I use the comparison between acrylic and gel to like describing acrylic as a big piece of 4x2 timber and gel to be more like a fine piece of balsa wood.
The balsa wood can be arched and bent slightly, feeling more flexible, without actually breaking. Acrylic on the other hand has no movement at all and you almost need a saw to file through it.
Gel on the other hand, files aways smoothly and softly thus producing less trauma to the matrix and natural nail bed than the force required to buff down acrylic.
(Which is why so many salons use drills, ughhh!)
Gel is non-porous so there is no discolouring, unlike it's distant cousin acrylic that is porous and is why so many ladies complain of yellowing and brittleness.
I have always offered to an unsure client, if she is truly and genuinely unhappy with her gel, I will refund her money.
In 35 years guess how many times I have been asked for a refund???
zero - never - none
Not once in 35 years of dedicating my expertise to gel have I ever had a client request a refund or to change back to acrylic.
Once they have tried gel, they NEVER go back.
How about you be a convert too......
How about you be a convert too......
Now for the boring scientific facts!
Gel is often referred to as not being acrylic, when in fact they are based on both the methacrylates and the acrylate family, and are indeed acrylic.
Gels are made by pre-joining some of the monomers into short chains called oligomers.
Oligomers are single chains that are several thousand monomers long.
Gels create rigid surface coatings and are usually cured by exposure to ultra violet light.
Gel acrylic is a one-part system consisting of the application of a thick viscosity gel acrylic.
Gel is normally 'cured' under a UV light.
Do not confuse hard gel with traditional acrylic, or gel polishes (soft gels).
Even though these products are actually all acrylic based, they apply and wear differently.
Oligomers are single chains that are several thousand monomers long.
Gels create rigid surface coatings and are usually cured by exposure to ultra violet light.
Gel acrylic is a one-part system consisting of the application of a thick viscosity gel acrylic.
Gel is normally 'cured' under a UV light.
Do not confuse hard gel with traditional acrylic, or gel polishes (soft gels).
Even though these products are actually all acrylic based, they apply and wear differently.
Gel applied over acrylic to seal the surface does not make your nails 'gel nails' and gel polishes are more likened to having a manicure with a polish that cannot be removed with remover but requires soaking off.
No defined results yet as to long term damage from continued 'chemical removal' of gel polishes but watch this space.
No defined results yet as to long term damage from continued 'chemical removal' of gel polishes but watch this space.
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| This is an image from lifestyle blooger PoppyD after 6 applications and removal of Shellac. Click here for more of her story.image: PoppyD |
