Manicure Options Explained: Mani vs Gels vs Biab Which is Best for You

There are now many choices of nail enhancements so which one is best for me?

Well this all depends on your lifestyle and what you want from your nail application treatment. To help you make a decision I'll break down each service for you.

Manicure

This is a traditional hand and nail treatment. Nails are filed, cuticles soaked, followed by cuticle tidy and buff. Hands can then be massaged with hand cream. Nails are wiped and can be buffed or painted. If painted, there is a base, 2 coats of colour and a top coat. The nail polish is wet upon finish and will take quite a few hours to dry, so you need to plan the rest of your day to be hands free.

You can opt for a luxury option, where hands are treated to a scrub and mask, placed in heated mitts, before polish application.

The benefits of this treatment is that the whole hand is treated and those with tight cuticles will appreciate the softening from the soak. Dry skin will feel renewed. The polish is easily removed at home by using nail polish remover which is widely available.

The downside is that you leave with wet nail polish and you need downtime whilst they dry. Nail polish is not hard wearing and you may find they chip easily especially if you are not mindful of your hands. There is also a shape and polish service that complements this service, so typically a client would have a manicure once/bi monthly and a weekly shape and polish. This service is quite self explanatory - your nails are filed (if needed) and painted with base, 2 costs of colour and a top coat.

Gel Nails

Coming to the salon weekly for some ladies was a bit inconvenient and clients wanted their manicure to last longer - here steps in gel! There are many brands of gel polish each with their own benefits/downsides but they basically use the same process of curing the gel polish under UV light.

Gel Polish needs to be applied on very clean, dry hands and nails. All moisture needs to be removed so we perform a dry manicure - this means we file, do cuticle work, buff and wipe the nail plate before we start painting. Gel polish starts with a base coat, hands are placed in a UV lamp to cure the polish to the nail. This is then followed by 2 coats of gel colour and a final top coat to protect the nails. Different brands may add in extra coats and may have different curing times.

The benefits of this treatment is that your polish is dry and touchable straight away. The gel polish can last up to 2 weeks before chipping and sometimes even longer.

The downsides is that this treatment focuses on your nails and is not a whole hand treatment like the manicure. If you do not follow the aftercare the gel nails will not last as long. Whilst gel nails are dry straight away they are still hardening for the next 24 hours. It's important not to soak them in water (hot tubs, swimming, etc), apply sunscreen without washing the product from your nails, put them into hot places i.e. steam, sauna rooms or latex gloves etc as this will encourage them to lift. It is best to get your gel nails professionally removed so that damage does not occur to your natural nails.

Builder Gel Nails

Builder gel can also be known as Biab - builder in a bottle - which is a trademark from a gel bottle company. They are basically the same thing. This is a hard gel and takes a few more coats under the UV lamp than gel nails above. It takes longer to do and costs a little more than standard gel nails.

This has all the benefits of gel nails plus it can last longer. It can also be used to create a small extension or even out textured nails.

The downsides are the same as gel nails above. I would also add that applying more builder gel over existing polish repeatedly could hide nail infections. It is important to use a therapist who is interested in your nail and hand health, who will take the time to remove and reapply this treatment.

Acrylic nails

Wildflowers Beauty we do not offer acrylic nails but these can be a popular choice. Acrylic nails are made from a mix of liquid monomer and powder polymer. They do have quite an overpowering scent.

The benefits are they are very hard wearing and strong. They can extend your nails and come in a variety of styles and colours. They are great if you have a job where your hands are always in water like hairdresser or cleaner.

The downsides are they need maintenance. Whilst long lasting, they will need to be infilled as they grow out. They are heavier and not maintaining them, can damage your natural nails as the weight of the enhancement is unbalanced. They are not easy to remove and we will not remove them at the salon. They are strongly scented and these chemicals can weaken your natural nails. They can hide infections, damaging the plate underneath. They are thicker than gels and do not look as natural as gels.

I hope this answers any questions you may have on choosing which nail enhancement to have. If you have any questions, please message me and I'll be happy to help.