Hello friends!
Sorry it's been a hot minute. We had a scare with one of dogs, my precious Bandit. He had a lump that had to be removed and we were waiting for the pathology to come back...it was a LONG 11 days. Thank God, hes going to be just fine!
Anyhow, I thought today would be a good time to talk about "Dipped" nails. Its a topic that I get asked about frequently.
Flash back to November of 2010. My husband( boyfriend at the time) was in Kansas City for work, so I came out to spend Thanksgiving with him. The Friday after Thanksgiving, he had to work a 1/2 day, so I had some time to spend...of course, I found the nail salon. It was the first time I tried a gel (they called it shellac at the time). I loved it, and thought it was great. Gel manis became my go to.
The years past, and the bloom came off the rose so to speak. I'd noticed how if my hands were in water for a period of time , the gel polish would start to "lift". I'd notice how if the nail tech applied the gel too thick, it would come right off. Also, I was never crazy about having to place my hands under the UV light for the polish to "cure". No thanks to skin cancer and premature aging.
Enter in the dipped manicure. Its a long (longer than dipped) lasting manicure with no harmful UV rays.Personally, I've been doing nothing but dipped manicures since October of 2017. People are intrigued by this and I get more than a few questions. I figured it would be helpful to address the questions that I most commonly get , point by point. For this info, I consulted with my a certified, licensed in the commonwealth nail technician.
- Dipped nails are NOT acrylic nails.
This is a rumor I have seen for awhile now. People see the powder and think back to the days of acrylic powder being applied with a brush to overlay a nail tip.
With dipped nails, your nail is dipped directly into a colored powder. You certainly could apply a tip to your nail for added length with dipped nails. However, unlike acrylic nails, there is no drilling involved.
- Your dipped mani will last 3+ weeks if you choose
Much unlike traditional manicures, gel manicures and acrylics, you will not need to be at the salon every two weeks on the dot (unless you choose to!). I currently have a dark brown dipped manicure which is 4 weeks old. I'm going to the salon later today because I'm tired of this color and have some new growth. However, my mani is unchiped, unfaded and still shinny.
- If you want to grow your nails long, this is how to do it
Dipped nails make your nails as close to unbreakable as can be. Even those of us who have the thinnest, weakest nails, will have super strong nails. If you look at the bottom right photo above, you'll see how long my nails are. Without dipped nails, this would of NEVER happened. My nails would grow a tiny bit, then break. With a dipped manicure, your nails are fortified and protected from all of the external factors which can weaken them.
- There is no drying time/ No UV lights involved
Your nails are never "wet". Therefore, there is nothing that can smudge or smear. There are no harmful UV lamps involved. "Nuff said!"
- Unlike gel manicures dipped manicures will not weaken your nails even when the polish is off.
I'm sure someone, somewhere will argue with me on this point. However, I stand by it fully.
After our last vacation, I just could not get in to get a mani. I was far too busy playing catch up. So,I went a good 3 weeks with 'naked nails'. I noticed how strong my nails felt. They were smooth, and oh so healthy. I asked the nail professional who helped me with this post and she concurred. "There is nothing about the dipping process when done correctly which compromise the nail or the nail bed."
- Removal of dipped "polish" is a breeze.
No drills, no scraping. Your nail tech will wrap your nails in an acetone remover. After several minutes, it will literally wipe off. It's that easy!
I cannot speak to what salons in other areas charge. Where I live and the salon that I go to , a dipped mani is $3.00 more than a gel manicure. To me, its beyond worth it.
I know that we are all different and have different preferences. If you have been curious about dipped nails, I'd encourage you to try it, at least once.
If you have any questions that I did not cover in this post , feel free to message me!
Shimmer on!
XO
~S
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