Long, beautifully shaped nails are every woman’s dream. However, with nails breaking while working at home or due to a nail-biting habit, having those perfect nails is a distant dream for most women. Artificial nails are a savior for women with brittle nails or those with a nail-biting habit.
If you have broken or chipped nails, don’t worry. It’s not a problem at all. You can easily enhance the beauty of your fingers with artificial nails. These nails help play musical instruments too. If you play stringed instruments like guitar, you may wear artificial nails. Artificial nails are also a great option for women who have short and stubby nails. Both acrylic and gel nails help you to get lengthen short nails ang give your fingers a slender and feminine look. In order to decide which kind is right for you (gel or acrylic?), you have to consider the difference between them.
Artificial Nails
Acrylic nails and gel nails are artificial nails that make up for short and brittle nails. Acrylic nail designs have become increasingly popular with women in recent times. Nail enhancements or nail extensions have become a part of modern lifestyle. Artificial nails cannot replace the real nails, they are used as fashion accessories. Nail tips are now available in numerous colors and designs. Various types of materials are used to make attractive artificial nails. Colorful contours and sparkles add to the beauty of the nails. You can hide broken, damaged or bad nails with the help of artificial nails. It takes just 15-20 minutes to place or remove the artificial nails.
Acrylic nails are made by mixing a liquid and a powder (a monomer and a polymer) which forms a liquid of thick consistency. This liquid is then applied on natural nails as artificial nails.
Gel nail is a premixed polymer and monomer gel that is applied to the nail and then cured.
Types and Availability
Acrylic nails came before gel nails. Hence these are easily available than gel nails.
There are two types of gel nails. The light cured variety is cured by exposing it to ultra violet rays after the gel has been applied. The no-light variety is cured with a gel activator that is sprayed or brushed on the nail.
It is also easier to find nail salons that offer acrylic nails as compared to gel nails. Since they have been around longer than their counterpart, most nail technicians at salons and spas have a lot of experience about how to apply and remove acrylic nails. Gel nails lose out on this advantage to acrylic nails as they are relatively new.
Curing Time
Curing time for gel nails is shorter than the acrylic ones. Also they require less filling during the application process. The no-light variety in gel nails cures faster than the light gel nails and has the added advantage of not requiring the UV light equipment. These artificial nails are great as by adding desired length, various types of nail art can be done on them to give one’s fingers a glamorous look.
Gel nails are odorless as compared to their acrylic counterparts. They do not require the strong-smelling chemicals to apply or remove. Excessive use of acrylic nails can damage your nail bed. A damaged nail is a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria. Application of acrylic nails involves use of strong chemicals and formation of fumes. Some women may have an allergy to these chemicals. These strong chemicals used in acrylic nails can cause greater damage to the nails than gel nails can.
Gel nails do not last as long as acrylic ones. When done correctly and with proper nail care, acrylic nails tend to last much longer than gel nails do. Also nail polishes do not stay as long on gel nails as they do on acrylic nails.
Gel nails give a more natural look to one’s fingers than acrylic nails. They look as good as natural long nails. They are softer and more flexible than their acrylic counterparts.
Maintenance
If you break your acrylic nails it’s easy to fix it up yourself. However, gel nails are difficult to be done at home. Also gel nails always need to be filed off. They can’t just be soaked away.
Besides finding salon technicians with the desired level of expertise in applying gel nails, these nails come at a higher price than the acrylic ones.
Artificial nails are available in beauty stores and shops and in nail salons. While considering both the types of artificial nails, one must realize that each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Everyone wants perfection. However, when it comes to deciding which type of artificial nails to go for, money and time become important factors worth considering.
