I cannot remember the last time I sported bare nails. Ever since I was young, I’ve had some form of nail polish on—I just feel more put together when my nails are done. For most of my life, I did my own nails, but for the past couple of years, I’ve been getting gel nails in-salon.
My favorite type of gel to get on my nails is undoubtedly hard gel (also known as builder gel). It lasts longer than soft gel, it’s all but resistant to chips, and if you’re like me and have a penchant for long nails, it strengthens nails so they won’t bend or break. In my eyes, hard gel is the ticket to near-perfect nails. There is, however, one caveat: it’s extremely annoying to take off.
To remove hard gel properly, you need to file (or drill) off most of it, then soak the remaining in acetone. A couple of months ago, I went to a nail salon that was ill-equipped to remove hard gel, and I ended up with the most damaged nails I’ve ever had—they were brittle, thin, and covered in unsightly scrapes.
Needless to say, my nails were in need of some serious TLC. First things first: I knew I needed to lay off the hard gel for a while so I could let my nails breathe. In the meantime, I needed to find a way to strengthen them.
If there were ever a good time for me to experience major nail damage, it would definitely be now. There have never been so many nail polish and treatment hybrids on the market as there are now. These treatments can help do major damage control on beat-up nails, and many of them also help mask imperfections and make nails look their best. Keep reading for some of my favorite polish treatments on the market.
