Acrylics vs. Natural and Gel Polish vs. Regular Polish

All About Nails

Your fingernails say a lot about you. To your doctor, they could be the sign of a vitamin deficiency or other health-related issue. To your parents, and particularly when you were a kid, nails would be a dead giveaway of unwashed hands. The look of the nails might say you work with your hands (or not), and also that you pay attention to the smaller details of your personal appearance (or, again, not). Depending upon what you want your nails to say, you can make a lot of choices about their care.

For instance, you can keep your nails tidy, trimmed and uncovered by even a coat of clear polish or glaze. You can go to the other end of the spectrum and have them nicely shaped and treated to a set of artificial, i.e. “acrylic” nails. In this guide, we’ll spend some time looking at two separate issues: acrylic nails vs natural nails and regular nail polish vs. gel polish.

Start With the Foundation

As one beauty writer recently said, most of us “fall into the category of either the natural nail lover or the acrylic nail devotee, with each of us being quite loyal to our preferred look.” This may be due to lifestyle, seasons, and personal fashion or style, but either way, there are “pros and cons for each style of nail.”

Let’s start with the natural nail since that is what we all start with. Now, when someone says natural nails, it does not mean a bare or plain nail. What they mean is that whatever treatment is done to the nails is done to the plain, natural nail and not one with an additional, artificial nail placed on top.

What are the pros and cons of wearing natural nails? The benefits are fairly obvious. They are easy to maintain and come at a lower price point to maintain. They are just trimmed, shaped, buffed and then colored with the treatment you desire. It could be a coat of polish, or it might be a French manicure with a more natural look. You can also leave your natural nails entirely free of coverage and just keep them shaped nicely and treated with nutrient oils for health and shine.

The downside of natural nails? Well, they can break and tear easily, and that means that all of the nails will need to be reshaped or even cut and trimmed to match. They may look unhealthy if left plain, particularly if you have any health conditions that show up in the nails. Finally, when they are left plain…well, they’re plain and that means they may not have a lot of character or pizzazz about them.  This is why so many people opt for acrylic nails.

Acrylic Nails

To get started with deciphering acrylic nails vs natural nails, acrylics, as we will refer to them for the rest of this guide, are artificial fingernails made to order in the salon. Your provider might use a powder or liquid product, but the end result will be that they apply the compound to the individual nails, wait for it to harden and then file, shape and buff the nail to look appealing. As you might guess, if you want longer nails with the acrylics, it will require a fake to be placed and then the acrylic compound to be used to complete the look.

What are the pros and cons of acrylics? On the plus side, they are incredibly durable and very difficult to chip or damage. They also give your hands a beautifully finished and appealing look and they are always uniform in size. They can be longer than natural nails and you won’t have to wait for nails to grow to get even longer than normal looks.

On the downside, they are fairly expensive. As one writer said, when “compared to maintaining your own nails at home or even having a regular manicure at the nail salon, acrylic nails are incredibly expensive” and they demand a lot more maintenance than natural nails. Should one break or chip, you have to visit the salon to get it fixed.

More to Know About Acrylics

Here’s a bit more of acrylic nails vs natural nails. Nails continue to grow with acrylics in place, too and that means you’ll have to have them filled in and refinished periodically. Generally, that means a visit to the salon every two weeks (or more if you suffer a break, chip or other issue). Also, removing polish from acrylics and redoing it yourself is not an option. It requires another visit to the salon.

Your natural nails could potentially be damaged by the chemicals in acrylics. They need to be properly cleaned to prevent any bacterial buildup and taking them off is a somewhat lengthy experience. It is why so many experts have a post-acrylics set of steps they suggest, that we’ll itemize a bit later.

Which Is Right for You?

Acrylic nails vs natural nails…which should you choose? That is really a personal decision. If you prefer your nails to be shorter or you like to change out their color on a regular basis, the natural nail is the best option. It is low maintenance and you can do a lot of the care on your own.

Also, if you have fragile nails or are someone who often breaks or chips nails, it could be that acrylics will end up a bit too high maintenance for you (or your budget). A bit later we are going to look at gel polishes and these could be the right choice if you want the durability of an acrylic, but with a natural nail.

However, acrylics are wildly popular for many reasons. For one thing, they are some of the most flexible. You can get any sort of shape or size and they are just plain fun. You can make them a definite part of your personal fashion statement, and they really can look amazing.

Related: All About Acrylic Nails: Your 101 Guide

After Acrylics

Now, what about the post-acrylics regimen? If you’ve tried acrylics and found they weren’t for you, it is best to follow the routine for restoring natural nails to their best look and condition. Here is what the experts suggest:

• Give yourself or get professional manicures on a weekly basis afterward. This will “help stimulate the circulation of the nail bed, promoting its growth”.
• Use cuticle oil during your weekly manicure/massage to help improve nail flexibility
• Trim them rather than trying to grow them out as this improves both thickness and health
• Use base coats designed to strengthen the nail (and apply every three days, or so)
• Use ridge fillers to improve the looks of the nails and to strengthen and moisturize them
• Don’t ignore signs of infection. Acrylics are noted for harboring bacterial and fungal infections. If any nail has become discolored or thickened, you need a doctor to treat it.
• Be patient. The use of long-term acrylics is apt to make the nails weak and even uncomfortable. Give your nails a bit of time to rejuvenate and use the steps above to help speed up the process

Once your natural nails are healthy and restored, you can then switch over to regular or gel polish.

Related: Check Out the All In One Glass Nail File

Gel Polish vs. Regular Polish

In addition to there being options for natural or acrylic nails, there are also polishes that yield different results. While the gel or regular polishes can be used for any manicure, there are distinct differences.

As one journalist noted when discussing gel polish, “Who doesn’t want a manicure that outlasts the competition, stays shiny, and dries in seconds flat? It’s no wonder gel manicures are all the rage.” Yet, that doesn’t explain just what gel polish is or does.

A gel polish differs from the typical nail polishes lining pharmacy, department store and other beauty suppliers’ shelves. It is made of “acrylic monomers and oligomers that bond together when placed under UV light”. Unlike your standard polish, this one needs time for “curing” and then once it is official done, it is a super hard and even chemical resistant treatment.

In addition to being formulated differently and applied using the UV or LED light (this takes longer to cure the polish), the gel nail polishes also last roughly two to three weeks.

Related: Nails: Shellac 101

How Different is That From the Standard Nail Polish Experience?

With regular polish, you can expect roughly one week of staying power (even under optimal conditions) and even less time if you wash your hands often or expose them to different cleansers and experiences each day. However, the standard nail polish is something you can do easily at home if you have the time and a steady hand. While gels take minutes to cure, a regular polish can require 20 minutes or more.

Keep in mind that a regular polish is something you can quickly apply yourself, or you can head to your salon for a more detailed and professional finish. This will often include a base coat, three layers of lacquer and a top coat. The expert can shape the nails and give a great look – including French manicure styles.

Additionally, and as another beauty writer has noted, “normal nail polish is a lacquer where the ingredients been refined over the years to protect nails against drying out and cracking”. The gels are notorious for damaging the nails, with one physician going so far as to write about their risks, including the exposure to certain allergens, acetone (for removal) and damage due to the constant filing and abrading before application.

So, regular nail polish is safer and even healthier for the nails, but simply takes a longer period of time to apply and does not last as long.

Related: 7 Quick Tips For Perfect Nailpolish

The Issue of Gel Removal

There is also the problem of removing gel nail polish on your own. It takes a lot of careful prep and the following steps:

1. Begin in a space with more than enough ventilation. The process needs acetone and you should never inhale this for long stretches of time without full ventilation
2. Rough the top layer of the gel with a nail file
3. Protect the skin around each nail from the acetone remover by coating the skin with cuticle oil
4. Soak cotton balls in the acetone to ensure you have enough to dissolve the gel polish
5. Place a soaked ball on each nail and be sure it is covered fully, then wrap finger tips in foil to ensure full contact.
6. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes and then remove the foil and cotton and use wooden manicure sticks to help remove the remaining gel
7. Once free of all polish, soak the finger tips in coconut oil to provide hydration and anti-bacterial benefits. Finish with cuticle oil, and allow the nails to remain untreated for a few days afterward.

Which Is Right For You?

Again, it is a personal matter. While you might opt for natural nails with gel polish or acrylics topped with regular polish, the choice should be based on your realities.

For example, if you are unlikely to spend a lot of time heading to and from a salon, it is likely that the acrylics aren’t for you. If you have no problem popping in for quick fixes, touch ups and fill-ins, then you may enjoy the distinct look that acrylics and/or gel polishes provide.

Naturally, time is a factor, too. Those who use gel nail polish and acrylics find that these processes are faster going on, but being removed can take a very long time. Both can also have a toll on the overall health of the nails.

Natural nails and regular polish, on the other hand, are the least damaging to the nail and its health. However, it is not a zero-maintenance choice. Natural nails are more prone to damage, cracking and chipping. Even if treated with polish, they can still sustain problems.

In the end, you may want to give the acrylics and the gel polishes a try. See if you like the way they look and feel, if they work with your lifestyle and fit into your budget. No matter what, your nails will look good!

More Great Nails Resources:

8 Truths To Know Before Getting Acrylics, Because Fake Nails Need A Lot Of TLC

Ultimate Gel Manicure Guide: Risks, Benefits, & How Long They Really Last

How To Remove Gel Nail Polish Yourself at Home the RIGHT Way