are wise to be aware of the issue." LED lamps do have a lower amount of UV rays, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. I personally use an LED lamp because it's safer than UV, but also because it's faster than UV. As recommended by the article, I suggest wearing sunscreen on your hands before using a lamp.

3. It Can Be Difficult To Clean Up

If you were to accidentally cure the polish while it's flooded in your cuticles, your mani won't look as good as it would if you cleaned up beforehand. Cleaning up beforehand will save you the time and energy of filing the flood away at your cuticles. Also, not to mention top coats that have to be wiped. Always make sure to have 91%—99% Isopropyl alcohol on your hands at all times before doing a gel manicure.

There are all of my pros and cons of gel polish! I hope you enjoyed my article, and if you did be sure to give it a like. Also subscribe to my email list if your not already, and if you wish to see more of my content you can click on the link here. Or to see my most recent blog post, click here. As always, have a colorful day! 🌈