Gel Polish – Long Wear Without the Hassle

I’m certain that most of you are unaware there is a trend in the beauty industry to have chip free, 14 day wear, nails have a mirror finish with zero dry time! You heard that right... It's Gel Polish!

Gelish Basix Starter Kit - Find it at Sally Beauty Supply

There are several types of gel polish on the market; Shellac by CND, Gelish by Harmony, Mani-Q by Young Nails, Geleration by Jessica, GelColor by OPI, Gel FX by Orly, LeChat Gel Nail Polish, IBD Just Gel Polish, NSI Polish Pro,  and more. All of them need a UV light to cure the polish. Some require you to "buff" (lightly file the top of the natural nail with a 220-400 grit file). One of my favorite brands is Shellac. Shellac does not require you to buff the nail at all and can be soaked off without filing the top of the natural nail. This minimizes the damage to the natural nail plate. But beware, there are some NSS (Non-Standard Salons) that, even when asked specifically for Shellac, they will give you another brand of Gel Polish. Shellac, like most brands, also requires it’s qualified technicians to use the Shellac brand Base Coat and Top Coat. Shellac comes off easy with a 10 minute soak.

But a word of warning to those that think that they can go longer than the two weeks of wear or those that pick at their polish! Gel polish is so strong that if you do not take it off when it starts to wear at the tips, it will make your nails peel! In some cases, it can be as damaging as artificial nails. But when done correctly, Gel Polish will maintain a strong nail with a chip free, mirror finish!

Shellac made the news in the New York Times in April of 2010 (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/fashion/22Skin.html).
To find a qualified nail technician who offers Shellac brand gel polish, go tohttp://www.cnd.com/Locate/Find-A-Salon.aspx