The True Value of Gel Manicures: Are They Really Worth It?

The True Value of Gel Manicures: Are They Really Worth It?

In the middle of my little Guatemalan jungle, I rarely get manicures. The few times I did, I ended up frustrated because my jungle lifestyle doesn’t help keep impeccable manicures for more than a few hours. There’s dirt from working in the garden, feeding animals, and carrying various things. So when my friends visited with shiny gel manicures, I was intrigued. They paid 25 euros ($35) in Paris for them, which made my local $3 manicures seem less appealing.

Gel nails still look good after 10 days.

A gel manicure uses special nail polish that dries under a UV lamp. It dries super fast and is strong enough to handle almost anything without getting damaged.

So, are gel manicures worth it? Typically, a regular manicure costs $15, while a gel one ranges from $25 to $45. Unlike regular manicures that can be ruined quickly, gel nails are durable from the moment you leave the salon. Gel manicures can last up to 4 weeks, compared to the 4-5 days you get from a regular manicure. This makes them worth the extra cost since you don’t have to keep going back to the salon.

However, after two weeks, as your nails grow, the gap between your cuticle and the gel polish becomes noticeable unless you touch it up at home. A French manicure can hide this better because the color matches your nails as they grow back. Flashy colors will make the gap more obvious as the manicure ages, even though the polish remains intact.

In Guatemala, a gel manicure cost me $8.50 in one of the fanciest salons in Guatemala City. I’ve seen offers as low as $4.50 on Facebook and imagine smaller salons in poorer neighborhoods might charge $3.50 or less. In my nearest town, a normal manicure is $3 and $5 with O.P.I polish. So, it’s definitely worth considering gel polish if you want your nails to stay neat for longer.

You also need to pay to get your gel nails removed. They have to be soaked off at the salon for a fee. I once removed mine with a lot of acetone, but many polish removers in the US or Europe don’t contain acetone anymore. My friends paid about 8 euros ($10) for removal. If you want to switch from a flashy color to something subtle like French, removing the old color thoroughly can be damaging.

You can do a gel manicure at home by buying a UV machine from Amazon for $50-$200 along with the special polish. If your local salon charges $45 or more, investing in a machine makes sense. It takes some practice, but it’s not more complicated than a regular manicure. You need to be careful not to get the gel on your skin as it will peel off when drying, especially when applying a transparent coat for a French manicure.

Gel nails have some health concerns. According to the New York Post, repeated exposure to the UV lamp could cause skin cancer. I usually do gel manicures for special occasions and weddings, but generally, I don’t wear polish. After removing a gel manicure, your nails can be quite dry, like they haven’t breathed for weeks. Doctors advise that any nail problems hidden under the gel might worsen without being noticed.

While I enjoyed the experience, I won’t do it more than once every few months to keep my nails healthy. How about you? Have you ever tried gel nails? Did you like them?