Polish Your Knowledge

          You eat with them, you put for clothes on with them, and you wave hello with them -- It is your hands!  The best way to keep our hands looking great is to keep them healthy. Another popular way us ladies keep our hands looking great is manicures. The hottest trend out right now is gel nail polish manicures. The gel nail polish movement is super popular because of its longevity compared to conventional nail polish. It is applied like traditional polish, base coat, two coats of color and a top coat. The difference is the gel polish is cured in between coats with a Ultraviolet or UV light for a quick smudge-proof dry, its shiny finish lasts for 2 weeks without chipping, and is removed with an acetone soak. The sounds amazing compared to the traditional nail polish alternative. So what is wrong with great, healthy-looking nails that lasts for 2 weeks? Healthy-looking is exactly what gel nail polish is for your nails, a look.


          Gel nail polish involves a few things that maybe unhealthy for your hand health, such as prolonged exposure to UV light and acetone. UV light, similar to sunlight can damage the skin on your hands with extended exposure. In addition soaking your hands in acetone can seriously dry out the skin around your nails and your cuticles causing swelling and possibly dry skin. So how do you prevent this without sacrificing great nails?


          Do we use sunscreen or lotion to protect our hands? The best answer for the safety of gel nail polish is moderation. Most women get their nails done every 2-3 weeks. Try giving your nails rest for a week or two before getting your gel nails again. Another alternative is to use the hybrid polish called shellac. Shellac is similar to gel nail polish but takes less time to remove with acetone. But giving your nails rest for a while is always a healthy choice. 

~Miriam  F.