All of us love gel polish for various reasons. While they are easy to apply, they are tough and can last for more than two to three weeks. It would surprise you if I said that it is in your hands to make your gel manicures last. Let us discuss some simple tips that can help your gel color nails retain their shine for a long time.
Before we discuss the seven innovative ways of maintaining your gel manicure, here is a simple tip.
Beauticians advise you to cure your nails properly under the UV lamp. If you do not do so and do not give it the necessary UV exposure, your gel nails will not last long. Therefore, it is essential to get a proper gel manicure with the right amount of UV exposure. Here are some other tricks that should help your gel nails maintain their radiance.
7 Tips to Extend Your Color Gel Nail’s Lifespan
Keep your sanitizer away from your nails
In the days of the pandemic, sanitizing your nails is critical for your health. However, the same sanitizing solution can prove harmful to your nails. Hand sanitizers contain alcohol that can act as dehydrating agents. Thus, you find your skin, nails, and cuticles drying immediately on applying the hand sanitizer. If your hand sanitizing solution comes in direct contact with the topcoat application, it can strip it dry. A better option is to use soap. You get your hands clean and protect your gel manicure simultaneously.
Massage your nails with oil daily
The prime reason why nail polish cracks and starts lifting is that they get dry. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the color gel nails moist at all times. Using water to moisten your nails is not advisable as the water droplets can dry up soon. A better option is to massage your nails with cuticle oil daily. The oil sticks to the nails and forms a protective layer over them. Besides, they remain moisturized and thus, last long.
Conceal your natural nail growth
While you try to maintain your color gel nails, you find them growing naturally. As a result, the natural nail emerges from the nail bed and keeps pushing away the polish layer. It can be distracting as the color difference seems imminent. The ideal way to cover up is to conceal the natural nail growth with glitter. It is also an excellent way to hide chipped portions of your nail.
Hot water is your nail polish’s primary enemy
Hot water can peel your nail polish layer. Hence, you should refrain from doing acts like having a sauna bath or soak yourself in a hot water tub. It is also advisable to keep your hot showers short and at temperatures that do not harm your nails. One of the best protective measures is to use gloves when having a sauna. Thus, you do not expose your hands and nails to steam.
Frequent topcoat reapplication can help
As a rule, your gel polish can last comfortably for two weeks or more. However, you can find the topcoat layer getting roughed up often because of exposure to nature’s elements. It does you no harm to reapply the topcoat at frequent intervals to help the nails maintain their shine. Besides preserving the glow, the repeated topcoat applications protect your nails from damage. However, you should note to cure the topcoat layer under the UV lamp. Otherwise, it can get smudgy and damage the entire manicure.
Your cuticles need complete care
Many people make the mistake of painting over their cuticles. It can result in the lifting of the gel from the nail surface and cause peeling. The nail’s natural growth process hastens the lifting of the nail and causes bacterial infections. Therefore, beauticians advise you to take care of your cuticles at the initial stage itself. You should ensure to push the cuticles back into their grooves and avoid painting over them. Applying a bit of cuticle oil can help you to push them back with ease.
Filing your nail tips and edges keeps the nail manicure in shape
Generally, the nail starts to chip away at the edges. If you leave them unattended, the chipped nail polish layer can affect the manicure. It can result in the breaking away of the entire nail. The best way to prevent it from happening is to file your nails at the edges and gently rub away at the chipped portions. You can have another polish coat over the free edges and help the manicure stay in place.
Conclusion
As it is, your gel manicure lasts comfortably for two weeks. If you take adequate care, you can extend its lifespan by another week. Thus, you can boast around and show off your well-manicured nails on your social media handles. Follow these simple tips and ensure that you have one of the best gel nail polish in town.