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Gel Nails vs Acrylic Nails


Guest c.to_

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Guest c.to_

Which doesn't damage your natural nails? looks better? etc
So prom is next week, and i need to get my nails done. But i'm not sure as to whether to get Acrylic or Gel nails ( money isn't really a factor).

Things of concern:

- time it takes to put on

- susceptibility to breakage

- what's it like taking them off?

- the effects of both when you take them off. Which do you get less damage to your natural nail\

- how long does polish last on them? ( i miiigght get an airbrush design, or just a polish design)

Or any other input you have

please and thanks :]

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Guest fio209js2

Gel nails are most likely the better best.

AFAIK gel nails you do not need to shave down your natural nails and with acrylics you do need to shave down your natural nail so it can stick better.

Acrylics last long than gels, gels are thinner than acrylics and gels are less damaging to your natural nails.

Gel nails you can add your own polish and remove the polish without damaging your original gel nails (even if they are french tipped and you polish bright pink over it, you just remove the pink and your french tips are back!)

As far as taking them off I'm not really sure on how gel nails get taken off but acrylics need to be soaked in pure acetone to be "melted" off.

HTH.

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Guest Kirei_BoA

gel nails are definitely better. acrylic are known to be much worse/damaging in comparison and they also turn your nails yellow. i loved the way my gel nails came out :) no yellow! :D i personally don't remember how long it took to get my gel nails done... maybe 10 min? it's just a little longer than regular manicures since there's u/v curing involved. gel nails don't break, since they're formed on top of your natural nail/nail length. maybe some people have gotten nail tips or something with the gel? doesn't really make sense, because you might as well just get acrylic, but i don't really know if that's even really done. it lasts for a while like maybe two weeks until you have to do touch ups at the salon (your nail grows, so the polish/nail tips/nail gel shifts up.) you can really just look up some more information about gel vs. acrylic. i actually got the information i looked up and know confirmed by a salon that does both that gel is much better (apparently they say it makes your nails better, but i don't know how... might not even be true.) hope i helped :) they come out SO beautifully~

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Guest lilian21

My family owns a nail salon, but I myself don't do acrylic nails...so here's what I know based on what my family tells me (and listening to what they tell customers):

-Gel looks a lot more natural, if the nail tech has good skills

-The timing of the two isn't that different. The longest part (from what i see) is actually doing the acrylic. Gel is like an additional couple minutes...but again, correct me if I'm wrong.

-I'd say both are equal in terms of breakage? Again, if you go to a salon that knows what they're doing, and the person working on your nails knows what he/she's doing, they should last for at least 2 weeks.

-Taking them off is a pain. You have to soak your nails, then they have to file them off. Many people get "hooked" on acrylic because their regular nails look ugly compared to the acrylic, and having acrylic on for too long will make your nails look really bad without them.

-Both is equally damaging, I think.

-Polish will last longer than your natural nails, of course. But as far as how long the polish itself lasts depends on the brand of the nail polish and the brand of the top coat. I've never seen a customer with "chipped" nail polish on acrylic, I only see them come in to get them filled in because their real nails are showing too much. But again, it depends on the quality of the salon's products and very importantly- the skill of the nail tech. Good nail polish brands are OPI & Essie. Unless you REALLY want a specific color, don't bring your own color...it's a waste of your money- they won't give you a discount because you brought your own color.

I would really suggest you do pink & white gel nails. From what I've seen (again, this is from my family members, individual skill is variable from salon to salon), they look EXTREMELY natural, lasts very long. If you're into the more simple, subtle, sophisticated but put-together look, I think you'll love it. If you know people who go to certain salons, i'd suggest you ask them to see waht they have to say about each individual nail tech. Your nails can turn out drastically different coming out of the same shop depending on who does them.

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Guest Yvonnersz

^ My mom owns a nail shop too and I help out when it's busy.

Acrylics are the fake nails/powder you put on. The 'gel' nail is just an extra coat you put on top to protect the color underneath. If you're getting a french manicure, the gel will give it more of a 'glossier' look. If you're getting a color, however, it will not make a difference. You can say the gel is like a topcoat, but a verrryyyy strong topcoat. If you get gel, it's harder to chip the color off. So if you want your nails to last for a while, definitely do gel nails. They're both equal in terms of breakage though.

On average, acrylics should take ~45 minutes depending on your nail tech, but you have to let them dry! Gel is just an additional ~five minutes or so, but you don't have to let them dry.And there are two ways to take them off. You can either soak them off (long process) or you/nail tech can use a fake nail to detach the acrylic from the nail. It can be a painful process depending on how long you have had your fake nails and your sensitivity level. =X Both will have the same effect on your nails...

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Guest boost

^ My mom owns a nail shop too and I help out when it's busy.

Acrylics are the fake nails/powder you put on. The 'gel' nail is just an extra coat you put on top to protect the color underneath. If you're getting a french manicure, the gel will give it more of a 'glossier' look. If you're getting a color, however, it will not make a difference. You can say the gel is like a topcoat, but a verrryyyy strong topcoat. If you get gel, it's harder to chip the color off. So if you want your nails to last for a while, definitely do gel nails. They're both equal in terms of breakage though.

On average, acrylics should take ~45 minutes depending on your nail tech, but you have to let them dry! Gel is just an additional ~five minutes or so, but you don't have to let them dry.And there are two ways to take them off. You can either soak them off (long process) or you/nail tech can use a fake nail to detach the acrylic from the nail. It can be a painful process depending on how long you have had your fake nails and your sensitivity level. =X Both will have the same effect on your nails...

there are different types of gel. gel powder, gel liquid and gel top coat. Gel liquid are applied in a similar fashion like powder based products, but just requires baking in a uv lamp. This seems to be the newest trend which is what the OP is askig for a comparison... not the optional gel top coat.

with a gel top coat, you can't even soak them off. you have to grind them off or pry them off.

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Guest ichigo_no_powder

gel nails don't break, since they're formed on top of your natural nail/nail length.

not true...mines broke on one finger and I was able to peel the entire gel layer off @.@

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