Sophia Delgado
Gel manicures can be a fun way to spice up your nails, but they can also cause damage, especially if they are removed improperly. Gels can leave your nails dry, brittle, thin, and peeling. So, what's the best way to fix your nails once the damage is done? There are several ways to repair and strengthen your nails, including keeping them short, moisturising your hands and nails, using cuticle oil, wearing gloves when doing housework, and buffing your nails.
How to improve nails after a gel manicure
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Prevention | Use a gel base coat underneath your gel polish to reduce damage. |
| Ensure your manicurist isn't using an electric file and don't peel nails. | |
| If you must remove them, use acetone and nourish with an oil afterward. | |
| Nail Care | Keep your nails short to prevent them from snagging on things and chipping. |
| Use a nail buffer to smooth out nails, focusing on ridges. | |
| Use keratin gloves to strengthen nails. | |
| Apply a clear, strengthening product after your gel manicure. | |
| Use a ridge filler to smooth the appearance of your nails. | |
| Keep your nails bare for at least a few days after a gel manicure. | |
| Use cuticle oil to soften and hydrate your cuticles. | |
| Moisturize your hands and nails. | |
| Wear gloves when performing tasks that might be rough on your skin and nails. | |
| Eat a healthy diet with sufficient amounts of protein, biotin, and calcium. |
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What You'll Learn
Moisturise and use cuticle oil
After a gel manicure, your nails will likely be dehydrated, brittle, and fragile. Moisturising your nails and using cuticle oil are essential steps to help your nails recover and regain their strength and health.
Moisturising
It is important to moisturise your nails and the skin around them daily. You can buy nail moisturisers or fortifying nail and cuticle creams that contain peptide at a local beauty supply store or department store. Applying hand lotion for all-over moisture is also an option, and you can then apply cuticle oil to the skin around your nails. As washing your hands dries out your nails, it is recommended to apply moisturiser each time you wash your hands and to always dry your hands thoroughly.
Cuticle Oil
Cuticle oils deliver vitamins and nourishment to your nails. They also soften and hydrate your cuticles, which is where new, healthy nail growth will start, so it is important to focus on this area. Spend a full minute massaging the oil into the cuticle. You can also use straight-up jojoba oil or olive oil, which can strengthen nail beds and boost healthy nail growth.
Other Tips
- Avoid picking, peeling, or prying off your gel manicure, as this can harm the nail plate and cause long-term thinning of the nails and harm to the nail bed.
- If you must remove your gel manicure, it is recommended to have it removed by a professional to prevent damage.
- Keep your nails short while they recover to prevent them from snagging on things and chipping.
- File your nails with gentle swipes in one direction, rounding your nails as this is the strongest shape.
- Wear gloves when doing the dishes or other housework to protect your nails.
- Avoid using the tips of your nails as tools.
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File and buff your nails
Filing and buffing your nails are essential steps in maintaining their health and shape. Filing helps to keep your nails short and prevents them from snagging on things and chipping. It is recommended to keep your nails short, especially while they are recovering from a gel manicure. When filing your nails, use gentle swiping motions in one direction, avoiding sawing gestures.
Buffing your nails is important to smooth out any ridges or uneven edges that may have formed after a gel manicure. It is recommended to use a nail buffer every other day until your nails have healed. Additionally, buffing promotes blood circulation, which can strengthen your nails.
It is important to note that filing and buffing should be done with care to avoid further damaging your nails. Over-filing can weaken your nails, so it is best to focus on gentle and light motions.
If your nails are feeling brittle and thin after a gel manicure, it is recommended to give them a break from polish and treatments. Letting your nails breathe and recover is an important step in rehabilitating them. You can still care for your nails during this time by moisturising and using cuticle oils to promote healthy nail growth.
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Wear gloves when washing up
Wearing gloves when washing up is an important step in improving your nails after a gel manicure. This is because washing your hands can dry out your nails, so it is important to limit their exposure to water.
Wearing gloves when doing the dishes or other housework will help to protect your nails and maintain the health of your hands and the wear of your manicure. It is also recommended to wear gloves when performing other tasks that might be rough on your skin and nails, such as gardening or cleaning.
By wearing gloves, you can help to prevent your nails from becoming dry, brittle, and fragile, which are common issues after removing gel manicures. Gel manicures can dehydrate your nails, so it is crucial to take steps to protect and moisturize them. This includes using hand creams and nail creams to nourish and hydrate your nails and cuticles.
In addition to wearing gloves when washing up, it is also essential to properly care for your nails after a gel manicure. This includes moisturizing your hands regularly, using cuticle oil, and allowing your nails to recover by keeping them short and polished with a nail strengthener. By combining these steps with wearing gloves when washing up, you can effectively improve the health and appearance of your nails after a gel manicure.
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Take supplements for hair and nails
Taking supplements is a great way to support your nail health after a gel manicure.
Gel manicures can be damaging to nails, especially if they are removed improperly. This can lead to dehydrated, dry, brittle, and fragile nails. To combat this, it is important to nourish your nails with vitamins and minerals.
Nature Made offers a range of hair, skin, and nail supplements that contain essential nutrients like biotin, vitamin C, vitamin A, and zinc. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is particularly important for nail health as it helps facilitate metabolic processes in the body. Nature Made's hair, skin, and nail supplements come in various forms, including softgels, gummies, and chewable tablets, so you can choose the option that best suits your preferences.
In addition to Nature Made, there are other brands that offer hair, skin, and nail supplements. For example, Nature's Bounty offers Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies with Biotin, and Youtheory Collagen also offers a Skin, Hair & Nail Formula with Vitamin C tablets.
By taking supplements that contain these essential vitamins and minerals, you can support the health of your nails from the inside out and help them recover from the damaging effects of gel manicures.
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Get gels removed by a professional
Getting a professional to remove your gels is one of the best ways to prevent damage to your nails. Most damage occurs during the removal process, so it's important to follow the necessary steps and take the time to do it properly.
Celebrity manicurist Geraldine Holford says, "Picking off gel is probably the worst thing you can do to your nails". Peeling off a gel manicure harms the nail plate, and the nail bed, causing thinning of the nails and irregularities on the nail plate and in growth patterns. Even if you soak your nails to remove the polish, you can still damage them if you don't do it for long enough or if the topcoat barrier is not broken, prohibiting the removal from reaching all the gel layers.
If you're having gel or dip removed, ask your technician to cover your hands in hot towels while your nails are wrapped in acetone-soaked cotton pads. The heat will help speed up the process.
After removal, your nails will be dry, brittle, and fragile, so it's important to keep them moisturized. Cuticle oil can help to impart deep hydration and strengthen nail beds. Massage it into the cuticle and the nail itself several times a day. The cuticle is where new, healthy nail growth will start, so it's important to nourish and hydrate this area. You can also use straight-up jojoba oil, which can boost healthy nail growth.
Once your nails are feeling a little better, you can start to use a nail strengthener. Look for a clear, strengthening product, or a coloured polish with a strengthening formula.
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Frequently asked questions
To prevent damage, ensure your manicurist isn't using an electric file and don't peel or pick off the gel. If you must remove it, use acetone and nourish your nails with oil afterward.
You can repair your nails by keeping them short and moisturized. You can also use a nail strengthener or ridge filler to smooth out any ridges or uneven edges.
You can use cuticle oil, hand cream, nail moisturizer, nail hardener, nail strengthener, and ridge filler.
It can take anywhere from three to six months for nails to recover and grow out completely.
