Gel Manicure: Fix for Toughened, Sensitive Skin for the DIY User

Last week a reader and avid gel manicure user wrote in questioning the pain she has been feeling on her fingers. With the help of another nail technician, we offered the reader some advice. However, as soon as I hit publish, I felt like something was missing. It reminded me of how my own fingers feel when my nails grow long and something I noticed my mother always had with her incredibly natural, long and strong nails. But, the reader seemed satisfied with the gel manicure solution provided and I honestly forgot about it until today.

I received an email from another professional that wanted to comment on the gel manicure query and for some reason could not, something I need to look into. Anyway, after having a very pleasant discussion, she offered additional advice, well articulated, that mimicked that which was nagging at me, however overlooked.

Congratulations of getting your nails to a new longer length. This is great news, but this could also be part of your issue. As your nails grow longer, your body will naturally help support your new longer length by extending its hyponychium growth. This is most likely what is feeling sensitive. Especially since you are wrapping your nail with the tin foil with removal solution to take off your gel manicure. Some removal solutions are quite harsh and can cause drying around the cuticle and on the skin. Our suggestion to you is two fold.

Although your new length is pleasing to you, try to keep your nails just a little bit shorter and all at the same length. Also, we suggest that you treat your cuticle, hyponychium and surrounding skin with a cuticle oil of good quality before you wrap your nails with the removal solution. This will help to keep them nourished during the removal portion of your manicure.

Also, it is important to keep your nails moisturized regularly to help prevent any extra dryness around your cuticle and hyponychium.

Nanci, a former OPI educator and the owner, founder and creator Lacqit One Step Gel Polish based out of Canada also offered additional relief to Gail’s gel manicure problem. She suggests using LacQit MOISTURE cuticle oil, produced especially for this type of problem, as she knew it may be an issue with consumers using gel polish at home.

I want to thank Nanci for her insight into this gel manicure problem that she has worked so diligently to overcome and look forward to sampling and writing up a great review in Examiner for the at-home gel manicure system.