Well, i want to talk about my gelish experience since i have tried it recently, it is the new generation of gel/acrylic nails but this one might be a bit simpler. I havent tried the gel/acrylic nails ever in my life, simply because i didnt feel like i ever needed it, my nails grow long in no time and most of the people who had gel/acrylic nails have short and non-growing nails.
Anyways, let me tell you simply what a Gelish is, it is a gel nailpolish that is cured by an LED lamp or UV light, it stays way longer than a usual nailpolish, and it applies in too many steps. Also it cannot be removed simply, again too many steps which i prefer to do it at a professional salon.
Those are described steps on how to apply a Gelish nailpolish:
- Sanitize the nails and your clients hands.
- Push back the cuticle and clean the surrounding nail plate.
- Shape the natural nail using your Hand & Nail Harmony file of choice (recommended: Hand & Nail Harmony Wooden File)
- Gently remove the shine using the Hand & Nail Harmony 100/180 Buffer.
- Remove the dust and Wipe the nail with Hand & Nail Harmony Cleanser using a lint free wipe.
- Apply Hand & Nail Harmony PH Bond to the nail plate.
- Apply GELISH FOUNDATION GEL – in a thin application and seal the edges of the nail.
- Place hand in the LED 6G or LED 9G Light for 10 seconds or UV Light for 1 minute.
- Apply GELISH SOAK OFF GEL POLISH of Choice – in a thin application from cuticle to free edge. Be sure to seal the edges of the nail.
- Place hand in the LED 6G or LED 9G Light for 20 – 30 seconds (10 seconds for light colors) or a UV Light for 2 minute for lighter colors or 3 minutes for darker colors.
- Apply GELISH TOP IT OFF GEL SEALER from cuticle to free edge using a thin light application.
- Place hand in LED 6G or LED 9G Light for 30 seconds or UV Light for 3 minutes.
- Wipe off the tacky surface with HAND & NAIL HARMONY CLEANSER.
- Apply HAND & NAIL HARMONY NOURISH cuticle oil to the skin surrounding the nail.
Now comes on what i think about it:
The good:
1. It dries out in no time! I was really amazed, i hate applying nailpolish and then just when i wear my shoes or dig into my purse to get out the cash i have to ruin it, its either i have to wait too long at the salon to dries out really well or mess it up in my one of movements. With gelish this doesnt happen at all, as soon as you finish the last step it is completely dry with no worries.
2. The colors lasts for up to 3 weeks! This is also pretty amazing, the result looks exactly like a regular nailpolish except that it stays perfect for 3 weeks. Regular nailpolish usually chip of within 5-7 days if not less if you used your hands in various activities, but this doesnt happen with gelish at all.
The bad!:
1. First of all keeping a nailpolish on your nails for 3 weeks is really bad, just like any exposed part of the body it needs fresh air to breathe, wearing nailpolish for a long time can tire the nail and therefor it will lead to its breaking and turning into a yellowish color.
2. Taking it off is a bit of a hassle, it cannot be removed easily with a nailpolish remover like a regular nailpolish, it can be done but its better to be done under a professional hand.
3. This is the most important part of getting a gelish done, the removing part makes me think twice about doing it again. To be able to remove the gelish the top layer has to be scrapes by a nail file, they website like to gentle the process and called it “lightly file over the entire nail to remove the shine” but this is not the case. Removing the gelish is so cruel for the nail, to much filing and scraping, my heart fell in my stomach during the process.
Final Thoughts:
If your nails are in good shape and too precious to damage it then dont do the gelish at all, the final finish is like a regular nailpolish and nothing more, getting a regular nailpolish color and maintaining it will be much healthier on the nail than doing the gelish. And just if you felt like doing it, you can do it like once in a life time or just when you have a really special occasion that might take days, or you have just too many parties and occasions in the same week or month and wont have enough time to visit the salon to do your nails every time.
Gelish can be done at professional beauty salons, it comes in various shades just like a regular nailpolish. For more information you can visit the website.