In recent years, the beauty industry has stepped far forward. No one is already worried that long hair needs to be grown for years (they can be grown in a few hours in the salon), or that the varnish lasts on the nails without chips for only a couple of days (you can cover the nails with a more durable coating).
Most likely, every girl knows or at least heard about what gel polish is. But not everyone knows that when coating nails with this tool, it is important not only the quality of the materials, but also the strict observance of the technology for working with them. Otherwise, you will certainly have to deal with questions about why the gel polish swells or why it does not stay on the nails the promised three weeks. Many women are faced with a situation where, after only a few days of socks, the coating begins to peel off from the tips of the nails or peel off with a large layer near the cuticle.
If you are doing manicure with a novice master or have decided to do it yourself, then you need to pay attention not only to the quality of the materials used, but also to strict adherence to the application technology. Nevertheless, there are often cases when girls are unhappy with the result, and they need to figure out why gel polish swells.
Which leads to blistering on the coating
The reasons why the gel polish swells after application to the nail plate can conditionally be divided into the following two groups:
- The quality and individual characteristics of the goods that were used when applying gel polish (properties of base, top, color varnish, quality of brushes for their application, lamp power for coating drying).
- The technology of applying materials to nails (compliance with the order of applying the layers of the base, color gel polish and top, drying time of each layer, the thickness of the applied layer, etc.).
It should be remembered that there is only one correct answer to the question of why gel polish swells. He is swollen due to insufficient drying. But the reasons why it has not dried out can be quite a lot. At the same time, if you have not yet finished one layer of gel polish, and then fixed it with a top that is well dried in the lamp, then the bubbles can appear on the coating only the next day.
What materials affect the quality of application?
In order for the coating to be of high quality and please you as long as possible, you need to choose the means for manicure by trusted manufacturers. Experienced manicure masters argue that it is preferable to use a base coat, color gel polish and topcoat from the same manufacturer. Such products perfectly interact with each other and allow the coating to stay longer on the nails without chips and peeling.
If you use a lamp with low power for drying, then you should not be surprised why gel polish swells with bubbles. He simply does not have time to dry enough and, when applying subsequent layers, begins to collect in wrinkles and bubbles. In order to level this factor, it is necessary to use a lamp with more power. If this is not possible, then you just need to apply it with a thin layer (so that it dries faster) and increase the drying time of each layer.
In addition, attention should be paid to the shelf life of gel polish and its density. Old or too thick varnish is quite difficult to apply with a uniform thin layer on the nails, so it does not dry well. If it has a rather liquid consistency, it will quickly drain onto the side rollers before you can dry it. That is, preference should be given to gel polish of medium consistency, which will be convenient to apply and dry. Gel polish of medium density is perfectly distributed on the nail plate and forms a perfectly smooth coating when spreading.
Features of the technology of applying gel polish
In order not to have to figure out why the gel polish is swollen, the following rules should be followed when applying it:
- The material is applied in thin layers and each of them is well dried. If the density of the coating with a color layer does not suit you, then it is better to make several thin layers than 1-2 dense.
- Do not shake the contents of the bottle or shake it immediately before application. This contributes to the formation of bubbles, which can lead to the fact that the gel polish will lie unevenly on the nails and will begin to peel off quickly when it dries. To ensure that the varnish is homogeneous and at the same time lays well on the nails, the bottle should be shaken or shaken before the manicure begins. During the time that you remove the old coating from the nails, make a manicure and polish the nail plate, the air bubbles (which formed in the base, gel polish or top when shaking) will have time to go up and disappear.
- The drying time in the UV or LED lamp must be observed. It is better to slightly increase the drying time, which is indicated in the instructions for a certain type of coating (that is, if it says on the bottle that the varnish dries in the LED lamp in 30 seconds, you should hold it in the lamp for 40-45 seconds). If you want to determine why gel polish swells in a lamp, then first of all look at the characteristics of your lamp for drying gel polish. Most likely it will turn out to be low-power, that is, the process of polarization of the material in it occurs too slowly.
- Remember that varnishes with certain pigments dry out worse, they require a little more time to fully dry than products with low pigmentation. It is usually difficult to dry dark shades of varnishes (close to black), white gel polish and some pastel colors.
If you want to understand why gel polish swells on your nails immediately after you have done a fresh manicure, you must first analyze whether all the features of applying gel polish have been observed.
The basic rules for quality nail polish
- The nail should be smooth. Before applying the coating, it should be sanded with a small abrasive file or a special buff.
- Each layer needs to be dried well.
- It is advisable to give preference to the base, gel polish and top one manufacturer. If there is a presence of materials from different manufacturers, then it is better to check their compatibility first. To do this, gradually cover the nail plate with a base, colored varnish and top on one finger and evaluate the result.
- Before manicure and gel polish, it is advisable not to wet your hands for at least two hours. Also, hands should not be wet for two hours after a manicure.
Life hacks for beginners when applying gel polish
- To apply colored varnish, use a flat brush instead of a round one, which comes with a jar of gel polish. In this case, the varnish layer can be applied with a thin layer, and it will not spread, so the question of why the gel varnish swells after drying will become irrelevant for you.
- If the material has a fairly liquid consistency and quickly drains from the nail, then apply color gel polish gradually. After applying nail polish on 1-2 nails, place them in a dryer, and the next ones will be painted after the previous ones have dried.
- Shake the jar of material in advance before proceeding to the manicure. This applies to both colored gel polishes, and the base, top coat.
- Dry each layer in the lamp a little longer than indicated in the instructions for the varnish.
- Before applying the next coat, make sure that the previous one is completely dry. At the same time, it will not work to determine the drying of the varnish by touch, since an adhesive layer still remains on it. In order to check drying, it is recommended to use an orange stick or any other manicure tool that has a thin sharp tip. With the sharp edge of an orange stick, gently press the coating in the places where it dries the longest. Typically, such places are closer to the lateral nail ridges, this is due to the fact that it is in these places that material flows from the convex part of the nail plate. Manipulations with an orange stick should be carried out carefully so as not to damage the gel polish coating if it is not yet sufficiently hardened.
Formula for successful gel polish
Briefly summarizing all of the above, you can derive a simple conditional formula that will help you avoid basic mistakes when applying varnish:
smoothly polished nail plate + gel polish, base, top from one manufacturer + applying thin layers + observing the drying time of each layer = smooth, shiny gel polish coating that will last on nails for at least 2 weeks.
Accurate manicure is an integral part of the image of a modern woman. Therefore, follow the simple tips given above, and delight others with well-groomed handles!