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? asked in Beauty & StyleOther - Beauty & Style · 1 decade ago

What is the difference between nail enhancements and nail overlays?

Nobody's answering so I'll ask again.

I'm going to get my nails done but I'm not sure what the difference is, also whats the difference between gel and acrylic nails? I'm going here http://www.retreatnailsandbeauty.co.uk/

4 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    enhancements are when you get acrylic, gel, fiberglass or silk nails that are applied over a nail tip or are sculpted on a form and the finished result is that your nails are longer than your natural nails, an overlay is when they use acrylic, gel, fiberglass or silk to just coat your natural nails without adding any length and its normally used to strengthern your natural nails.

    acrylic is a system that involves wetting a brush in acrylic liquidand then dipping it into acrylic powder untill there is a ball at the end of the brush and then sculpting it over your nails untill they cover all your nails and the false tips (if you are getting enhancements) acrylic dries very quickly without any sort of aid.

    pros

    you end up with very strong, durable nails that ont crack or break.

    they look beautiful and there is an endless amount of nail art that can be done with acrylic or by embedding nail art into the acrylic.

    if you can find a technician that uses poppits or inverted nail moulds, you can have a full set of acrylic nails in half the time

    they are normally cheaper than the other systems and are the most popular, you wont find a technician who doesnt know how to apply acrylic nails.

    they are a little bit bendy so if you catch or snag them, they dont hurt to much but they do hurt a lttle more than gels would if you snagged them.

    cons

    they do the most damage to your nails out of all the systems and if they are not applied and removed properly, can drastically thin your nail plate.

    the smell of the liquid can be unbarable for some people but in most salons, they have extractor fans and sometimes, they offer a filtration mask for you to wear during your treatment so its not that bad really.

    the gel system is similar to the acrylic system but the product used to apply the nail is already a gel substance and requires no powder and liquid mixing. the gel is applied to the nail normally in 3 layers and is cured under a UV lamp (the technician will place your hand under a little lamp after applying each layer of gel for 2 minutes and this makes the gel harden to form a proper nail)

    if you go into a salon and ask for gel nails and they bring out some powder and liquid, tell them no because that is not gel nails. alot of people have this problem so dont pay more for what you didnt ask for.

    pros

    the gel products used are odourless (up close, they stink to high heavens but when your in a salon, you wont smell it)

    they do not harm your natural nails as much as acrylic nails do.

    in alot of salons, the technician will be able to make the gel nails look more natural that acrylics cause its much easier but if your willing to pay for quality, it will not matter as the technician will most likely have had better training.

    they are a little bit bendy so if you catch or snag them, they will bend and wont hurt to much.

    cons

    they cost more thank acrylics.

    they are not as popular as acrylics but are on there way up there, some salons will not offer them as a service because they are not as durable as acrylics and the products are ALOT more expencive.

    they crack, break and chip a hell of alot easier than acrylics do so they are not ideal if you do any gardening or anything that involves alot of handy work.

    when the gel is being cured under the uv lamp, it burnes like hell for the first 20 seconds or so, it doesnt always happen but it has with every brand i have used.

    they need to be thicker because the gel isnt as strong so they can look chunky and fake sometimes.

    fiberglass and silk nails are not very common and not many salons offer the service but they are the best for your nails as they do practically no damage to your nails what so ever and look the most natural. the application involves sticking a nail shaped fiberglass mesh or piece of china silk to the nails and then brushing on a resin that is then sprayed with an activator and is left to dry for 45 minutes or a little longer. they can also be used if your natural nails have cracked and you want something to hold them together untill the crack grows out.

    pros

    they look the most natural out of all systems

    there is no smell or odour to any of the products what so ever

    the fiberglass nails are incredibly strong

    they are so THIN its unbelievable! they do look like real nails when there finished.

    they will cost the same as acrylics if not less cause the prosucts are really cheap to buy.

    a full set can be applied in less than an hour.

    cons

    the silk nails have a weird gelly like keef when dry and some might find it unlpeasant

    the fiberglass nails are so hard that if you catch them, tey can really hurt as they have no bendyness what so ever.

    it can be hard to find a technician that offers the service as they are a relatively new system and not many technicians have been trained to use offer the service.

    hope this helps xoxo

    Source(s): fully qualified nail technician
  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/aygTx

    Overlays are a gel, acrylic, or Crystal, "shield" per say over your own nails. This can give them strength while you grow them without the addition of fake tips. Fake tips lengthen your natural nail, then the overlay goes over the top. Fill in's happen at the base of the nail at the cuticle as the nails grow out. Needs to be done every 2 weeks.

  • caryn
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    Gel Overlay

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    Increase Penis Size Naturally

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