Gel Extension
Gel for nail extensions is a viscous gluey mass, which is covered with a nail. It is a modern acid-free material that is most safe for natural nails. When the gel is applied to the nail plate, it hardens under the influence of the ultraviolet lamp and forms a strong elastic coating. The gel retains normal respiratory activity of the nail plate, does not cause irritation and is by far the best known material for building.
The gel is single-, two- and three-phase. The number of phases depends on how many times the nail will be covered with gel and how many times after that will be placed under the ultraviolet lamp, where it freezes for 2-3 minutes. To apply the gel to the natural nail a special shape is used, which is fed to the free edge of the nail and fixed. After that, the hand is placed under the lamp, the gel freezes, the shape is removed and the desired length and shape are given to the nail.
Correction of nails, accrued by gel technology, is held every 2 weeks. If the gel was applied to the natural nail, the boundary between it and the nail is corrected. Just like with acrylic build-up, the length of the nail is filed, half is the thickness, and the rest is the same as in the first procedure of gel build-up.
Solvent gel is not removed, therefore, saws or hardware attachments are used. You need to cut the gel( including with tips) in case you want to return to the original, natural, nail condition.
Masters of manicure once again showed a wit and invented for the gel another name - "self-leveling resin."Hence the notion of "resin nails."In fact, the resin is just a two-phase gel. By the way, gel nails are also called silicone.
The appearance of nails, accrued by gel technology, is very aesthetic - nails seem transparent, glisten. However, in comparison, for example, with acrylic, they are less durable, do not withstand temperature differences, can not be restored in the event of even a small crack - it must be removed and a new nail should be made.
Gel Extension Technology
1. Shorten your own nail.
2. Prepare the nail, pushing away the cuticle.
3. Clean the surface of the nail plate and degrease it.
4. Clean the nail from dust with a soft brush.
5. Choose tips that fit in size.
6. Stick the type to the nail.
7. Cut the tips to the desired length and give the desired shape.
8. Apply a solution on the nails to ensure better adhesion of the gel to the natural nail and dry it.
9. Cover the nail with the first layer of gel. To give the artificial nail a better shape, you need to turn your hand for a few minutes with the back side down.
10. Dry the gel under the ultraviolet lamp.
11. Apply a second coat of gel and dry again.
12. Sand it with a rough saw blade, removing obvious roughness.
13. Sanded with a special buff for accrued nails.
14. Polish with a fine polisher.
15. Cover the nail with a fixer.
In the process of gel build-up, you can decorate your nails differently: achieve aquarium effect( see acrylic build-up), use colored sand, dry flowers, crystals, sequins.
Colored sand
The first layer of gel is applied and dried. At this stage, you can decorate your nails with colored sand, as pictured in the photos.
1. After selecting two or more colors, first apply one, for example pearl, to the base of the nail, then the other, in harmony with the first in color, for example pink, on the tip of the nail.
2. Shake out excess sand with a soft brush.
3. Apply a second layer of gel and dry.
4. Sand and polish with the help of buffs. Cover the nails with a fixer, pre-shaking off the dust left after polishing the nails.
Silk( fiberglass)
Fabric build-up is carried out with a piece of silk, linen, fiberglass or any other coating. Basically, this technology is designed more to strengthen the nails, rather than to increase their length.
The technology for building silk nails is as follows: nails are shortened, tips are glued to them, then shreds in the shape of nails are cut out of silk or other similar material( fayberglass, linen).They are impregnated with a special composition - glue on an acrylic base - and superimposed on the nails. After hardening, the procedure is repeated, that is, several layers are applied. Then the nails are processed, they are given a shape, then they are polished.
The idea of this technology is unquestionable: through the silk or any other fabric, the nail plate can breathe, and the translucent silk perfectly masks the cracks, the fiberglass glows in the ultraviolet( which is especially attractive for those who love the club parties of young girls), the patterned fabric serves the nail as an original decoration. Coatings are easily removed by special means.
However, few people manage to do well nail extension for this technology. Apparently, the whole point is that nails, silk, are impractical and this procedure is more expensive, not to mention the need for frequent correction of silk nails.