Do you know that there is a new trend among the ladies in Nigeria regarding nail polish? It goes by the name gel nail polish and has been trending widely in various beauty product outlets due to its special rich glossy finish that is expected to last longer.
If you want to know more about this revolutionary manicure, you’ve come to the right place.
In this detailed guide, you will learn all that there is to know about gel nail polish in Nigeria, including the advantages of having your gel nails, the process of applying gel nail polish, and the disadvantages, and recommendations based on real-life usage.
If you are a fan of gel polish or just want to try something fresh in nail design, this article will give you enough information to help you determine whether this trend is worth pursuing.
What is Gel Nail Polish?
Gel nail polish is the nail polish used in the same manner as the traditional nail polish but with a slight difference in the manner of application.
Unlike the conventional liquid system, gel polish has a semi-solid gel base with a semi-thick consistent viscosity.
This gel polish formula is then cured under a UV or LED light to ensure that it sets and gives the nails a long-lasting and high-gloss sheen.
Advantages of Gel Nail Polish
The first or most obvious advantage that gel nail polish offers is its staying power. Gel polish is designed more durably than common nail polish, and can last for three to four weeks without showing signs of chipping or peeling.
This makes it ideal for working women who do not have the time or the patience for regular manicure services.
Last but not least, gel polish also provides extremely high shine resembling a glass-like finish. The curing process that takes place in the use of the UV/LED light brings out the shiny mirror-like appearance which is simply unique.
This high-shine look can be used to give an appearance to nails that comes close to that of a professionally done manicure even if you cannot find time to get a manicure done.
It is also important to note that gel polish is also not very high maintenance as compared to normal nail polish.
The great thing is there is no chipping or peeling like with gels, which means no more frequent reapplying or having to look at grow-out lines.
The Gel Nail Polish in Nigeria: Costs and Where to Buy
Now we know many things about gel nail polish, let’s look at the costs and where to get them in the country.
Regarding the availability of gel nail polish in Nigeria, one can identify a couple of types. It is now possible to get gel manicures at many luxurious salons and spas, and they use some products such as OPI, Gelish, and CND.
The gel polishes used here are of professional quality and are done by monitored specialists, and the price for services ranges from ₦5,000 – ₦10,000.
For those with a tighter budget, there are several types of gel nail polish available in the Nigerian market, although at-home gel nail polish kits are gradually emerging.
The kits available on the market usually come with the UV/LED lamp, base gel color polish, color gel polish, and top gel coat, which will help you get the best gel nail extension like the beauty parlor at home.
These kits can cost as low as ₦3,000 and as high as ₦10,000 depending on the brand of the equipment as well as quality.
My Personal Experience
Now let me give you guys a review of my personal experience in using gel nail polish in Nigeria.
Beauty-conscious people like myself always look forward to trying new nail polishes and that is how I came to know about gel nail polish.
I decided to go for the at-home kit solution as it made more sense for me as a customer in terms of ease and saving money.
First, I read the guidelines in the kit, and then I made sure that my nails were clean and ready to receive the gel polish and each coat of it in the correct manner.
I was quite impressed by how simple the process was, and I enjoyed the shiny, chip-free finish that the gel polish gave out.
However, the one thing that everyone seemed to like about the gel manicure was its durability. In comparison to my regular nail polish, which would start chalking off and peeling within a week or at most a fortnight, my gel nails remained intact for almost a month.
This was a godsend for me since I no longer needed to apply nail polish frequently or stress over the gro-line while growing out my beautiful natural nails.
However, I have to comment on one disadvantage that I’ve experienced – it is difficult to remove the protection.
In terms of the actual gel polish product, it was very long-wearing, but I found that if I wanted to get it off without compromising the natural nails underneath, some trial and error was necessary.
What helped me was washing my hands only with warm water, soap, and gentle rubbing, as well as the gel polish remover that was included in the kit, in addition to using acetone for nails.
Conclusion
In summary, I can say that my experience with gel nail polish in Nigeria has been quite good. The long-lasting, high-shine finish coupled with the fact that it can be applied at home makes it ideal for women who are always on the move like me and care about fashion.
In this case, as we have seen, the process of removal is not the most enjoyable one, but otherwise the advantages of gel polish far outshine the disadvantages.
So if you are thinking of experimenting with gel nail polish in Nigeria, I strongly recommend that you do so.
Overall, you will be amazed by the performance and durability of this new nail polish technology regardless of whether you choose the salon treatment or the home-care kit.