There’s nothing more annoying than investing in gel nail polish, only for your manicure to look ragged after a week. Chipping gel nail polish makes a lot of people wonder if they have to redo their manicure - or is there a way to fix it? How can you prevent your gel manicure from chipping?
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to prevent your gel nail polish from chipping after a week.
A lot of it has to do with application - if you’re using traditional at home gel nail polish to create your manicures then it might be a few different things. Here are some top mistakes that you can avoid!
Over curing- Is there even such a thing as over curing? Yes, there actually is. Usually when people start using gel nail polish for at home manicures they assume that the longer they cure nails the longer their new manicure will last. Sadly, it can actually have the opposite affect! It’s important to check out what your gel nail polish brand recommends as they typically have a suggested time that is best for that formula.
Using an incompatible lamp- Not all gel curing lamps are the same or can be used for every gel nail polish brand. This is something that most people just don’t know. Especially people who are just getting into at home manicures- it’s easy to assume that all UV lamps work with all types of gel nail polish. If you’re using several different brands of gel nail polish, things might get tricky.
Your natural nails are brittle or damaged - If your nails are too dry or brittle, gel nail polish just isn’t a good fit. Instead, focus on improving your nail health by consuming more fruits, berries and dark leafy greens.
Poor positioning of your fingers under the lamp- If you’re fingernails aren’t facing completely upwards, it won’t cure the entire nail properly which can lead to chipping. If you need to cure your thumbs separately, feel free to! This quick fix might help your manicure last a bit longer.
At home gel nail manicures are a super fun, affordable and fast way to do your nails. However, figuring out which curing lamp works best with each of your different nail polishes might be challenging- and expensive. If you want the fresh nail salon look, that lasts longer than a regular manicure and doesn’t break the bank check out our semi-cured gellies. Our super popular starter kit can be found here.
