Halfway through last year, I became addicted to getting SNS Dipping Powder Nail Extensions. I absolutely loved them and wrote a post about them here. I then took a break away from them because I knew I needed to start saving my money and becoming a real adult.
A few weeks ago, I started to miss my long nails, and investigated other ways to get my confidence-boosting fix. At my salon, SNS Dipping Extensions cost £40, which I knew I couldn’t go back to just yet, where a full set of acrylics painted with normal polish was a whole £15 cheaper.
In terms of salon experience, there wasn’t too much difference between SNS and acrylics, apart from the lack of dipping powder. With acrylics, you’re still given the choice of colour and nail shape, so the preparation portion of the appointment stays the same. I went for a lovely neon coral colour with rounded tips, in an attempt to will Spring weather to arrive.
However, the science behind how the nails are made is where the differences lie. Acrylic nails are a combination of a liquid monomer and a powder polymer that creates a hard, protective layer over your natural nails. This material then hardens and becomes transparent so that nail polish can be painted over them. The first thing I must comment on here is that acrylic nails are where that typical nail salon smell comes from, and this can be pretty overwhelming at times – especially if you’re used to having SNS Dipping Powder which doesn’t have a scent at all.
In terms of longevity, while I absolutely love my SNS Dip, I did find that these nails would begin to ping off from around the 21 day mark and all would be entirely gone by around day 28. With acrylics, the idea is that you can have them topped up with ‘infills’ from around the 3 week mark or earlier, depending on how long you can bear the grown out look, and they can actually be kept on for up to 3 months before entirely removed. Saying that though, one of mine fell off after one week of wear, which has never happened with SNS.
This will obviously vary between person to person, however because I am so accustomed to having nail extensions for 4 weeks maximum, and then having my natural nails back, I do worry about the health risks that I’m sure come along with having artificial materials on your natural nails for so long. I’ve read articles which suggest that if they’re not kept insanely clean, bacteria and infection can grow under the extensions – which isn’t what anyone wants. I also worry about the idea that because acrylics harden as mentioned above, if you’re to hit your hand on something, there’s a danger that the natural nail will come off instead of the super rigid plastic, which can result in injury. SNS Dipping Powder nails do seem to be more flexible and you’ll see the bendy movement in them if you press down on them slightly, making them a little bit safer for the natural nail underneath.
This was probably the first difference that I noticed because I accidentally hit my hand on the table a few times, and it hurt. Really hurt. This is my own fault, but because I was trying to save money, I chose not to spend the extra £10 on gel nail polish, so opting for normal nail polish means that the colour has already started to chip away, leaving the clear plastic acrylic shining through behind it. Not very pretty.
I trust all readers to make their own nail decisions, but personally, for me – I think I will stick with SNS Dipping Powder. I’ve also been reading a lot about Aprés Gel X extensions which do not use the same (sometimes, harmful) chemicals that are found in acrylics, meaning they are safer and odourless.
Bustle says ‘A thin layer of a thick, clear gel is used to apply the gel extension to your own nail. After doing so, you'll place your nail, with the gel nail extension on top, underneath the LED light. The gel will act as a bonder, curing underneath the LED light, so that the extension and your nail become one.’
There have been some concerns with using UV lamps to cure gel nail manicures, however according to a 2014 study in JAMA Dermatology, the risk of malignant cancer because of nail lamps is low.
Ultimately, Bustle say ‘it is a better-looking finished product in the end — it looks way more natural than acrylics which is likely due to the fact that you're able to shape them the way that you want and make them as thin as your real nails.’
Perhaps, I will have to check this out for a future blog post.
Have you tried Gel Extensions? What do you prefer?
Reading List for those interested in Acrylics vs Gel
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