Professional gel manicures are the latest nail trend. In 2017, 16.2 percent of nail salon visitors went to a gel salon to get a “boutique,” less intense gel manicure, and 9.2 percent went to a salon that used a gel manicure to promote a bikini wax for their models. The numbers have doubled this year.
See also: The 5 Beauty Mistakes That Are Biting You (No, Seriously)
Because gel manicures are trending, it’s an excellent time to make sure your nails look and feel great. Here are six tips to prevent ingrowns, dryness, and split ends.
1. Choose Correct Gel
Manicures are made of a clear gel that holds in moisture. However, there are some gel nails that are less effective. Gel Nails 101 writes, “The key to using a true salon gel nail is to choose a gel that’s large enough to hold the color.” The longer you wait to come back to a salon, the less time your nails will need to dry. For instance, acrylics are considered salon gel and take about eight to 12 hours to dry and should be removed three to four times throughout the day.
2. Choose a Gel Skin Care
Gel skin care is something that most people have seen advertised in nail salons. The goal is to keep your nails soft. This does not mean that you should reject traditional nail oils, however, deep conditioners and toners are great for a healthy nail. The ideal gel nail oil is made with a slightly lipidous base to help it hold in moisture. Human Arkz will make a line of gel and human skin care products. Consumer Reports says that the product works on hydrating, strengthening, and protecting nails.
3. Wear Feet to Keep Nails Hydrated
Research shows that many manicure parlors add water, particularly in the summer, which leads to dry, cracked, and dry nails. If you’re walking or running, wear sandals or sneakers with socks to keep your feet hydrated. To keep your nail beds healthy, oils also are recommended, including coconut oil, jojoba, almond oil, jojoba seed oil, almond butter, and avocado oil. Choose a product that lasts for longer.
4. Don’t Over-Slather
When you’re doing your nails, do it in moderation, meaning you shouldn’t slather yourself with a second coat when a first coat already has most of the necessary moisture.
To get the most traction, make sure you apply a light coat of base or sealer on your nails before applying more layers of gel or acrylics.
5. Cut Nails Regularly
A natural cut applies less pressure to the nail bed, allowing more pressure to fall through nails. Make sure to trim your nails or use file to cut nails every three to four weeks.
6. Establish a Nail Lab
This means you should create a program, pattern, or base that not only includes gels, but also acrylics, hand-pieced, and acrylics (without gels) to make sure the nails stay healthy.
Your own nail guru can help you.
This article originally appeared on Dr. Oz.
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