Nail Care Pointers
By Jeanne Grace Curtis, Nails Your Way, 770.949.3113, nailsyourway.com
Nail Care For Soak-off Gel Polish Users There are numerous brands available of the UV or LED soak-off gel polishes, such as Shellac, GelColor, Gelish, Color Gloss, Gelavish, Entity, ProGel, Geleration, Gelacquer, JustGelPolish, GelOn and Gel II. I have tried many of these soak-off gel products and the longest lasting is the Gel II brand available at www.geltwo.com. Gel II is a medical grade gel, which is stronger, faster and light-
er than anything else on the market. Gel II polish lasts approximately four weeks without chipping, fading or peeling. Gel II is infused with essential vitamins and minerals, which actually strengthen your nails. It is available in 100 colors and one top coat, no base coat is needed and it easily soaks off in ten minutes without damaging the nails. Soak-off gel polish should only be used on nails that are healthy, in good condition, strong, and cut short. Soak-off gel polishes are especially good for women who like to wear a favorite color for ten to 14 days. Women who travel a lot are also good candidates for soakoff gel polish because they don’t have to worry about refreshing their manicures as often. For people who like to change colors with every outfit, soak-off gels might not be the correct polish option. Frequent removal of soak-off gels accentuates the drying effects of the acetone removal process. Soak-off gel polish is not recommended for people who have thin, soft, damaged nails caused by long-term acrylic wear. Soak-off gel polish doesn’t seem to stay on as well on nails that are weak, thin and bendable. When the natural nail flexes a lot, the colored gel pulls away from the natural nail plate. The best way to use soak-off gel polish is to remove it no more than every two or three weeks. If using the Gel II product, then remove it no more often than every four weeks. After removing the soak-off gel polish get weekly manicures that are especially moisturizing and use good quality nail strengtheners and cuticle oil daily for two weeks. The goal is to avoid damaging the natural nails. Oil-soak or warm lotion manicures help restore health to the natural nails and counter-act the drying effects caused from the acetone removal process. Soak-off gel products should only be applied by reputable salon professionals who care about the health of your natural nails. Clients can be easily misled because they don’t know the difference between hard gels and soak-off gels. Hard gels are nonporous (not penetrable by liquids). Hard gels can’t be removed using traditional soaking techniques. Some techs apply a hard gel layer under a soakoff gel just so they can use an electric drill to speed up the removal process. Use of the electric drill will cause damage to the natural nails. Be aware of what you are buying. Ask: “Is this a hard gel or a soakoff gel?” Always choose a trustworthy salon professional that cares about the health of your natural nails.
MS Self-Help Group The Douglasville Multiple Sclerosis Self-Help Group meets the third Thursday of each month at 7pm in the parlor at First Presbyterian Church, 9190 Campbellton Street, Douglasville. This meeting is open to any person with Multiple Sclerosis and their caregiver(s). For more information, e-mail dvillemsshg@aol.com.
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