Shellac Nails Pros And Cons

Getting manicures is fun and if you go above and beyond and like to get designs and not just a plain color you’ve probably been offered Shellac to do so. But what is Shellac and what makes it different from any other nail polish? Many people also confuse Shellac with gel nails and that’s just plain wrong.

What Are Shellac Nails?

Shellac is a product that combines the properties of nail polish and gel. It’s not quite like getting gel nails but it’s also not your regular nail polish. It’s a mix of two. So you get the shine and the strength of gel nails but the application technique is much easier. It doesn’t cheap, it lasts longer than normal nail polish and you don’t have to wait for it to dry, because it’s cured with UV/LED lights, just like gel nails.

Shellac Application

When you get your nails painted with Shellac the first step is to de-grease the nail with rubbing alcohol, or a special solution that removes nail oils. Then a sticky base is applied, then a coat or two of the actual Shellac nail color and then a shiny topcoat. In between each coat, you dry your nails quickly in a UV/LED lamp that cures the Shellac, similar to gel nails.