Is it possible to wear gel polish for 3 weeks? What if I wear gel polish for a month? Or is it better to do a new one after two weeks of wear?
Technologists do not recommend wearing gel polish for longer than 2-3 weeks. No, this is not because gel polish is harmful, your nails need rest or anything else. All this is nonsense, the reason is different.
I decided to write this post when today I was once again freaking out about my overgrown nails. Overgrown nails are wildly inconvenient, and they also break easily from any careless movement.
This is what my nails look like after a month of wear. Not pretty. One nail is cracked and will need to be repaired.
Why is gel polish dangerous for nails?
There are many myths about the dangerous effect of shellac on nails that scare girls away, forcing them to continue using other types of manicure. Whether persistent application is so harmful will be discussed below.
How does gel polish affect nails?
Gel polish coatings firmly adhere to the surface of the nail plates, the design stays on them for a long time, firmly, and does not chip or crack. Due to the ability of strong adhesion to the surface, varnishes have gained wide popularity.
It turns out that the coating applied to properly prepared nails in accordance with the technology does not cause any harm to the plates; on the contrary, it decorates them for a long time. But the matter does not end with following the stages of preparation for a manicure and its actual implementation - the gel polish must be removed correctly. If the coating is removed incorrectly, there is a high risk of damage to the plate. It is not the gel polish coating that has a negative effect on the nails, but a special remover, the use of metal sticks to remove varnish residues, and manually pulling off a cracked piece of coating along with the surface of the plate.
There are concerns that multi-layer application has a negative impact on the condition of natural plates. Indeed, the coating is considered quite thick - it is applied in 3-5 layers (base, color, top), but this does not affect the availability of the necessary power to the plates. Nails do not need air access; they do not have pores. The keratinized areas of the skin receive the necessary nutrition from the growth zone, which remains unpainted.
Harmful substances in nail polish
The high-quality composition of the gel polish allows you to create a long-lasting, safe, harmless manicure that can be worn without resting your nails for several weeks.
Each varnish contains:
- photoinitiator - helps the coating become hard under the influence of the lamp;
- diluent;
- film former – creates another film on the application surface;
- color pigment;
- additional components.
High-quality gel polish is considered absolutely safe. Another thing is cheap substitutes containing toxic additives - additional components. Before starting a manicure, it is important to familiarize yourself with the composition of the cosmetic product. The following components should be on your guard:
- Formaldehyde is a preservative that extends the shelf life of varnish and is characterized by its ability to be absorbed through the nail tissue into the blood and accumulate in the body. The substance causes allergies and damages the nail plate.
- Toluene, a substance that ensures smooth application of varnish, provokes problems with the nervous system, nausea, and poisoning.
- Dibutyl phthalate is a substance that protects the coating from chipping and has a negative effect on skin cells and lungs.
Less dangerous, but also not welcome in varnish, are xylene, camphor, and methaclyric acid. Wearing a manicure done with a low-quality product without rest will only make the situation worse.
Important! Particular attention to the composition of the varnish should be paid to pregnant and lactating women, because some harmful components can penetrate into the baby’s body and milk.
Is a lamp for drying gel polish harmful?
There is an opinion that the UV lamp used in the polymerization of gel nail polish can be harmful, causing cancer. The information has not been confirmed by scientific researchers, so it cannot be considered true. It has been proven that continuously holding your hands in a lamp is equivalent to 10 minutes spent in the sun. For those who are still concerned about the harmful effects of the device, it is recommended to apply a layer of sunscreen to the skin.
We are talking about lamps in which the lighting elements are changed in a timely manner. They have a certain shelf life - the number of hours during which the lamp can operate. If it contains an expired element that has long worked for the allotted number of hours, the lamp may emit harmful substances.
Attention! Fake!
Now there are many intermediary companies offering to buy Shellac varnish. These products are not cheap and are in high demand among women. And this has become a good bait for various types of scammers. How to avoid running into such individuals? How to distinguish the original manufacturer from a fake? Firstly, you should pay attention to the bottle of the product. It must have the inscription “CND (Creative Nail Design)” on it. This is the name of the company that produces Shellac varnish. Secondly, you need to look at the country of origin. This can only be USA. If there are inscriptions such as “Shellac Bluesky”, “Shellac IBN”, “Shellac CCO”, and not “Shellac CND”, then rest assured: this is a fake. Thirdly, there is always a protrusion at the bottom of the original cardboard packaging. If it is not there, then it is a counterfeit. Fourthly, it is worth looking at the bottom of the glass bottle. There is always an image of a flower at the bottom of this product. It is not present on the fake. Fifthly, you need to pay attention to the cost of the product. The original cannot cost less than 880 rubles. The low cost of the varnish should alert you.
Do you need to rest your nails from gel polish?
Experts say that a break from wearing a covering is simply necessary. After several manicure sessions, you should pay attention to restoring the plates and devote time to caring for them. This is the rest of the plates.
Is it harmful to do shellac all the time?
Many sources talk about the dangers of constantly wearing shellac on nails, claiming that the coating dries out, thins the plates, and fungal diseases can form in microcracks under the coating. These factors arise as a result of improper application of the coating, preparation for it, and directly depend on the skill level of the master.
If, after removing the coating, your natural nails look bad or painful, you need to give them a rest: replace the gel polish with a medicinal polish that helps restore the structure of your nails and give them a healthy look. During relaxation, massages with nourishing creams and oils, restorative baths, masks and other procedures aimed at improving the health of natural nails will be useful.
Important! On weak, brittle nails, the shellac coating does not last long and quickly becomes unsightly, so if problems arise with the health of the nail plates, you will have to give them a rest.
How long can you wear gel polish without a break?
Theoretically, gel polish coating can be worn constantly, without rest, but after a few weeks the nails will look unaesthetic. Natural plates grow; as the artificial coating grows, it moves from the cuticle to the center of the plate. As a result, you have to remove the application and do the manicure again.
The main product that harms natural nails is gel polish remover, the composition of which has an extremely aggressive effect on the nail - it dries and thins. After each gel polish removal procedure, you need to give your nails a short rest: moisten the surface with a rich cream.
Important! To avoid dehydration of the nail plate, the skin of the fingers and cuticles are regularly lubricated with a nourishing cream even when the coating is applied, not only during the rest period.
When changing the gel polish design, it is recommended to take a rest for your nails. It is advisable to give it a rest at least once every 2 months if there are no problems with the health of the nails.
Opinion of a professional master about the need for nails to rest:
Poor quality of the nail plate
What do numerous reviews say about all this? Why doesn't shellac stick to nails? Comments do not always contain information about the initial state of the nail plates. But sometimes the coating does not last because the quality of the nails themselves is very poor. For example, if they are peeling or covered with grooves from improper technique of the previous manicure, you must first straighten the nail plate.
If the master does not do this, the shellac will begin to come off within a couple of days after coating. Therefore, if a specialist offers to include this service in the cost of a manicure, you cannot refuse it. Especially if the nail problem is visible to the naked eye.
How to minimize the harm of gel nail polish
There are a number of measures to reduce the harmful effects of the coating and avoid the consequences that arise from an unsuccessful shellac manicure.
- Before a shellac manicure, it is recommended to saturate the plates with calcium by regularly applying special medicinal products.
- If the plates look unhealthy, before deciding on shellac, you need to undergo a restorative course: rubbing in olive oil, strengthening with baths, masks, drinking a vitamin complex.
- Cuticle care is required - massage, moisturizing with creams and oils.
These manipulations will help neutralize the harmful effects of varnish on nails.
Diseases of the body
If your endocrine digestive or excretory system is affected, then extensions or coating with any composition are not recommended. If these systems are damaged, the nails may become brittle and thin and cannot withstand the weight of the coating.
Before you go for extensions, consider all these tips and tricks. Then, you won’t have to overpay the master and waste time. This is an expensive and time-consuming procedure, so it is better to take care in advance that the coating lasts as long as possible.
Contraindications to shellac
The application has a number of contraindications; people who have at least one of the above problems should refuse manicure:
- weakened, brittle, peeling nail plates;
- nail diseases (fungal and non-fungal);
- allergies, individual intolerance to one of the components of the nail polish or nail polish remover;
- thin sensitive cuticle;
- skin diseases (eczema, psoriasis, etc.);
- medical nail extension;
- white spots on the plates, indicating a lack of vitamins and body malfunctions;
- immediately after treatment of fungal diseases, the infection may reappear
Other groups of people can get a manicure without fear, sometimes giving their nails a break from constantly wearing the coating.
Is beauty lasting?
Shellac manufacturers promise that the manicure will last about two weeks. But it is impossible to shift all responsibility for the durability of Shellac only to the manufacturer.
Durability also depends on how Shellac is worn, how often hands come into contact with aggressive environments, the state of health and the individual characteristics of the nail plates. Shellac lasts a little less on the hands than on the feet, because the hands are exposed to more impacts. Toenails coated with Shellac can remain beautiful for up to four weeks.
Consequences of gel polish
As a result of prolonged wear of such a manicure, incorrect execution technology, or the use of low-quality composition, the coating can cause unpleasant consequences that affect the health and appearance of natural plates. These include:
- change in the natural color of the nail - yellowing, dullness;
- thinning of the plate, causing fragility, brittleness, cracking;
- the surface becomes uneven, bumpy;
- change in structure - delamination.
Proper use of gel polish with optimal rest usually occurs without harm to the nails and does not cause the above-mentioned consequences.
It is worth noting
Under no circumstances should you dilute shellac with anything, much less add nail polish remover to it.
Despite the fact that visually the consistency of the product will become similar to the previous one, such a coating will already be very weak and can behave quite unpredictably. Moreover, in this case, it is generally impossible to find out how long shellac lasts. If you are planning to apply the coating yourself, you need to be very careful when choosing the manufacturer of the gel polish itself, base and top. It is better to choose proven companies, even if they are a little more expensive.
Reviews: is gel nail polish harmful?
On the Internet you can find many reviews about the dangers and benefits of gel polish, and the need for plates to take a break from it. They are left by girls who have tried manicure at least once.
Maslennikova Irina Aleksandrovna, 40 years old, Astrakhan
The shellac coating was done in a professional salon, and within a week chips appeared on it. I decided not to go to the salon where they provided poor quality services, but to rent at home myself. I bought a special liquid, soaked cotton pads in it, wrapped it around my fingers, and secured it with foil. When I removed these tricks, it turned out that the coating had not completely come off; I had to scrape off the remains manually. The result after removal was terrifying - the plates were so destroyed that it took six months to restore them.
Nikiforova Olga Dmitrievna, 36 years old, Staavropol
I really wanted to try gel polish, but I was scared by the reviews about the dangers of the UV lamp. I have moles on my hands, so there is cause for concern. As a result, I didn’t take any risks and turned to a specialist who had an LED lamp at his disposal. Now I constantly get manicures from him without fear, after every 2 sessions I give my nails a rest: I cover them with medicinal varnish, do oil baths, which turn caring for the plates into a real pleasure and a pleasant pastime.
What is the significance of LED lamp?
Since the coating is gel, to fix it, you need to hold your nails under an ultraviolet lamp. It is better not to try to use adapted devices. The light beam must be uniform and reach a certain intensity. It is important to maintain the exposure time and the rules for placing your hand in the device.
Those who don’t have extra time to visit nail salons can learn how to use such a device at home. Moreover, numerous sites on the Internet offer to purchase it at fairly reasonable prices.
But it is impossible to do without a lamp. The gel simply will not acquire the necessary structure. The lamp must be equipped with a timer, since individual gel polishes require different exposure times. In addition, lamps are needed to polymerize the base, on which the final result largely depends in the future.
