I just went away for a week. Being the fanatic that I am, I will take off all of my nail polish and re-do it if I have one chip. This is an annoying tic in the best of circumstances, and one that becomes almost paralyzing while on the road. Particularly because packing nail polish remover wipes, mini base coat, color, and top coat weigh my bag down even more than it already was. Which is hard to believe, I know.
What's a girl with beauty OCD to do? Gels are the obvious answer. EXCEPT that this girl with beauty OCD is constantly harping on the hazards of sun exposure, and gels are cured under UV lamps. Is that so bad, you ask? After all, your hands are only under there for two minutes per cure, four rounds total, weighing in at eight minutes of UV exposure per gel application. The answer: yes, its that bad.
Consider this: the offending lamp is about a half-inch from your unprotected (and very thin) skin. Sun damage is cumulative, and even when getting a regular manicure, you probably use those tempting UV dryers to get out of the salon faster, right? So how much damage are you really doing every year?? Answer: a lot.
You can slather your hands with physical sunscreen, but your manicurist may have a herd of cows, since your nails must be 100% dry and oil free for the gel to adhere properly. So instead, try wearing fingerless gloves (which are really fingerTIPless) during a gel manicure. The best kind? Gloves that have a high UPF rating, which fingertips you cut off yourself to ensure that they cover as much of your fingers as absolutely possible.
Yes, you'll look like a crazy lady. But by your third manicure, you'll be surprised by how many other crazy ladies at your local mani-pedi place are doing the exact same thing.
What's a girl with beauty OCD to do? Gels are the obvious answer. EXCEPT that this girl with beauty OCD is constantly harping on the hazards of sun exposure, and gels are cured under UV lamps. Is that so bad, you ask? After all, your hands are only under there for two minutes per cure, four rounds total, weighing in at eight minutes of UV exposure per gel application. The answer: yes, its that bad.
Consider this: the offending lamp is about a half-inch from your unprotected (and very thin) skin. Sun damage is cumulative, and even when getting a regular manicure, you probably use those tempting UV dryers to get out of the salon faster, right? So how much damage are you really doing every year?? Answer: a lot.
You can slather your hands with physical sunscreen, but your manicurist may have a herd of cows, since your nails must be 100% dry and oil free for the gel to adhere properly. So instead, try wearing fingerless gloves (which are really fingerTIPless) during a gel manicure. The best kind? Gloves that have a high UPF rating, which fingertips you cut off yourself to ensure that they cover as much of your fingers as absolutely possible.
Yes, you'll look like a crazy lady. But by your third manicure, you'll be surprised by how many other crazy ladies at your local mani-pedi place are doing the exact same thing.
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