You should also love the soak-off gel polish manicures if you love gel polish because of its inherent advantages. Soak-off gels are not something new as the procedure has been there for a long time now. However, the benefits of soak-off gel have brought the procedure back into the limelight now. Let us understand what soak gel polish is and the benefits of using OPI soak off gel polish on your nails.
Soak-Off Gel Nails – The Concept
Soak-off gel is also known as soft gel nails because it differs from conventional nail manicures regarding its application, finish, and removal.
In short, you paint soak-off gels on your nails in thin layers and cure each layer under the UV lamp before proceeding to the next one. As a result, your nails get a natural and colorful look.
Soak-off gels are amongst the easiest to remove as all you do is soak your nails in acetone to remove the polish layers.
Difference Between Soak-off Gels and the Traditional Gel Polish
The traditional gel polish manicure is different from soak-off gel polish because it requires buffing the nail polish when removing them. Otherwise, the procedure is the same. As it requires vigorous buffing for nail polish removal, it is also known as hard gel nails.
How to Apply Soak-off Gel Polish?
The initial steps for applying soak-off gel and traditional gel polish are the same. You start with the basecoat application and continue with the polish layers, and finally, the topcoat. The only difference is that you cure each layer under the UV/LED lamp in a soak-off procedure before proceeding further.
Soak-off gel polish – lasts longer
The OPI soak-off gel lacquer is similar to the regular OPI gel nail polish colors as they last long and do not chip or break easily. The soak-off polish has an additional advantage because it is easy to apply touch-ups to the nails frequently. However, you should remember to cure the touched-off layer under the UV lamp. Compared to the regular nail polish products, the soak-off gel polish lasts longer.
The Benefits of Soak-Off Nail Polish
Soak-off nail polish has various benefits over traditional nail manicures. First, however, you have to follow the appropriate procedures for application and removal:
Compared to acrylic paints, soak-off gel polish does not have strong odors. Hence, you do not have to bear with the pungent nail polish odors in the nail salon when using OPI soak-off gel lacquer.
The soak-off nail manicure procedure is beneficial because it dries quickly. Therefore, it becomes convenient to fix dents and smudges on your nails quickly. The traditional acrylic finish does not have this advantage because it takes a long time for the polish layer to dry.
Compared to other gel manicures, the soak-off procedure is easy to apply. Hence, many women take to the DIY route for their soak-off manicure. However, this procedure requires curing the nail under the UV lamp after every layer application.
The soak-off gel procedure does not require excessive filing or buffing of the nail surface. Hence, it does not damage the nails.
The soak-off gel removal process is not tedious. It does not require excessive buffing to remove the hard gel layers. All you do is soak your nails in acetone, either directly or using the aluminum wrap method. The layers slide off on their own.
The best aspect of soak-off polish is that it is easy to apply touch-ups to the nails whenever required. The natural nail growth pushes the polish layer leaving a gap between the polish and the base. You can easily apply the OPI colors in the gaps without going through the tedious procedure or removing the entire layer and reapplying.
The soak-off gel polish is the best product to have if you wish to go for a nail polish color change to suit your outfits. Soaking the nails in acetone or even a non-acetone remover can help remove the polish layers.
While you are aware of the benefits of soak-off gel polish, it is better to know some of the drawbacks.
Drawbacks of Soak-off Gel Polish
The primary drawback of soak-off gel polish is the excessive use of the UV lamp to cure your nail polish layers. As you have to cure each layer under the UV lamp, you expose your nails to UV radiation more than the traditional nail manicures.
Secondly, soak-off gel polish products are expensive than the traditional gel polish colors. Besides, the DIY soak-off procedure requires investing in a dedicated UV lamp that could enhance the overall costs.
A Word of Caution
As the removal process involves the use of acetone, it is advisable to let your nails recuperate for a week after the removal to enable them to regain the lost moisture. In addition, the break allows the nail to breathe and build up moisture levels to look shining as before.