What exactly is gel polish?

Gel polish looks a lot like regular nail polish. There is actually only 1 big difference. That is that regular nail polish dries in the air and becomes so hard. Gel polish hardens in a UV lamp.

Gel polish is a natural way of painting your nails. Many people confuse gel polish with gel nails or acrylic nails. Gel and acrylic nails are done at a salon and require maintenance. These must be refilled and painted every 3 weeks. This refilling is done with gel or acrylic. The colors that are used are gel polish. And this gel polish can also be used on the natural nail with the right base layer.

With regular nail polish you also use a base layer, color and a top layer. Painting your nails is not very different. You just have to wait a very long time for each layer to dry properly and that is why applying regular nail polish actually takes longer than with gel polish. If you apply the next layer too quickly, the nail polish will remain soft for a long time and you will have damage in no time and you will have to start over again.

With gel polish it is different. You harden each layer in the UV lamp. And then that layer is hard and 'dry' immediately. It does not seem dry because it is still sticky. That sticky layer is actually good because the next layer that you apply then adheres well. Only when the top coat (last layer) is on do you remove the sticky layer. Then the gel polish has hardened and you are done and ready to go!

Advantages and disadvantages of gel polish and regular nail polish at a glance