What is the difference between gel and acrylic nails?

Acrylic nails are applied using a monomer (the 'liquid'), and a polymer (the 'powder'). The two ingredients are combined and the resulting bead of soft acrylic is placed into your nails and shaped into an artificial nail enhancement. Acrylic hardens by exposure to room temperature air in about 2 minutes for most brands. Acrylic is the most common form of nail enhancement offered in salons. If the tech uses cheap acrylic products, then the result is usually shoddy looking nails that yellow very easily, and look very fake. This usually happens in the cheaper salons, though I have seen it in higher end salons as well. It's always best yo use top of the line nail products when doing either acrylic, or gel nails on someone. The end result is usually so much better looking, and longer lasting than with cheap products.


UV gel nails are made from chemicals which are part of the acrylic family, but are different in a few ways. The most noticable difference is that the nail gels themselves are in fact not powder - as many people believe it is, but instead it is? You guessed it, UV nail gels are a gel! They look exactly as the name implies, like a 'gel.' Here is a pic of what top of the line UV gels look like. Notice they are NOT a powder!


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The gels are applied to your nails in several thinly applied layers, and each and every layer MUST be cured under a UV lamp for about 2 minutes each. This is quite different from the way acrylic nails harden - by exposure to air. Gel doesn't cure by exposing it to air. It uses the UV light emitted from the UV lamp to start the process of polymerization, and cure into the finished product. This takes place in 2 minutes - normally. Some brands need to cure for 3 minutes.


To sum it up, UV gel nails are non-yellowing, non-toxic, and quite durable as well. They are also much more realistic looking than acrylic nails are, and you can go a bit longer between fills. But beware if you choose to get this type of nail. First, many discount salons (avoid these places at all costs!) will apply acrylic nails, then apply a thin layer of gel over the top and call them gel nails. Well, they are not gel nails, but rather they are acrylic nails. And you will get charged the higher gel nail price. That is a scam that happens all the time to unsuspecting girls/women. Then, these people will leave thinking they have gel nails. This is why there are so many misconceptions about real gel nails vs. fake. I've seen it before - ask the question on here ';How do I remove GEL nails.'; and everyone will tell you to soak them in polish remover, or acetone. If you got scammed and got acrylic nails instead of gels, then yes, they will soak off easily. And this is what happened to many people, so they think this is how they are removed. BUT, this is far from the truth. UV Gel nails are NOT soaked off. They cannot be due to their being non-porous. Thus, they are not affected by acetone or any other solvents. UV gel nails must be filed off. There is no other way to remove them. Anyone who tells you they had their 'gel' nails soaked off had acrylic nails, and not gel. Don't let that happen to you.


OK, enough gabbing on my part, LOL! I gave you a lot more info than you asked for - sorry...


I hope this helps to answer your question!!!What is the difference between gel and acrylic nails?
with acrylic its like getting fake nails.What is the difference between gel and acrylic nails?
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