What's The Difference Between Gel Nails And Acrylic Nails

This is the breakdown.

What's the difference between gel nails and acrylic nails. Acrylic nails are a faster alternative to gel nails as the product dries while its being applied. Gel nails will usually give two weeks of glossy wear without chipping. Gels come in gel duh or liquid consistencies that need to be cured under a UV lamp.

Your nails are shaped into your preferred and ideal shape and are then painted with nail polish. Gel manicures are chip-free and super glossy. As we mentioned above gel nails typically consist of brushing coats of polish on your natural nails and are cured with a UV lamp.

The curing time under UV is a mere 5-10 seconds. Check out the guide below to help weigh your options and understand the difference between gel nails and acrylic nails so you can make the best choice before your next salon visit. The fundamental difference between the two types is that while the construction of an acrylic artificial nail requires two different components that are mixed during construction the gel is an easy-to-handle pre-blended materialAnother difference is that the gel binds under UV light and acrylic solidifies to air without a lamp.

On the flip side acrylic nails provide a hard protective layer due to the powder and liquid hybrid mixture theyre created with. So if you want longer or stronger nails you can opt for either acrylic or gel extensions. Also gel nails are self-reliant and dont need to be mixed with polymer powders.

Gel nails tend to provide a thin clear and shiny layer over the real nails which are very light compared to the additional acrylic nail that is fixed over the real nail. But basically all three are made from acrylic-type plastics. Acrylic nails cure when coming into contact with air which is why they have to be applied quickly as gel nails are cured under a UV light.

Once complete gel nails will usually last for around 14 days without chipping. Boyce points out that the major difference between the chemical content of gel nails and the acrylic is that gel is already mixed and requires only curing with a UV light while for the acrylic the mixing is done right there in the salon. The main difference between gel and acrylic nails is the application process acrylics are made from liquid and powder while gel is simply made from gel.