How To Look After Your Shellac… And Avoid Damage

CND (Creative Nail Design) revolutionised the nail industry and first created Shellac back in May 2010. This was after almost five years of development in their state-of-the-art laboratory. Since then, it has become one of the most popular nail treatments on any beauty salon menu.

Shellac is a hybrid, (meaning half nail polish and half gel.) The product is applied like a polish to  the natural nail (or over extensions) and is cured via a UV or LED light. Because the product is cured, there is zero drying time, which allows busy women like us to get on with the rest of our day. Shellac is a three part system; firstly a base coat is applied, followed by two colour coats and finished off with a high shine top coat.

As a Nail Technician, my primary focus has always been to keep my clients nails as healthy as possible. Therefore I thought it may be useful to share some of my top tips for looking after your Shellac and why it is so important to remove it properly…

Apply a cuticle oil twice a day (I personally recommend Solar Oil, also by CND) to keep nails and cuticles hydrated. This also helps reduce the temptation to pick any dry skin around the nail.

Avoid nails coming into contact with cleaning products and chemicals. I strongly advise that you wear gloves for household jobs, washing up, gardening or any other hobbies that are harsh on your hands.

If you do experience a chip make sure you don’t pick or pull it as this will cause damage to your nails underneath. I would always advise getting in touch with your nail professional in order for them to repair this for you.

Shellac is fantastic for holidays too, however just be aware that some sun tan oils and insect repellant products can contain solvent oils that can cause damage your Shellac. Excessive sun exposure and chlorine can also cause your colour to fade. To minimise this, I would recommend drying your nails after swimming and prior sunbathing.

I know there are some people who like to ‘peel’ their Shellac off, however, by doing this, you can seriously damage the natural nail underneath. Which is why it is really important to remove the product correctly. If you are choosing to do this at home, you will need the following; pure acetone, cotton wool pads, foil and an orange wood stick. Apply your acetone to the cotton wool pad and place over the nail, take a piece of foil and wrap around your finger. Leave for ten minutes and remove foil and cotton wool pad. Once removed, take your orange wood-stick and gently remove the excess product. Once completed, wash your hands and dry thoroughly before applying your cuticle oil to each nail.

If you would like any additional nail care advice, you can download your free guide over on my Tips & Tricks page, or feel free to join me over on my Facebook page.

In the meantime, treat your nails as jewels, not tools…x

Love,

Nina x