7 Ways to make gel manicures last & keep your nails strong

We love gel manicures for so many reasons, they are quick, tough as, stylish looking and last up to two weeks. Occasionally, I hit the mani lottery my gel manicure lasts for the whole month. Other times, I am not that lucky to open a Diet Coke the day after my salon trip without breaking off an entire coat.

What gives? Well, there are tons of little habits that could be sabotaging your gel manicure so it barely makes the two-week minimum.

While I’ll let you in on all the little nuisances that prevent your beautiful, costly mani from lasting, there is one secret to keeping the manicure longer: leaving it under the UV light.

“If you undercure the polish and you don’t give it enough UV light, then the polish won’t form up enough,” So rather take that extra time and make sure you get it done right.

Here are some tricks for keeping that mani strong and lasting:

1. Stay away from hand sanitizer.
   This is a great practice in general, considering hand sanitizer dries out skin, nail beds and cuticles. It can also strip your topcoat, so opt for soap instead.
2. Apply oil daily
   Your nails will break and tear when dry, wreaking havoc on your manicure. Keep them moisturized with cuticle oil.
3. Distract with nail art
   Distraction is a powerful tool and an optical illusion. If you’ve managed to keep your gel manicure on, but your real nails are peeking out at the nail bed or chipped at the very tip, hide them. Conceal them with glitter or turn in into a french tip.
4. Stay away from hot water
   Extreme heat, like soaking in a hot bath, will peel your manicure. Keep showers short and not at extreme temps so your mani lats.
5. Re-apply topcoat
   Every few days, re-apply a top coat to keep the manicure protected and shiny.
6. Take care of your cuticles
   Painting over your cuticles eventually results in lifting the gel from the nail and cause peeling. Instead of clipping your cuticles, push them back with cuticle oil.
7. File your tips
   If the edges of your nails are chipped and rubbed away, gently file down and then apply another coat onto the “free edge” your nails.

This might seem like a lot of tips just to make your manicure lasts, but if you want to look good then you will have to put in the time.

You can easily do all of these while you are watching TV, or call your girlfriends over for a girls night in.