Shellac and Gelish Manicures: Advanced Technology for Long Lasting Manicures

There's two new fingernail polishes on the market generating a lot of buzz. Shellac and Gelish have formulas that outlast traditional nail polish and have brought new business to nail salons.

About Shellac

Shellac is made by Creative Nail Designs. With its patented technology, CND has created a nail polish that gives you two weeks of chip-free nails. Your nails will look like you just walked out of a salon for at least 14 weeks. Some Shellac fans say it can last even longer with good care of the manicure. The difference in this polish lies in the formula and application. The polish is considered a hybrid of regular nail polish and gel nail polish, making it stronger and longer lasting. The polish is set by holder your fingers under a special UV lamp for a few seconds after each layer is applied. To remove the Shellac polish you do need to visit your salon as it can't be removed at home.

About Gelish

Gelish nail polish is made by Hand and Nail Harmony. The company's website promises three weeks of chip-free nails. Gelish is formulated with a gel and color pigments and is applied much the same as Shellac with setting by UV lamps. Gelish does offer more than twice as many colors than what Shellac offers.

Maintaining Your 2 to 3 Week Manicure

Whether you opt for Gelish or Shellac, you will need to maintain your nails and be conscious of how you use your nails to get the full benefits of the 2 to 3 week chip free manicure. With Shellac it's highly recommended that you also use CND's Solar Oil to moisturize your nails daily. You also don't want to soak your hands in water or cleaning products for long periods of time. And don't put stress on your nails by using them as tools. If your nail breaks, then you will also get a crack in the polish.

Getting a Shellac or Gelish Manicure

Both companies only offer their nail polish systems to specially trained licensed nail technicians. So this isn't a manicure you can do at home. You have to go to a nail salon to get the polish applied and have it removed. Both the CND and Hand and Nail Harmony websites have search features that allow you to find a salon near you offering the company's product. You do want to go to one of these recommended salons. It takes training and experience with the products to apply it correctly. Nail technicians not trained in either Shellac or Gelish may not apply it correctly and you won't have a chip free shiny manicure that lasts longer than a manicure that uses regular nail polish.