Nails: Shellac 101

Booming in the nail industry right now, shellac is the “go to thing” for women “on the go”. This manicure does not disturb the natural nail, has far less chemicals than acrylic, and there is no drying time like a normal manicure. Fairly inexpensive running at about $40.00 on average in salons and spas (or a DIY at home kit for $49.95), this application is easy to come by and much healthier for the nails than other applications like acrylics.

A nail company called CND is the creator of shellac. There are other brands of “gels” in the market too like axxium or gelish which has the same basic application and idea as shellac. Shellac is not categorized as a “gel nail;” it is actually an innovation in chip-free, extended-wear nail color that is cured under a UV light. Shellac only takes about thirty minutes to apply and is immediately dry when you leave the salon. Shellac lasts for fourteen days on average with no chips, smudges or scratches.

Shellac goes on just like a normal polish with a base coat, two color coats, and a top coat. Once the base coat is applied, the nails get cured under the UV nail lamp for ten seconds. The next coat is a thin layer of the desired shellac color. Once the color is applied to all five nails, cure under the UV nail lamp for two minutes. Apply a second layer of the color. This coat should not be too thick but should generously cover the nail. After that has been applied cure the nails for two minutes. The top coat should be applied next. This is applied just like a normal top coat and is cured for two minutes. The last step is to take 99 percent isopropyl alcohol and swipe over each nail to remove the sticky residue. The manicure is complete and dry and the client is ready to go! Shellac should be done every two weeks to keep up with the nail growth.

To remove a shellac nail, you do need to soak it off with acetone, which can be drying to the skin around the nail. This can be corrected with a cuticle oil or hand cream.

Shellac is perfect for those on the go that hate waiting at the salon for their nails to dry, or for those who don’t have patience for their nails to dry. Shellac also does no damage to the natural nail and aids in the growth of healthy, beautiful nails.
Content Provided By: Alexia Hites