Does Shellac Harm Nails?

I hate doing my nails. I can’t hold my fingers nonetheless for the 5 minutes or so it takes nail polish to dry and it inevitably will get chipped. If, for some type of miracle, my manicure survives the primary 10 minutes, it nonetheless chips like loopy after a few days. I’m that tough on my nails… Oh, why can’t somebody provide you with a nail polish that’s each chip-free, final for weeks, and has zero dry time? What, it exists you say? Oh, you’re speaking about Shellac.

I learn about it. I can’t stroll previous a nail salon that doesn’t promote the remedy on its home windows right here in London. However I can’t – no I gained’t – use it. I really like my nails greater than I really like an ideal manicure. Shellac might sounds just like the miracle reply to each nail polish fanatic’s troubles. Nevertheless it’s an angel in disguise. Fact is, it causes extra issues than it solves. Right here’s why:

What’s Shellac?

I used to imagine Shellac was a cutting-edge know-how made in a lab by some nail fanatic, however nope. It’s derived from the waterproof resin the lac scale insect produces for defense.

It’s not simply utilized in nail polish, both. You will discover it in furnishings end and prescribed drugs, and is even used within the meals trade! So, even in case you’ve by no means tried a Shellac manicure, likelihood is you’ve used shellac in some unspecified time in the future in your life. In all probability nonetheless are.

Within the meals world, shellac is what offers your jelly beans and chocolate-coated nuts that shiny, nearly plastic-like sheen. So sure, your nails and your sweets might need extra in frequent than you assume.

How Does Shellac Work?

Shellac nail polish, branded and made well-known by CND, requires a specific software course of. Step one is a base coat cured beneath a UV lamp for about 10 seconds. Then, the primary layer of nail polish is utilized, and cured beneath the lamp for two extra minutes.

Identical for the second layer. It’s adopted by a high coat that, once more, have to be cured beneath the lamp for a few minutes to seal the polish. To finish the manicure, you spray isopropyl alcohol on every nail. This removes the movie on their floor, leaving your nails further clean and tremendous shiny.

A part of the explanation Shellac feels so totally different from conventional nail polish is that this curing course of. It hardens every layer into place, so the polish isn’t simply sitting on high of your nail. It’s bonded to it. That’s nice for longevity, however not nice when it’s time to take it off.

Why Is This Dangerous For Nails?

In the event you’re a daily reader right here, you’ve already found out what’s mistaken with the applying course of. Yep, the UV ray lamp. It’s true that utilizing this lamp causes so much much less harm than driving within the solar with out gloves does (and who wears gloves to drive?), however that’s not a very good excuse to reveal your nails to much more UV rays.

UV harm is cumulative. You need to do every thing in your energy to cut back it to absolutely the minimal with out compromising the standard of your life (who desires to remain trapped at house on a sunny day?). A few of you might argue that, for you, the comfort of Shellac is well worth the little further harm UV rays trigger. Honest sufficient. However there’s one other manner through which Shellac harms nails. I’m speaking concerning the elimination course of.

How Do You Take away Shellac?

Like all nail polishes, you take away Shellac with acetone. However the course of is a bit totally different. CND created a elimination wrap. You saturate it in pure acetone, wrap it round every nail, and wait 10 lengthy minutes earlier than taking it off. This provides the acetone sufficient time to get by every layer of the Shellac manicure and take away all of them.

Professional tip: most salons may even tough up the floor of the polish with a file earlier than soaking. That helps the acetone penetrate, but it surely additionally weakens the floor of your precise nail within the course of. Double harm.

What’s Fallacious With The Shellac Removing Course of?

In the event you’ve ever used nail polish, you already know how dangerous acetone is on your nails. It weakens nails, making them change into dry and brittle. It might additionally irritate and dry out pores and skin. Within the worst instances, it causes cracks and bleeding. In small quantities, acetone just isn’t that dangerous. It might dry your fingers and nails a bit however, in case you take correct care of them, its unwanted side effects aren’t that dangerous.

However soaking your nails in acetone for 10 minutes? That’s asking for bother. A 2012 examine has discovered that gel manicures like Shellac trigger vital brittleness, weak spot, and thinning. After the manicure, the nails of one of many topics have been 50% thinner!

The examine didn’t make clear if this was as a result of acetone alone, to some chemical within the nail polish, or each, however why take the chance? Regardless of the trigger, Shellac manicure does trigger harm to your pure nails. That’s sufficient for me to stay to common nail polishes.

Let’s be sincere: nails don’t bounce again in a single day. In the event you harm your pure nail mattress, it could actually take 3-6 months (or extra!) for it to totally develop out. That’s a very long time to cope with peeling, breaking, and dull-looking nails – all due to a manicure that lasted three weeks.

What’s The Distinction Between Shellac And Gel?

Individuals throw round “gel” and “Shellac” like they’re the identical factor, however they’re not. Shellac is extra of a half-gel, half-regular polish hybrid. It feels thinner, appears extra pure, and it’s not fairly as brutal to take away as full-on arduous gel. However let’s not child ourselves. Each nonetheless want UV lamps. Each nonetheless want soaking in acetone. So in case you’re hoping Shellac is the lovable, non-damaging little sister of gel… yeah, probably not. It could be barely much less aggressive, however your nails are nonetheless getting hit.

What If You Solely Get It Now and Then?

Look, in case you’re doing Shellac a few times a 12 months, your nails will most likely survive. However be sincere: does anybody cease at a few times? It’s addictive. It lasts without end, it appears superb, and out of the blue you’re reserving your subsequent appointment earlier than the previous one’s even chipped. That’s when the harm builds up. One turns into ten, and now your nails are peeling, splitting, and paper-thin. In the event you’re gonna do it, a minimum of buffer your nails with some oil first and provides them an actual break after. And no, three days off doesn’t rely.

What Can You Use As a substitute (That Received’t Wreck Your Nails)?

You’ve obtained choices, and no, they’re not all terrible. A few of these long-wear polishes like Essie Gel Couture or Sally Hansen Miracle Gel truly do a good job. No UV lamp. No acetone wraps. Simply apply, air dry, high coat, executed. They gained’t final three weeks, however you’ll get a strong week or so in case you’re not clawing by gravel. Or throw on a strengthening base coat beneath common polish and reapply your high coat each few days. It’s decrease upkeep than coping with cracked, dehydrated nail beds, belief me.

The Backside Line

Shellac manicures are so handy! They’re chip-free, have zero dry time, and last as long as three weeks. However each the applying and elimination course of trigger harm to your pure nails. In the event you ask me, the tradeoff merely isn’t price it.

About Gio

Hello, I am Gio. I am a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is pores and skin coach and author on a mission that will help you obtain your greatest pores and skin day ever – each day. I bust skincare myths and debunk advertising and marketing jargon that will help you work out what’s well worth the splurge and what’s greatest left on the shelf – utilizing science, not hype. I additionally supply skincare consultations that will help you create the most effective skincare routine on your distinctive wants.