Features of repair with gel polish
The nail plate tends to break and crack. And now, after waiting a long time for the nail plate to grow, it’s time to get a manicure. But at the very last moment the nail plate cracked! In this situation, there is nothing left to do - you need to repair the nail with gel polish. For this purpose, special silk is used. For all girls, long nails are a dream. Sometimes it takes several weeks to achieve the desired length, so repairs allow you to avoid waiting this time.
Silk for nail repair is a special fabric, a natural material. It is obtained from the fibers of the silkworm cocoon. The fibers are 75% fibroin and 25% sericin. A distinctive feature of silk fabric is its high strength with low thickness. Thanks to these properties, silk is the best material with which to restore the nail plate.
What is bio-reinforcement of nails?
Broken nail
A broken nail is a real tragedy. The good news is that things can be helped.
Some craftsmen use tea bags, regular glue and other improvised means to repair nails, but a much better solution would be to repair using special glue and spider silk .
Bioreinforcement is the biocorrection of extended, broken, weak nails using fibrion from silkworm spiders.
The bioreinforcement procedure involves gluing natural thick silk for manicure onto the nail plate . The layer of material is completely invisible and does a good job of repairing or strengthening a weak nail plate (for example, after prolonged extension).
Combination with other procedures
The use of silk can be combined with other procedures, such as strengthening nails with biogel or design with gel polish. The sequence of each procedure will be unique, but the main rule remains unchanged: the silk is placed on a clean, grease-free plate without first applying any basic products.
Classic manicure
A classic manicure is a simple nail polish and design. It does not involve activator liquids or the use of UV lamps. Silk fits into this procedure as follows:
- First, a medical manicure is done. The nail plate is leveled and the cuticle is removed.
- Then a silk patch or reinforcement with silk cloth is made.
- The fabric is polished with a buff until the nail plate is leveled.
- Base varnish is applied. This can be a means to level the nail plate.
- Then the design is done. Plain coating, patterns or the use of decorative elements.
- A fixative or a simple colorless varnish is applied on top.
Silk can slightly extend the life of a classic manicure. But for the most part, the lifespan of polish depends on lifestyle and the quality of materials.
Gel polish
If you're a fan of gel polish, silk enhancement is still available to you. In this procedure, the order remains virtually unchanged:
- First, the usual nail treatment is performed. The cuticle is removed, the shape of the nail plate is created and the free edge is formed.
- Then a silk patch or strengthening of the entire plate is made.
- After smoothing the nail texture, apply a base product on top. Additional degreasing is not required, because it was carried out before using silk.
Then the procedure is completed in the usual way with drying in a lamp and the sequential creation of layers of products.
Manicurists claim that the silk coating increases the wear time of gel polish several times. You can check whether this is true or not at your next visit to the manicurist. In any case, this possibility cannot be completely ruled out. Even after careful polishing, silk retains its texture. It probably provides better adhesion between the nail and the base product.
Strengthening with biogel
Strengthening with biogel in combination with silk gives excellent results. Designs made on this basis last much longer. Biogel and silk can be combined with the application of gel polish to make the manicure extremely durable. The procedure is very simple:
- Remove the cuticle and shape the free edge of the nail
- Degrease the nail plate.
- Apply silk and soak it with special glue.
- After the glue has dried, polish the nail plate to even out its texture.
- Apply the first layer of biogel and dry it.
- At this point, you can immediately apply the colored gel polish. When using biogel, a base is no longer required. Dry the color layer.
- Apply sealer and dry your nails again.
As you can see, anyone can repeat the procedure. You just need to purchase the necessary tools and practice a little.
Features of silk for nail repair
Silk for nail repair in strips
Spider silk, used for nail repairs, sold in strips or rolls , has a very different texture than regular silk fabric. The material can come or without an adhesive base (for the second option, special glue is used).
Silk for nail repair in a roll
Self-adhesive options are easy to apply, but less transparent than silk glue strips.
You can purchase bioreinforcement kits at a specialized store for manicure and pedicure products.
The most popular manufacturers are EzFlow, YRE, ORLY, Mirage Touch, All Season, Runail .
A well-known name is always a guarantee of quality, but this does not mean that a product from a nameless brand will not help you repair and strengthen your nail plate.
The material should be stored in a place protected from light and moisture.
Silk reinforcement: benefits
Of course, a soft piece of fabric cannot replace a nail. But impregnation with a polymer substance makes frivolous textiles a serious alternative to acrylic, which has already gained recognition. Silk extensions can be done with both gel and acrylic. Short duration, spectacular manicure and quite affordable cost are the main advantages of silk extensions.
A piece of fabric is treated with a special composition and attached to the nail with a special composition. A tip is fixed on the resulting frame, varnished or a pattern is applied.
The result is a high-class manicure that looks very impressive. However, the strength of the “silk for nails” technology is much lower than after gel or acrylic extensions. That’s why masters don’t use silk extensions only. And in terms of quality, silk nails are inferior to gel and acrylic ones.
But the combination of technologies, when silk is an intermediate layer between the gel, promises excellent results. The procedure is carried out step by step, the work is painstaking.
Repairing a natural nail: step-by-step instructions
Repair process
Nail repair can be done in a salon or on your own. To carry it out you will need silk, glue, scissors and sanders .
Pay attention to the preparation of the nail plate - do an unedged, trimmed or hardware manicure (depending on your own preferences).
The repair process itself is as follows:
- The nail plate is cleaned of varnish and dirt.
- The damaged area is polished using a buff.
- A silk patch of the required size is cut out.
- The fabric is separated from the paper and the sticky side is applied over the crack or secured with glue.
- A thin adhesive layer is applied over the strip.
- After complete drying, the edges of the silk are trimmed with a file, and the surface of the nail can be polished with a buff.
Helpful tips for repairs
- After applying the strip of fabric to the nail, smooth it out using an orange stick - this is optional, but will allow the material to lie correctly;
- the nail will be stronger if you cover the silk with two layers of glue (with a short break in time);
- the patch must be larger than the crack .
When sanding the repaired nail to remove dried glue, be careful not to file away the tissue.
You will get a lot of tips on repairing nails with silk by watching the video tutorial:
Is it possible to repair artificial nails with silk?
Yes, you can repair gel nails - the procedure will be the same as when repairing natural ones. Before gluing the silk strip, do not forget to remove the varnish coating.
The nature of the break is a crack
1 repair method - using acrylic powder
Required materials : rubber base and acrylic powder.
Stage 1. We prepare the nail plate for gel polish, carefully following the technology:
- We process the cuticle and free edge of the nail in the usual way.
- We remove the gloss from the natural nail plate with a file or buff, paying special attention to the place of the crack: it should become smooth on all sides.
- Degrease the nails. It is better to use an acid primer on the broken nail.
Stage 2. Cover the nail with a base (it’s better if it’s rubber). Lift the nail at the crack so that the base fills it a little, that is, gets inside the crack. Using a thin brush, apply the base on the back of the nail in the problem area. Without drying, pour acrylic powder here, just a little bit. Let's dry it.
Stage 3. Shake off excess powder. We file the nail, leveling it from above and from the side. Apply another layer of base and dry.
Next, standard nail polish is applied with gel polish. This is not the most durable method, but it works - I personally use it.
If gel polish coating is not intended, then you can use nail glue instead of a base, but this will save the situation for only a short time. Once upon a time I wrote about nail repair using it.
Repair method 2 - using silk
Required materials: silk or fiberglass (reinforcing tape).
Step 1. Prepare the nail plate according to all the rules (for details, see the previous section).
Step 2. Cut out a piece of silk slightly larger than the size of the crack. We apply the base and, without drying it, put fiberglass on it and saturate it with the base. Dry it in a lamp.
Step 3. Cover the nail with another layer of base. For greater reliability, you can use, for example, biogel.
Step 4. File if the silk or material protrudes slightly beyond the edges of the nail plate.
Then you can do the usual gel polish coating.
Alternative crack repair option
Some craftsmen believe that the only way to reliably “neutralize” a crack is to cut it out. Like this? - you ask. To do this, an incision is made with manicure scissors, perpendicular to the crack so that there are no traces left at all deep into the nail. It turns out that in the free edge on the side there is such a triangular wasteland, which then needs to be filled.
However, you first need to file it down to avoid any unevenness and apply primer.
You can fill it out in different ways:
- As with extensions, substituting a form and filling it with gel or a mixture of rubber base and acrylic. After drying, adjust the shape.
- If the triangle is not very large and the base is thick, then you can do it without substituting the shape, but most likely you will have to apply it in several layers and then cut it out, including from below, but here you cannot do without cutters.
- Using fiberglass: first strengthen it from above with a base, dry it, and then from below, also dry it and adjust the shape.
As I said, this is already difficult to do at home, unless, of course, you yourself are a master!
Lifehack
Well, here I can’t help but mention what can replace fiberglass, because it is also not always at hand. But, for example, I think almost everyone has a tea bag Then cut a patch of the required size from it - budget-friendly and very practical. Well, the second option is that you can also use a lint-free napkin or cotton wool .
What can replace silk?
Fiberglass
There are several ways to repair natural nails.
- Using silk , which was discussed above, or fiber . Fiber is stronger than silk, but it is more noticeable.
- Using fiberglass technology : silk repair involves the use of ordinary manicure glue, and fiberglass – rubber glue (or gel).
- Using glue powder - special powder and glue.
- Using acrylic.
Silk is a natural material, while fiber and acrylic are synthetic fibers.
If necessary, silk glue can also be replaced with a manicure base, gel polish or Shellac.
How to shoot?
It is not necessary to remove the silk patch. It can be filed off during manicure as the nail grows. If you made a design with gel polish over silk, the fabric will come off along with the rest of the coating. Sometimes the patch comes off on its own - it depends on the quality of the materials used. Typically a patch without a top coat will last about 2-3 weeks.
Silk can be a temporary decorative solution to the problem of brittle nails. But this phenomenon must be combated globally. Read about why nails become brittle and what care is needed to strengthen them.
Have you tried making silk nail patches yourself? Did you find this process difficult and long? What worked the first time, and why did you have to practice? Don't forget to share reviews of different adhesives and silk patch manufacturers to make it easier for other readers to choose a quality product in the store!
Caring for repaired nails
Repaired nail
The silk repair procedure is easy to perform and effective. Repaired nails do not require special care - it will be enough to cover the surface of the plate with manicure varnish , preferably textured, with grains and glitter (this way the fabric will definitely be invisible).
It is advisable not to use household chemicals without gloves . How long the silk will last on the nail depends only on your caution and accuracy.
To prevent the repaired nail from giving itself away, after the glue has completely dried, treat the plate with sanders.
Which nail extension to choose
So how can you tell the difference between a gel, acrylic, and fiberglass nail job? The answer lies in the products used in each process.
Acrylic extensions
Perhaps the most common type of nail extension is acrylic, but it can quickly be replaced by gel.
Acrylic extensions use acrylic, which is applied to the tip of the nail. Acrylic is created by mixing powder and liquid to create a substance that can actually be coated on the tip of the nail, which then hardens.
One way to tell what acrylic nails are doing to you is to see the powder and liquid mixing.
When applying acrylic nail extensions, the master mixes the monomer with dry powder
Don't be fooled when someone tells you that a product is a gel, it is actually acrylic.
This acrylic will air dry to a hard finish and should not be exposed to light. To obtain a good clear finish, acrylic extensions must be sanded because the material remains cloudy before polishing begins.
Acrylic extensions can be removed by soaking the nail in acetone, while UV gel removal requires sanding and acetone is of no use.
Extension gel
Gel extensions, also known as UV gel extensions, differ from acrylic extensions in that no mixing is involved in the creation.
One of the stages of gel nail extensions will be drying the work with a UV lamp.
The gel is already in the jar and should look like hair gel. This substance does not have a strong odor like the acrylic mixture. In addition, the gel is cured with ultraviolet light, so it is often called ultraviolet gel.
Once completed, gel extensions have a more transparent finish and do not require extensive polishing.
Fiberglass for nails
Fiberglass extensions use a mesh or fabric of fiberglass that is placed on the nail and then treated with resin to make the material clear.
After application of the composition, an activator is usually sprayed to cure the resin, resulting in a hard coating.
One of the attractive aspects of fiberglass extensions is that the coating is water-soluble and can be removed simply by applying a certain amount of liquid.
Strengthening nails with silk
Bioreinforcement involves the use of fibroin , which forms a “mesh” of biofilaments on the surface of the nail. It is almost invisible and strengthens the plate frame.
Silk makes the nail flexible and elastic. It does not crack over time, remaining smooth and durable.
Silk is not difficult to use. They can cover the entire plate or fix a broken edge.
This video shows in detail how to strengthen your nails with silk:
Fabric wraps in manicure
Silk, cotton, and fiberglass are used by manicurists to strengthen or extend nails. A soft piece of silk fabric will not replace or strengthen the nail. Polymer impregnation will be required to strengthen and create a shape.
Silk extensions can be done with gel or acrylic; how to repair nails with silk depends on the skills of the master. A quick and effective manicure will last up to 30 days.
The price of the material starts from 100 rubles, it is sold separately or in a set with polymer impregnations and repair tools. The fabric is sold in cut sheets or whole rolls starting from 1 m in length.
The most convenient is rolled silk on an adhesive basis, from which you can first cut a piece of the desired size, remove the protective layer and stick it on the area to be repaired. Impregnation of the top with any polymer is also necessary in this case.
Consumers who care about the health of their nails will definitely benefit from silk nail polishes. You can really get great results in a matter of minutes, thereby protecting your nails if you don’t immerse them in water often.
For beautiful nails that will not be damaged by what is naturally present, the best option is a silk wrap. Perhaps the new enthusiasm shown by the market for this solution will force more salons to offer this service to the general public.
Advice from professionals
To significantly lengthen the nail, they use not only silk for nails, but also special gels. Not everyone can perform this procedure at home: you will need to purchase special professional gels and have the skill of setting the mold.
- Perform standard preparation of nails for application of artificial coating.
- Cut silk along the nail.
- Bondex is applied to the nail.
- A base gel is applied to the nail and the cut silk is embedded in it, after which it is dried in UV.
- Lay out the nail bed with pink gel extension and dry it in UV.
- Submit the form.
- Smile gel is applied to the free edge and dried in UV.
- Reinforcement is performed with stretch gel and dried in UV.
- Model the nail with a transparent gel and dry it in UV.
- Remove the dispersion, file and polish the nail.
- Cover with top gel, dry in UV, remove the dispersion.
Instructions for use
For nail repair, there are special kits containing everything you need. It contains silk (in a roll or in already cut pieces), glue, and sometimes acrylic powder. It is convenient to take it on the road. At the manicurist’s workplace, hand sanitizer, degreaser, glue solvent, files and buffers, acrylic brush and monomer, silk scissors, and various varnish materials are added to it.
The following equipment is prepared at home before the procedure:
- Scissors.
- Silk for nail repair.
- Alcohol-containing composition for degreasing.
- Varnish remover.
- Cotton and orange sticks.
- Varnish base and top.
How to repair a nail with silk:
- The nail is cleaned and degreased with alcohol.
- Cut out a piece of silk according to the size of the nail.
- A thin layer of glue is applied to the nail.
- Distribute the cut silk over the nail, helping with an orange stick.
- Immediately remove any glue that has dripped onto the side rollers with an orange stick. If the glue has dried, clean it with a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover.
- If necessary, saturate the silk with glue on top and sprinkle with acrylic powder.
- Use a file to process the free edge, getting rid of excess silk and forming a beautiful nail shape.
- The surface of the nail is polished with a buff.
- Cover the nail with varnish.
This procedure will preserve the nail. But it should be remembered that its length is already critical, therefore, another nail may suffer. To wear long nails with weak plates, there is a method to strengthen them.
Subtleties of “silk therapy”
Minuses
A piece of fabric the size of a nail is treated with a special polymer liquid and attached to the nail plate. Tips are glued to the resulting base and the manicure is given a finished look by covering the surface with varnish.
When you see a nail with a “silk” coating, you get the impression of a perfect manicure. But there are certain nuances here too. Nail technicians note the short duration of wearing silk coating and the flimsiness of such a design.
Saving a broken nail
Sometimes a crack in the nail plate does not occur on the free part, but closer to its middle. This not only causes discomfort, but is also accompanied by pain. In this case, cutting the nail will be unsafe and very painful. You need to glue and strengthen the broken nail for a while to give it time to grow a little. When using silk for this, rest assured that the repair will only take a few minutes, and the result will last about a week. If necessary, you can perform simple manipulations again until it becomes possible to cut off the broken area.
Many girls use silk to grow fragile nails. By applying several layers of glue and silk, you can give the nail plate the necessary hardness, preventing it from becoming brittle. Strengthening nails with silk is performed in almost the same way as repairing, only in this case you need to cut off pieces of material according to the shape of the nail plate. By performing this procedure several times a month, you will be able to grow your nails, even despite their tendency to crumble and break.
