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Should I get gel or dip nails?

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These are 2 different types of nail services. ‘Gel nails’ refers to nail coatings or enhancements using a UV gel range of products (and there are MANY on the market). There are many variations of UV gels. Some are flexible, some are harder wearing. Some come in natural colours; others come in a wide variety of colours.

Dip nails’ is a type of hybrid nail enhancement system.

Some use a cyanoacrylate base (similar too the fibreglass system) and some use a UV gel base. Once this applied and still wet or uncured, a coloured polymer powder is sprinkled onto the wet coating. The whole coating is cured, then shaped and then a top coat applied.

It can be quite a durable enhanced nail but does take longer to remove than other alternatives.

It is always best to take the advice of a skilled nail professional as to what is best for the individual.

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An individual who is qualified to provide a wide range of nail services.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_a656a2a40632c1e29663156211bbc0bd":"

Nail coatings<\/div>
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Any product used to coat a finger or toe nail for strength or to add length and\/or colour.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_d39f477aa143e3ad2d3d887dc00fb581":"

Cyanoacrylate<\/div>
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Cyanoacrylates are a family of strong fast-acting adhesives with industrial, medical, and household uses.<\/p>\n
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They are derived from ethyl cyanoacrylate and related esters. The cyanoacrylate group in the monomer rapidly polymerizes in the presence of water to form long, strong chains. They have some minor toxicity.<\/p>\n
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Also explained as products in the acrylate family of chemicals that are used as a nail tip adhesive or in the fibreglass system or in the \u2018dip\u2019 system.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_b330b8f11f8dc8c9e41d9356983344d2":"

Polymer powder<\/div>
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One part of the liquid and powder system that is, infact, millions of tiny beads of a co-polymer. The initiator for the system is coated on the beads and often a colour.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_f7cda0e2b409840054b949fe6b1ad1b2":"

Enhancement<\/div>
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A term used to describe any artificial nail, including acrylics, gels, and nail wraps.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_d0f1ec027a1fbd229cfbb457151e05df":"

Gel nails<\/div>
Gel nails\n

A system of nail enhancements using any UV cured nail products.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_0b3291125a2931d0b966539627189a90":"

Dip system<\/div>
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Dip system is a hybrid system using either UV gel or cyanoacrylate together with a coloured polymer powder to add strength to the natural nail.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_11533c2225a32a0a2021a4517e2c664f":"

Top Coat<\/div>
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This refers to a nail product that is the final layer of a nail coating. It can be a traditional nail polish or a UV gel polish. The formulation will allow it to withstand scratches and be tougher than colour coats. It is essential to use in UV gel polish systems but optional in traditional nail polishes. A top coat can also be used over a liquid and powder coating to give it extra shine. Top coats usually have a high shine but there are also many alternatives e.g. matte, shimmer, slightly pigmented etc<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_010053c089a17f831365ec13343999d7":"

Coating<\/div>
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A coating in nail services terms is any product that is applied to the nail plate<\/a> and leaves a layer of product. It can be traditional nail polish, a strengthening product, a UV gel product, an L&P product.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_4eb428598c1d8f289e6897779124e77d":"

UV Gel<\/div>
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A nail product that cures (or polymerizes) under a UV lamp.
There are various types of UV gels, categorized by the way they can be removed, or by the way they can be used.

<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_028573aa40ce1f3cceb26ad80ad33592":"

Cure \/ Curing<\/div>
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This is the term used to describe the polymerization process for the acrylics (whether uv gels or l&p systems) used in nail coatings. A 'proper cure' is what should be achieved which is when, at least, 80% of the coating has been polymerised. Anything less than this is considered to be 'under-cured' and can cause an allergic reaction. \"Over-curing\" would be when the nail coating is cured in a lamp that has a stronger output than what the manufacturer recommends, and it will make the nail coating brittle.<\/p>\n<\/div>","cmtt_b0e3b3f1d5cca69789f6579c409ed71f":"

Base<\/div>
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This is often what an alkaline substance is called but is commonly used as a term describing a nail coating that is a first layer adhering to the nail plate.<\/p>\n<\/div>"}}; -->