We all know that feeling of a fresh set of acrylic nails. You feel polished, certain that they won’t chip, but you’re tinged with a hint of guilt, knowing that it’s really not the best thing for your own nails health. On the flip side, we’ve also all experienced sitting for an hour getting a regular polish manicure to walk outside, grab your phone from your bag and realise you’ve managed to dent or smudge them 10 seconds after leaving the salon.
Well, all of our nail conundrums could be solved with this new style of manicure sweeping nail salons worldwide. Meeting somewhere between polish, gel and acrylic comes dip powder nails and our sources tell us it’s going to be huge for 2018.
Dip powder works as a coloured powder, layered between an undercoat and a sealant top coat. No UV lights here and it can last up to 24 days. The first coat acts as a bond, covering the whole nail. Your nail technician will then simply dip the nail into the powder, which sticks and coats the nail in your desired colour. Seal with the top coat or do two layers for extra thick coverage. Mixed MakeUp posted this video of the process in action.
Many of the best-known brands in nails actually have a range of dip powders already, including Gelish and the widely known, OPI. However, one of the biggest names in the DP world is one called SNS (Signature Nail Systems). A nail technician from an SNS-authorised salon described the technique as healthier than acrylic and gel, due to the vitamins and calcium within the SNS product. Although, there is also comment from several sources about the downsides to using dip powder, so make sure you really do your research with your local salon before trying. We’ve taken a look at some of the pros and cons of this new hot trend.
Pros
This is definitely one of the manicure techniques that will last. If you’re a low maintenance gal, who likes to avoid DIY nail painting then this means perfect nails, pretty much until they’ve grown out. As a more natural product than acrylic, dip powders also means less chemicals for your own nails to contend with, which is always a good thing.
Cons
American nail salon, Vanity Projects, in New York, has warned of the dangers of Dip Powders and actually banned it from use in their salon. Ariel Zuniga from the NY salon advised of the potential harm of using the powders, claiming that the product is cheap and detrimental to the health of your own nails. There is also claims that the removal process, very much like acrylic, can be harmful in weakening the natural nail beneath.
As with most long-lasting nail techniques, there are benefits and risks of using this method. However, if social media is anything to go by, 2018 will be the year of the dip powder nail and we, for one, can’t wait to give it a try.
What do you think of dip powder nails? Share your opinions with us in the comments on Facebook and Twitter.
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