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Is a Shellac Manicure worth it?


Before going on vacation this summer I decided that instead of painting my nails at home, I'd treat myself to a Shellac manicure at a salon. I've never had a Shellac manicure done before, so I guess you could say that I'm behind in the times, but I finally got around to it and I honestly fell in love.

So is it worth it? If you ask me, I'd say yes. It's not without downsides, but I think that the pro's grossly outweigh the con's. My nails tend to break very easily, even when I coat them with hardener, so I usually keep them somewhat short. With the shellac, my nails were so strong, and as promised, 2 weeks later and not a single chip or scratch in the polish. My nails grew out beautifully and I was so so sad to have to remove it. I would have definitely gotten more reapplied, however I can't have anything on my nails during the semester (the joys of clinicals!)


Basically, it makes your nails stonger, grow out nicer, the colour looks stunning (and the colour selection was incredible. I think I had to choose between 95 different colours, or something crazy like that!!), and though it might seem a touch pricy, the above things make it so worth it. Of course, it isn't all positive. The main drawback with Shellac manicures is the removal process. Your nails will basically be wrapped in cotton soaked in pure acetone and then wrapped in aluminum foil for about 15 minutes. Sounds like no big deal, but this really does dry the hell out of your nails and they really do feel quite damaged afterwards. However this is so easy to remedy, it hardly seemed too bad to me. If you're having that issue, here are a few tips that can help restore your nails shine and hydration.

1) The first thing I did was apply a good, thick moisturizer to my hands but focusing mostly on my cuticles and nails
2) For further moisture, I used Burt's Bee's lemon butter cuticle creme all over my cuticles and nails, twice a day.
3) If you're feeling like you REALLY need extra moisture and nothing is working, warm up (very slightly, we're talking lukewarm, not deep frying temperatures) a small bowl of oil (I highly recommend coconut oil, however I've heard just plain vegetable oil can also work. Soak your nails in the bowl for 10-15 minutes and your nails will be good as new!



Helpful tip: Before you get your Shellac manicure done, check if the salon you're going to has a removal fee. I've seen it go from anywhere from $5-$20. There are salons that will remove the Shellac for free, so I suggest you look around at different options before getting them done!
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