BEAUTY
Everything You Need To Know About Polygel Nail Extensions
By KAILEN SKEWIS
What Are They?
Polygel nail extensions have the strength and durability of acrylic, along with the forgiveness of gel products. The application process is similar to acrylic, but you will notice that the product doesn’t demand to be quickly manipulated — in fact, the polygel keeps its consistency and stays in place while you form it to the nail bed.
How Are They Different?
Even though polygel is called a combination of gel and acrylic, the hybrid is still unique. According to LeSalon, the biggest difference between acrylic and polygel is that the latter is lighter, with a fainter smell, and does less damage to your natural nails; applying and removing polygel also requires fewer harsh chemicals.
What Are The Benefits?
Along with being quick to apply, beginner-friendly, comparably affordable, and non-toxic, polygel nails also reduce nail biting. Another benefit of polygel nails is that they are much more flexible and lightweight than other nail enhancement options, meaning they are less likely to break or painfully bend.
What Are The Risks?
This new nail method has very few reported risks and disadvantages, but Nails Pro Academy explains that there are still many mistakes one can make when applying the product, like using too much polygel. One of the top problems is that some nails are too soft for polygel, so if you have weaker nails, polygel might not be for you.
How Do You Apply It?
There are three main methods to apply polygel nails: paper forms, nail tips, and dual forms, which are the most popular. Dual forms are made of hard plastic with faint lines etched into them to ensure quick and smooth nails that come out the same way each time, and are included with many polygel kits.