How To Care for Your Cuticles and Nails After a Gel Manicure
Gel manicures are great for those with sensitive skin and nails or for those who want to make sure that they protect their natural nails and encourage healthy nail growth. But caring for your nails shouldn’t stop once you remove your manicure. Taking care of your nails in between sets is critical for setting a healthy foundation for your next one. This article will go over how to care for your cuticles and nails after a gel manicure so that you can keep your nails healthy and beautiful.
Removing Gels the Right Way
While your manicurist knows how to remove your gel nails safely and with minimal damage to the nail bed, not everyone can rush to the salon when they need to. So there are some tips you need to know if you plan on removing your gels at home.
You want to file the top layer of the gel to get the polish to become porous so that when you soak your nails, the solution seeps into the polish. But don’t file so deep that you scuff your natural nail. Now, you can choose between acetone or an acetone-free nail polish remover, but it all depends on how sensitive your skin is. If you use acetone, you’ll need to moisturize to avoid drying out the surrounding skin.
Next, wrap your nails in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let them sit in the solution for 5–10 minutes. Then, remove the wrap and gently peel off the gel with a cuticle pusher. You can repeat as necessary if you don’t get all the gel off in the first round.
How To Care for Your Nails
Removing polish the right way is a great way to ensure you’re not drying out your skin or scuffing, denting, or cracking your natural nail. Between manicures, make sure your nails are clean and regularly remove dirt from underneath them to prevent bacteria from growing. In addition, clip the ends to avoid bumping into objects and cracking your nails. Regularly trimming the ends helps promote healthy growth. You can also apply a layer of nail strengthener if you want to make sure you protect your nails.
Maintaining Cuticle Health
Maintaining the health of your cuticles is critical for healthy nail growth. To prevent infection or bacteria growth, soak your nails in warm soapy water every few days to soften the surrounding skin. Then, you can push back your cuticles and remove any excess dead skin with cuticle scissors. However, make sure to cut off only a small amount to avoid cutting into healthy skin.
Next, apply cuticle oil. Luckily, there are a lot of natural options if you want to avoid harsh chemicals. Vitamin E, Jojoba oil, or coconut oil are a few products you can use to hydrate the skin around your nails and keep that moisture locked in.
Now that you know how to care for your cuticles and nails after a gel manicure, you can have healthy, beautiful nails with or without a manicure. These tips are great for those looking to take a break from visiting the salon every month and let their natural nails shine. With this guide, you can be an on-the-fly hand model anytime.
BONUS TIP– Have you tried using henna for nail strength? Check it out!
