In nail services, there is a nail extension procedure that is becoming more and more popular among women, as it allows you to have long, beautiful, strong, and healthy nails at the moment. However, nail care for natural nails after artificial ones becomes a very long and painful process. But women do not give up and the question of which nails are better to build up – gel or acrylic, becomes a dilemma.
Acrylic nails
Acrylic nails have become more popular than gel nails. This is due to the fact that they appeared much earlier and began to be used by different women. Before evaluating acrylic nails, it is necessary, after all, to understand what we are dealing with.
Acrylic nail extension technology involves the use of a monomer (acrylic in a liquid state) and a polymer (acrylic powder). When applying this mixture to the nail, it dries quickly, after which the nail is polished and finished, based on the preferences of the client.
Such an extension helps to make your own nail much stronger and healthier, filling all the cracks, just like different nourishing hand masks do. Addition, another advantage of acrylic is that it can be used to make whole or sculptural overlays.
Whole overlays mean by themselves, covering the natural nail with a completely acrylic mixture, and with a sculptural one, this is when the acrylic is a continuation of the natural nail. The disadvantage of such nails lies in their fragility, so you need to often, at least in 2-3 weeks, make a correction.
Gel nails.
Gel nail extensions have appeared recently, rapidly occupying their high place. This nail extension is due to a special gel that contains an artificial protein that interacts with the natural nail protein. Because of such a strong coupling, it is very difficult to damage the nail.
Gel nails not only look natural, but they are also a safe, addition, but their composition is also similar to the composition of a natural nail – this is a very big plus in using such nails. The gel is also odorless, unlike acrylic, which smells very strongly before it dries.
However, gel nails wear out very quickly, moreover, the expensive price for their creation and correction is, perhaps, another significant disadvantage of gel-based nail extensions. Thus, choosing between these two nail extension techniques, you need to determine the important points for yourself – this is naturalness, harmlessness, or strength and durability.
How does acrylic differ from gel?
Gel nail extension is a fluid substance that looks like varnish and spreads over the nail, much like regular nail polish. Gels are photosensitive (harden under the action of UV rays) and non-photosensitive (require a catalyst to harden). You can also find single-phase, two-phase and three-phase extension gels. The gel has no smell, which is its huge advantage.
With acrylic, everything is both simpler and more difficult at the same time. Acrylic is a powder that, when mixed with a special liquid (liquid, monomer), turns into a thick plastic substance that quickly hardens in the air. Acrylic does not flow, and does not require any special means for hardening. But they need to work quickly, as it freezes within a few minutes. A big minus of acrylic is the strong “dental” smell of the liquid.
