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The nail enhancement industry has come a long way from air-dried nail polish that smudges easily and peels off when exposed to water. Manicures and pedicures today can last up to three weeks thanks to long-lasting nail enhancement options like acrylics, dip nail powders, polygels, gel nail polish, and builder gels.
While each nail enhancement technique has benefits and preferred applications, builder gels are the fan favorites among nail technicians and a consumer macrotrend. Consequently, the gel nail market is a million-dollar industry worth approximately $US 51 million.
So, what are builder gels, and how can you use them to enhance manicures? Keep reading this ultimate builder gel guide to learn more.
What Is Builder Gel?
Builder gel is a nail enhancement product primarily used to strengthen natural nails and add length to generate a robust nail art canvas. While various gel-based nail enhancement products exist, builder gels stand out due to having a significantly thicker consistency.
So, what is the science behind builder gels and their application in manicures and pedicures? Builder gels comprise various molecules, primarily monomers, oligomers, and photoinitiators.
The photoinitiators in gel product formulas are light-sensitive elements, meaning exposure to light makes them reactive. Therefore, they produce charged ions or reactive oxygen species that react with the oligomers and monomers in the formula.
Oligomers and monomers are foundational molecules that form larger molecules or macromolecules like polymers. Therefore, the chemistry behind builder gels is that its photoinitiator elements become active on exposure to the light energy generated by UV and LED lights. Consequently, they release reactive oxygen species that react with the oligomers and monomers in the formula to form a polymer that is the dry, rigid coating of finished builder gel treatment.
As a polymer, builder gel has numerous resistance properties, including scratch and water resistance. Consequently, a builder gel manicure or pedicure can last up to three weeks, depending on the product quality and the nail technician’s expertise.
Builder Gel Benefits In Perfecting Nail Art And Maintaining Nail Health
Builder gel has numerous benefits over other nail enhancement options in creating a beautiful yet long-lasting and nail health-friendly manicure or pedicure. Below is a highlight of its benefits for perfecting nail art.
First, builder gel helps protect natural nails, allowing them to grow underneath the resilient layer. Besides protection from physical damage, most builder gel formulas contain additional ingredients like vitamin B3, alpha hydroxy acids, tocopheryl acetate, and vitamin C to strengthen and moisturize the nail plate for healthy nail growth.
Second, the builder gel has self-leveling properties, making applying and eliminating tacky/ uneven layers easy.
Third, builder gel application entails a side-to-side sweeping motion, unlike the vertical motion of gel nail polish. The motion helps build an apex around the nail’s stress point or most fragile structural element to prevent damage. The apex may help individuals with nail-biting and picking habits to minimize the physical damage to their nails.
Fourth, although builder gels form a rigid polymer layer, they retain flexibility that helps cushion the nail against physical impact.
How To Perfect Nail Art With Builder Gel
1. Use Builder Gel As A Base For Gel Nail Polish
A base coat’s primary function in nail art is protecting your nails and enhancing the nail polish’s adhesive quality. While various base coat products are available, a builder gel base does the most superb job.
When used as a base coat for a manicure, builder gel is a double-sided adhesive sticking to the nail and the top aesthetic gel nail polish coat. It prevents the gel nail polish from staining your nails by adhering to the nail on the lower side.
Additionally, as stated earlier, builder gel has additional ingredients that nourish the nail plate, facilitating healthy nail growth underneath the manicure.
Conversely, the builder gel helps preserve nail art for longer by adhering to the gel nail polish on the top. Its flexible property allows it to bend with the gel nail polish, preventing your manicure or pedicure from chipping and ruining the nail art while allowing natural below-natural movement.
2. Create The Ombre Effect
Ombre nail design is the trendiest manicure look among diverse consumers. The ombre effect alters light and dark color tones on the same nail, creating a magnificent aesthetic effect.
Although other nail enhancements can create the ombre effect, you can use builder gel alongside standard gel nail polish to achieve the color tone variation effect. Gel sticks to gel, so mixing builder gel and gel nail polish should present zero challenges. However, ensure you cure the nails accordingly after each layer of application.
Builder gel makes the ombre effect last longer. Moreover, the builder gel induces a protective effect on the nails beneath.
3. Use Builder Gel For Natural-looking Nails
Nail art is diverse, accommodating an obscene amount of color, lengths, and embellishments. However, some people may prefer the minimalist, natural-looking look for personal or professional reasons. Builder gel is the ideal nail enhancement option for achieving minimalist looks.
For starters, builder gel is predominantly available in muted color tones, including crystal clear, milky white, nude, and pink nude. Moreover, the gel fills ridges and cracks on the natural nail’s surface, creating an evenly smooth finish. Therefore, it helps achieve an elegant yet natural-looking manicure when less is more.
4. Consider Using Builder Tips And Length
Builder gel’s viscous nature, flexibility, and self-leveling properties make it easier to manipulate than other nail enhancements. Therefore, you can use it to make molds for tips and other enhancements that add length to nail art. You can use gel nail form extension tips to mold builder gel into any desirable shape.
5. Embed Embellishments
Builder gel has adhesive properties that allow it to hold nail art embellishments like glitter, sequin, rhinestones, and flowers. Therefore, using builder gel enables you to go ham with the embellishments.
Conclusion:
Builder gel has revolutionized nail art, allowing consumers to enjoy stunning manicures and pedicures for longer. So, follow the tips above to enhance your nail art game with builder gel.
