Polygel nails are some of the best artificial nails you can get and are known to last as long as three or four weeks.
These artificial nails are the safest type of nail enhancement that you can get for both the health of your nail and your nail technician.
With fewer fumes to cause headaches and fewer chemicals to eat away at your natural nail, polygel nails are the way to go as long as you can get them to stay on your nails.
Why Do My Polygel Nails Pop Off?
There are many reasons your polygel nails may begin to pop off before the three-week or four-week mark, including problems during the nail preparation process, issues with the application of the nail, the state of the natural nail, and not using products that help with the adhesiveness of your nail plate.
One of the most common mistakes made when applying polygel nails is using too much of the slip solution on the nail and flooding it, which prevents it from being able to harden properly.
If a nail never hardens, then it can slip around the nail or even pop right off of the nail.
Polygel nails are able to give you whatever nail look you want to go for, but there is no guarantee if your nail plate will be able to support a longer nail.
Because the artificial nail doesn’t have a suitable base on the natural nail, it is more prone to stress that snaps or pops the nail off.
Sometimes, the reason your nails keep popping off has nothing to do with what you’re doing wrong, but rather, it’s just one of the traits of your natural nail.
Luckily, there are solutions for people with oily nails or fingers.
If you don’t buff your nails properly before applying the nail form, your artificial nail won’t stick to your nail plate, making it easier for them to slip right off your fingers.
People who forget to use a nail dehydrator may also see their nails falling off before they’re due to be replaced.
The pH level in your nails plays an important role in determining how securely your artificial nails are going to stay on your fingers.
Sometimes, to get to the bottom of the problem, you have to evaluate your base coat.
1. Too Much Slip Solution
Slip solution is a chemical that acts as a polygel thinner to make polygel more malleable and easier to move around the nail form.
In order for the slip solution to be strong enough to thin out the polygel, it had to be a chemical that was also resistant to curing.
This means that polygel nails with high amounts of slip solution are going to refuse to cure properly, or sometimes it won’t cure at all.
Although slip solutions vary from brand to brand, nearly all of them have isobutyl acetate and isopropyl alcohol.
While you can use other solutions such as rubbing alcohol, gel base coats, or acetone-free nail polish remover, these solutions don’t quite provide everything that the polygel needs in order to keep its structural integrity.
This leads to the polygel remaining a bit liquefied in some areas, such as in the deeper sections of the nail where the ultraviolet light may not be able to fully penetrate.
Some people may attempt to replace slip solution with acetone, but that’s the exact substance used to remove polygel completely.
Acetone is too powerful for the polygel and eats away at it completely rather than just thinning it.
Although some may rationalize that just using a smaller amount of acetone should do the job, even tiny bits of acetone are capable of eating away at the polygel’s adhesive capabilities.
Using acetone may result in your nails never curing at all or taking much longer to cure, which may leave your fingers with sunburns.
It may seem like hand sanitizer has similar ingredients to slip solution, but there are many ingredients that hand sanitizer has in addition to isopropyl alcohol that make it even harder for the polygel to cure and adhere properly.
Water cannot be used as a slip solution either.
2. Too Long Of A Nail
Polygel nails are excellent for giving you the extra length you may not be able to grow on your own, but you need a well-built nail that is adjusted to actually fit what your nail plate can support.
There is a certain way to build the perfect nail without sacrificing structural integrity.
When building your nail, your apex and tip need to be big enough to support the length.
However, your new nail also needs to be thin enough to fit on your finger without any of the polygel being attached to your skin.
People who let their polygel nails extend beyond the width of the natural nail plate are prone to experiencing their nails lifting and eventually popping off more often.
You also need enough length in your natural nail to support the polygel.
People with shorter, thinner nail plates won’t be able to securely attach polygel nails as long as those with longer, wider nail plates.
Your nail plate also needs to be strong enough to support the weight of the longer length.
If it’s just the tip of the nail popping off, then your polygel nails need to be thicker.
When you are deciding on the length of nail you want to get, you should also consider the type of activities that you’re doing.
If you are frequently lifting heavy things, washing dishes, sewing, gardening, playing sports, or other similar activities, you may be more prone to popping your polygel nails off.
Longer artificial nails also cause more damage to the natural nail underneath, making it less likely that people will give their nails the breaks they need because they want to cover up the damaged nail.
You should consider the long-term health of your nails over their short-term appearance if you want to keep your nails looking young and healthy.
How Nail Type Can Affect Your Polygel Nails
Your nails are just as unique as every other part of you, and your nail type plays a massive role in how your nails should be prepared and treated.
There are four main nail types: dry nails, oily nails, sensitive nails, and nails that are a combination of these three types.
Dry nails can be spotted simply by looking at them if they aren’t getting the right treatment they need.
They tend to flake, crack, and chip frequently and can even leave the cuticles looking flaky and cracked as well.
To help dry nails, take weeks off from having your nails done so you can instead apply a Vitamin E treatment to the nail plate and cuticle.
Your nails may be dry because your hands are dry, so use oil-rich hand lotions throughout the day.
People who have oily nails will have a distinct shine to them without any product needing to be applied.
While that may look nicer than cracking or flaking, it means that it is harder for artificial nails or even just traditional nail polish to adhere to the nail plate.
If you have oily skin, you are more likely to have oily hands and nails.
Another sign that you have oily nails is if your nail polishes begin to flake off after a couple of days.
Sensitive nails are more susceptible to nail damage, pain, and even trauma that permanently changes the way they grow.
They are more likely to become red from irritation and cause the wearer pain.
It’s important to establish the reason for the sensitivity, especially if it’s from an allergic reaction, infection, or bacteria that could spread.
Make an appointment with your local dermatologist if this is a frequent occurrence because the swelling can lift the polygel nail.
Skipping The Nail Dehydrator
You should never skip using a nail dehydrator when you have a history of your artificial nails not staying on as well as they should or if you have oily nails.
Adding a nail dehydrator to any of your nail treatment routines will help them last much longer and lower your risk of fungal infections.
Nail dehydrators are especially important when applying artificial nails like polygels, gels, or acrylics.
Most people need every tool in the nail care arsenal in order to get their nails to last as long as they should.
Dehydrators are normally enough to help people’s nails reach the three-week mark before popping off.
The nail dehydrator helps dry up any oil while also creating a surface that is easier to file, leading to a more adhesive surface.
Because your nails won’t be gradually sliding around, your nails will look much more consistent and need fewer repairs and maintenance.
With fewer repairs and a longer lifespan, you’ll be able to save money on expensive nail enhancement.
If the nail dehydrator doesn’t seem to do the job, you can always pair it with a non-acid-based primer to make your nail even more adhesive.
For the best results, you’ll want to find a primer that is of the same line or brand as your nail dehydrator.
However, you should be cautious when using any nail primers because it will make it harder to remove your nails when it comes time to take them off.
You will have to use even more acetone and soak them for longer to let the acetone eat away at the super-strong bond that dehydrators and nail primers create when used together.
You should consider skipping the nail primer if the nail dehydrator seems to do the job on its own.
Why You Should Be Using A pH Balance Solution
Although pH-balanced water may be a bit of a health fad, the pH balance solution for nails is a proven way to help control the acidity of your nails and create a more adhesive surface for your polygel nails.
This will help them not pop off as quickly and help your manicure last a lot longer.
A sign that your pH balance is off is that your manicures seem to chip and pop off sooner than what is normally promised with polygel nails.
Luckily, it’s an easy fix that just requires an extra step while applying any nail treatment.
By allowing your nails to be a little more acidic, you are keeping them from forming more grease.
As the nail becomes more alkaline, more grease forms on the nail and the grease blocks any polishes from adhering to the nail.
Adding a pH Balance Solution to your nails will only cost you between $6 and $10, but it will save you money replacing and repairing any of the manicures you end up trying.
It only takes a couple of minutes to dry and won’t be noticed underneath polish or artificial nails.
Improper Buffing
Improper buffing can lead your polygel nails to not being able to adhere to the nail plate as well, or it can lead to nail damage, depending on whether they’ve been under-buffed or over-buffed.
The perfect buffing job can strengthen the hold that polygel has on the nail, thereby strengthening the structural integrity of the nail.
People who do their nails at home may not be paying attention to the type of nail file they’re using to do their nails, seeing all nail files as the same or simply categorizing the different types of nail files as coarser and finer nail files.
However, there is a very simple way that nail files are graded.
The higher the number, the finer the nail file will be.
As the numbers descend, the nail files become coarser.
The coarsest nail file that you can find is 80/80 grit.
Thanks to their coarseness, these nail files last the longest and are able to get through the thickest nails.
However, you should be the most cautious when using this level of nail file because it is incredibly easy to over-file your nails.
You should never use this grit on your natural nail because it will tear your nail to shreds and damage your nail plate and nail bed.
Nail files of 100 grit are the best choice to file down the length and edges of your nail.
It’s coarser than most nail files but isn’t as coarse as an 80/80 grit file.
There are also 150 grit and 180 grit nail files.
The preferred grit of nail file for preparing your nail plates for polygel nails is 240 grit.
Its low corrosive surface gives your nail the texture it needs to secure your new nails while also being gentle on the surface of the nail.
Needing A Better Base Coat
If nothing else seems to be helping your polygel nails last as long as they should, you should look at the core of your nail problem: your base coat.
While using a low-cost base coat may save you a few bucks here and there, you’ll save a lot more money by needing to have fewer manicures by investing in a better base coat.
A good base coat will not only help increase the lifespan of your polygel nails, but it will also smooth out the nail and keep your nails from staining.
If your nails are still healing from previous damage, you may want to find a base coat that provides the nail with more keratin and calcium.
Keeping Your Polygel Nails Longer
The key to getting your polygel nails to last longer is to create the best possible base for your artificial nail.
If you prefer to have your polygel nails applied at a salon, then don’t be afraid to ask your nail technician what they think the problem could be.
The healthier the nail you create, the stronger base the artificial nail will have to hold onto.
Uneven and unhealthy nails are difficult for artificial nails like polygels to cling to, so putting your nail’s health first will create a bigger effect than most people are willing to acknowledge.
Finding the root of your adhesive problem will save you a lot of money and many trips to see your nail technician.
Investing in the health of your nails also saves your nails from future damage that could permanently alter their appearance.
Don’t forget to give your nails plenty of breaks so they have time to recuperate and become stronger than ever before.
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