Nail Polish for 2013: No Chip, No Dry

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By Alana Larsen
 
Gone are the days that you had to worry about chipped polish right after your manicure and waiting for your nails to dry. That means no more flip-flops and cold feet after your pedicure during the winter months.
What if I told you that there is a polish that lasts for two weeks or more and when you are finished with your manicure or pedicure, you can put on your gloves and shoes and just walk right out the door without destroying your polish? Your nails will be completely dry. Do I have your attention?
This revelation to the nail industry is called gel polish. Different companies have their own names for their brands of gel polish. Creative Nail Design, for example, calls its gel polish Shellac.
Always make sure you go to a reputable salon that is using name-brand products with which you are familiar. Beware of products made in countries that have no ingredient regulations. You should be wary of these products and not put them on your nails.
Basically, gel polish is applied just like regular polish: a base coat, two coats of color and a topcoat. The difference is that after each coat of gel polish, the hands and/or feet are put under an ultraviolet light that hardens and dries the gel polish immediately, eliminating the potential for chipping.
Proper removal of the product is important and should be removed by a licensed nail technician. Gel polish – and even regular polish – should never be peeled off the nail because it will peel layers of the natural nail too and will compromise its strength. Proper removal requires wrapping the nail in a solvent for 10 to 15 minutes.
Usually gel polish costs twice as much as more traditional polish, but since a client is getting twice the wear of a traditional manicure and a few more weeks from her pedicure, she will be getting a better value for her dollar.
Another wonderful thing about gel polish is that one is not committed to keeping it on. When a client is ready to have her gel color removed, she can either have it reapplied or not. Most clients have the gel reapplied because they love it.
Now let’s talk about this spring. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? This spring, nail polish colors will remain “minimal,” a trend that was popular last year. Soft milky shades are in and the neon colors are out. We will continue to see pale shades of whites and ivories, pale pinks and blues, lavender, and mint green.
So ladies, you now have no excuses. Put down the snow shovel and get your hands and feet groomed. It’s time to feel feminine and pretty again!
 
Alana Larsen is the owner of Alana’s Salon, 731 River Road, Fair Haven.