6 Reasons Gel is Better Than Acrylic

Acrylic nails have been the go-to treatment for decades. But gel nails are gaining in popularity, especially in Korea. Why is this? Here's 6 reasons why gel is better than acrylic, and why you should consider asking for gel overlays instead of acrylic the next time you're at the nail salon. 

Gel overlay process - pretty funky looking huh?

1.  Acrylic nails are harmful. Full of dangerous substances, the toxins and chemicals inside acrylic nails include formaldehyde and resin. Yuck! Over time, these chemicals can lead to cancer. Not to mention the permanent damage to your beautiful, natural nails! Sticking to gel overlay reduces your exposure to nasty toxins. 

2.  Acrylic nails smell bad. Closely related to #1. If you've ever been in a nail salon, you know that distinctly chemical smell that acrylic nails give off. It's unpleasant at best, and terrible for your health at worst.

3. Gel nails are more transparent than acrylic. We all want that "maybe she's born with it..." kind of look, even when it comes to our nails. That's why french manicures have been so enduringly popular. Acrylic nails can't replicate the translucent natural nail, so however much you pay for an acrylic full set or overlay, someone is bound to know that they're fake. Gel nails, on the other hand are capable of achieving a much more natural, translucent look. Take a look at the pictures below, for examples of gel overlays done by K-Style Beauty and Massage. 
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Maybe she's born with it...

Maybe its... gel overlay?!

4. Acrylic nails break easily. Due to their brittle nature, acrylic nails can't withstand force as well as gel nails. Your nails will break more often. Ever felt the pain of a broken nail? Not only does it hurt (really badly!) but it destroys your cuticle bed.

​5. The top layer of your nails must be filed for acrylic to stick. Acrylic won't bond with your natural nail unless it's filed down, weakening your natural nail and opening up more areas for those toxic chemicals to seep into your body. With gel nails, you don't need to file away as much of your natural nail. 

6. You can't change your polish colour. Because acrylic nails dissolve upon contact with acetone, you can't change the nail polish you put on top of the acrylic nails without having to get a new set done. If you try, you'll end up with lumpy and uneven nails. 

Gel overlay with nail art at K-Style

7.  It takes forever. Acrylic nails take roughly 1-2 hours to complete, and there's a lot of time spent waiting around for them to dry. Remember when gel polish first came out and how exciting it was to just walk out of the salon minutes after the colour was put on? The same's true for gel overlay nails. It only takes a few minutes to dry. 

K-Style beauty offers both acrylic and gel extensions, because acrylic is still quite popular in Australia. However, we will always recommend gel over acrylic because of the reasons listed above. The next time you're at the salon, try it out for yourself and see why gel overlays are gaining so much popularity overseas.