What's all the fuss over Shellac Nail Polish?

Shellac nails are all the rage these days and many people ask why I don't provide Shellac nail polish thorough my business, At Your Service Mobile Spa. There a couple reasons for this but mainly it is because I believe in providng services that are beneficial to the entire body. With Shellac nail polish, the nails need to be buffed a bit, and this is where the problem is. Not all nail technicians are created equally and therefore, some will sand down the nail which will cause weak nails. It is important that you find the right spa and the right nail tech for this service so that you can get the beautiful shellac nails you want without the chance of ruining your natural nails.

If you want to try out Shellac nail polish there are a couple things to remember. Shellac is a trade name, so when you go into a spa looking for this service you can ask for Shellac nail polish or you can ask for gel nail colour. The next thing to ask is the cost. It is about $20-$50 on top of your manicure and the prices vary so be aware that this trend is not a cheap one.

Before you begin with your Shellac nail polish or gel nail colour be sure to ask exactly what the nail tech will do. Simple questions like: Will you be buffing my nails at all? What is the exact process for this service? 

Here are the steps you can expect for the application of Shellac nail polish or gel nail colour polish:

1. 1 thin layer of shellac base coat
2. 10 seconds of curing in a uv lamp
3. 1 thin layer of shellac color coat
4. 2 minutes of curing in a uv lamp
5. 2nd layer of shellac color coat
6. 2 minutes of curing in a uv lamp
7. 1 thin layer of shellac top coat
8. 2 final minutes of curing in a uv lamp
9. wipe nails done with 99% isopropyl alcohol
10. Apply solar oil to nails

Be aware that if there are bubbles or a piece of lint or dust between the layers then the colour will not set or there will be a greater chance the nail colour will not last the two weeks. Watch out for this and if you see something that looks weird, be sure to ask. Remember you are paying a lot for this service.

Last but not least, if you leave the salon and if your Shellac nail polish or gel nail colour polish does not last two weeks, go back to the salon and let them know. It is likely the way it was applied from the beginning. Shellac nail polish requires extreme care in the application process.  Shellac Nail Polish dries out super fast, so a busy salon will move through product faster which is better for you and your nails!

Feel free to leave comments with your experience!