Taking a gel break is a pretty common occurrence- but not for the reasons that most people would attribute. While there are many reasons you may choose to take a “gel break.” This year alone has forced a lot of us to do so. Do I think it’s the “death of the manicure?” Absolutely not. Let’s start with the elephant firmly planted firmly in the middle of the room: your nails don’t breathe and don’t require a break. Nails get all of their oxygen from your blood stream. Assuming you are using high quality and regulated nail products and are not currently experiencing an allergic reaction- you’re good as gold to continue to glam those phalanges to your hearts content.
Some of the reasons you may decide to take a gel break:
Salons are closed: This one hit A LOT of us this year. None of us thought a mandated salon closure would ever happen, let alone happen on and off all year. Many of us got stuck glued to YouTube trying to figure out how to take off our nails.
You’re unable to keep a maintenance schedule: Maybe you’re going backpacking through Europe for months. Maybe funds are tight, and nails aren’t an expense you can justify. Maybe you just had a baby and the idea of leaving your kid alone for a couple hours is stressing you TF out. Your reasons are your own, and that’s okay- we’ll be glad to see you when you’re ready to come back.
Your nail plate is seriously damaged: I’m not talking about a few scratches here and there, I’m talking filed into oblivion or you literally slammed your nails into a car door. Maybe you’re on a new medication that’s throwing your hormones out of whack or seriously affecting prosuct adhesion. Depending on the type of damage, taking a break may be a requirement rather than a choice.
You had an allergic reaction: If your nails are itchy, red, blistered, peeling and/or tender. Go see a doctor ASAP. While it’s not our place as beauty professionals to diagnose, if something doesn’t feel right- it likely isn’t and you should get it checked out by a doctor. You will likely need to take a break and figure out exactly what ingredients are causing a reaction. I can’t stress this enough, you do NOT want to lollygag when it comes to allergic reactions- if you’re a manicurist contact allergies can end your career and if you’re a client you could eventually find yourself allergic to many ingredients if you let allergic reactions go uninvestigated and untreated.
Personally, I decided to take a gel break for the month of December. I had a full schedule (also lol because we ended up getting shut down AGAIN in California) and just didn’t want to have to baby my nails or deal with gel maintenance on myself. When I am off duty I want to be OFF DUTY- not sitting at my nail desk after hours fixing a nail or rebalancing an overlay on myself. God bless my nail friends that can go 6 weeks between manicures, but, I’m a solid 2-weeker, maybe 3 weeks MAX and that’s pushing it. As a side note, I also do not recommend filing off your gel over your kitchen trashcan after a few glasses of wine at like 9pm on a Sunday. Seriously, there’s a reason I don’t do my gels at home- I’m way too impatient. Anyhow, I DIGRESS….
So you’ve decided it’s time for a gel break- what now?
Gentle Product Removal: If you are unable to see your manicurist for a full removal. Plan on spending some time (it can take hours) to gently remove your gel the right way. You’ll want to file the surface of the gel with a gritty file, try to get through as much color as possible until you see the base coat. Once you get to the base coat, saturate a cotton ball in acetone and wrap it firmly in foil (or plastic removal clippies) and just wait. Don’t even check your nails before the 10 minute mark. Check your nails, see what product is ready to let go (don’t force it) and gently push the gel downwards with a orangewood stick or cuticle pusher. You can file a little more down and then wrap it again and soak again. Repeat until the product had released.
Cut it down: Unless you are one of those freaks of nature who can grow out their natural nails without any problem or breakage- you’re going to need to take them shorter. Remember, you can always shorten length but you can’t add length if you cut too short. Trim your nails with clippers and they using a medium/fine grit file (180 or 240) working from the outside in a single direction (don’t saw your natural nails) gently shape your nails.
Push back your cuticles: Pushing back cuticles a few times a week (with a gentle cuticle pusher) will help keep excess cuticle growth at bay. Since most of us don’t want to sit with our hands in cereal bowls filled with warm soapy water, I recommend pushing them back after you get out of the bath or a shower. Easy Peasy.
Cuticle oil is your new religion: Repeat after me, in cuticle oil we trust. Twice a day, but in reality, you can’t do it too much. If you’re having trouble sticking to a schedule- apply it alongside your skincare routine. Personally, I just have it in various common areas around my house, in my purse and in my car. I’ve been known to apply cuticle oil at stoplights, no judgement. Amen.
Avoid excessive treatments: Nail strengtheners are an interesting product, but truthfully very few people actually need them and they tend to do more harm than good and can actually cause your nails to be more brittle over time. Truthfully, eating nutritious foods, drinking water and using cuticle oil is the perfect recipe for healthy nails. If you want more I recommend the OPI Gel Break System- it’s pretty gentle and looks natural. Personally, I just opt for regular-schmegular nail polish when I’m taking a break- it kinda brings back that spark-of-joy I felt when I was a teenager and discovered glitter polish
Whether your gel break was intentional or unintentional- I’ll be on the sidelines cheering you on and when you’re ready to get back into the salon, don’t worry- we’re not going anywhere. #longlivethemani
