Shellac Manicures: Your questions answered

Will Shellac ruin my nails? Will Shellac strengthen my nails? How can I remove a shellac manicure at home?

These are all questions I get asked about my manicures, and I’m not even a nail technician! But I thought it was about time I answered some common questions to dispel myths and satiate your curiosity.

It’s worth pointing out that while I’m obsessed with beauty, skin care and nails I am not a professional. What I’m writing here is just experience from six years getting Shellac/Artistic manicures, in the main part from Miss Fox here in Melbourne.

Here goes!

What is Shellac?

‘Shellac’ has become the universal name for gel gloss manicures, but it actually refers to the brand name CND Shellac. Similarly to how we refer to ‘BandAids.’ There are many other brands on the market, and these days I tend to favour Artistic Colour Gloss but really it’s an individual choice about what product your particular salon uses.

The CND Shellac website tells us:

“Shellac is designed as a system. The service begins with Shellac Base Coat – one thin layer is all you need. It cures in 10 seconds and provides the foundation for the Shellac system. Next is your choice of Shellac Color Coat, followed by the Shellac Top Coat which provides the durable final coat and seals the deal with a mirror-like finish. The CND UV Lamp is used to cure the layers immediately and create the scratch-resistant, high-shine finish that Shellac is known for. The dry time is zero. There’s also no odor, and no damage to nails.”

Will it damage my nails?

Short answer: no. I’ve had many women tell me however that the process ‘ruined’ their nails and that they would never use it again. Usually when I ask further about how or why it happened, it’s because they were peeled off themselves at home. While you can remove shellac yourself (see question below), if you want damage free nails then you should absolutely see a nail technician for removal. There is no filing, cutting or gluing involved with a Shellac manicure, it is simply polish that hardens under a UV or LED light and ‘fuses’ if you like onto your nail bed.

Can I remove shellac at home?

You can if you know what you are doing, but you really should see your manicurist or nail technician. Why? A couple of things really: it’s tricky, a little messy and just down right easier to get someone else to do it!

Shellac needs to be ‘soaked’ off, or rather you need to immerse the manicure in remover for about 5 minutes. Remember it’s been heat fused onto your nails, so it won’t just wipe off like normal nail polish. Then when it has softened, a stainless steel cuticle pusher is used to ‘push’ off the polish. Any remaining polish is buffed off. If you think you are up to it then by all means, give it a go, but this is the step where most people find their nails damaged if they do it themselves.

How long does it last?

Most manicures will last 14 days. But it depends on what you are doing with your hands. Swim every day? Don’t use gloves when washing up? Gardening a lot? I find that mine just grow out and never chip. I get about two good weeks from an Artistic Colour Gloss manicure at Miss Fox, then they just start to look a bit tired and you can see a gap between my cuticle/base of nail bed, and where the colour has grown out. I’ve got 3-4 weeks in the past with a perfect, un-chipped manicure that has just grown as my natural nail did. So this answer really depends on what you use your hands for, and how fast your nails grow.

Does it hurt?

Nope! It’s just like any other manicure.

Can I do it myself at home?

Of course! But keep in mind that results are going to vary widely from what you will get with a professional doing it in a salon. I’ve got a couple of DIY kits that I mainly use for emergency touch ups, broken nails or during those times when I just can’t get to the salon.

I found this article ‘7 of the Best At-Home Gel Polish Kits’ on Beautizine really helpful when selecting which one I was going to buy. In the end I went with the best overall rated, Sensationail and I’ve been really happy with the results. Here’s where you can buy your own if the DIY option is for you:

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I hope this has answered some common questions for you, if there is anything else you’d like to know please just leave a comment!