Does Dip Powder or Gel Polish Last Longer?
Does Dip Powder or Gel Polish Last Longer?
When you go to the salon now you have two main choices for your manicure if you want them to last a long time – Dip Powder or Gel Polish. We’re not going to make you waiting to the last sentence or click through a hundred pages to get an answer on which one lasts longer - when properly applied, a Dip Powder manicure will last longer than a Gel Polish manicure. Below we’ll talk about some reasons why you might see exceptions so this rule, but far and away Dip Powder will last longer than Gel Polish.
First, let’s talk about your other options. You could get a Nail Lacquer manicure (that means you are getting Nail Polish) and at the salon they might apply a base and top coat that will make it last longer than you can get it at home, but it is still going to be substantially less than either a Gel Polish or Dip Powder manicure will be. It will have a tendency to be more likely to chip or peel, as well, so even if the top and base make the manicure last longer than a regular Nail Polish manicure would typically last, it will still be more likely to get damaged than a Gel Polish or Dip Powder manicure would. This means that even if you most of your nails are lasting longer than Nail Polish does for you, you still might have one or two that will chip and peel on you, ruining the look of your manicure.
The other option to talk about is Acrylics. This is the one with the liquid with the strong odor that they tech mixes with the powder to build a layer over your nails. This is typically the strongest and most durable type of manicure. However, it requires a real commitment to keeping acrylics on for an extended period of time because an acrylic manicure can cause a lot of damage to nails underneath. We’re just going to discuss Dip Powder manicures and Gel Polish manicures as your two realistic options for getting a manicure done. Those of you getting Acrylic sets done know how long they last and you don’t need us to tell you!
A properly applied Gel Polish manicure should last around 2 weeks. Gel Polish is a little more prone to chipping or lifting than Dip Powder is, so many women have most of their nails still ok at two weeks, but they will have damage to a few fingers that ruins the overall look of the manicure. Gel Polish is also more sensitive to different nail chemistry and can work great on a woman with dry nail beds, but if a woman has nail beds that are a bit more oily it has a tendency to not adhere as well, so you can get a lot of variability in the performance of the Gel Polish manicure, depending on the woman wearing it. For the most part, a solid 2 weeks is a good expectation for a well done Gel Polish manicure by a professional Nail Technician.
Dip Powder manicures will last at least 2 weeks and typically only need to be redone when growth has become an issue – meaning that the nail has grown enough that the length of exposed nail with no product on it is ruining the look of the manicure. Dip Powder can be filled like acrylic, but the vast majority of technicians will simply remove it and replace it since it is easy to remove with acetone. Dip Powder is more resistant to lifting or chipping than Gel Polish is, so at the two week mark the manicure is typically in better shape than a Gel Polish manicure, so the look of the manicure is still great even 2 weeks in.
In addition, unlike acrylics, Dip Powder is not damaging the nail beneath it, so when you soak it off you will have strong, healthy nails. If you don’t put another manicure treatment on, you’ll still have nice strong nails. Some women get soft nails from Gel Polish, so even if the manicure lasts the full 2 weeks for them, when they take if off it has softened their nails, so they have to take breaks in their Gel Polish manicures.
Dip Powder will not soften your nails, so you can get your 2+ weeks of wear out of it and replace it with a new Dip Powder manicure or go bare, and you’ll be fine either way.
The main reason Dip Powder has exploded in popularity over the last 10 years is the durability of it, without the damage. These are real claims that actual users can confirm – if you want to see more women who are not professional nail techs and the kind of results they are getting you can go to our Facebook Customer Community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RevelNailCommunity and read the real results that real women are getting.