Long-lasting, shiny, chip resistant and attention grabbing, that’s all women want from their manicure sessions is that too much to ask? Not at all and yet with so many manicure options available the nail-lover in you is often left confused.

The two most common types of manicures are gel and acrylic, so before your next manicure session we thought we’ll give a quick low down on the difference between these two types. Read on to find out...

 

Gel nails

Gel nails

This is the first type of manicure to enter the beauty world. This classic type is considered to be hardest of all and is recommended for people who easily break their nails. The manicurist starts by giving the desired shape – oval, square, etc. followed by cleaning and buffing the nail bed. You can add an artificial tip at the top to fake a longer looking nail. After applying a nail primer a few coats of the desired colour will be applied to your nails, followed by a top coat to seal it.

gel nails vs acrylic nails

After the three step application, the nails will be put under a UV or LED lamp to cure or harden your nails and make the manicure last longer.

 

Acrylic nails

Acrylic nails

This type of manicure has been around for quite some time now and is preferred by people who struggle to maintain the length of their nails. Extensions are added over your natural nail to make them look as long as you desire.

gel nails vs acrylic nails

Here the nail technician or manicurist mixes a powder and a liquid to form the acrylic ball that is spread on your nail. They have to work quickly because it dries very fast. A nail colour of your choice is applied on top and your acrylic nail manicure is ready to flaunt!