Ladies are much more attracted to enhancing their beauty. In recent times artificial beauty applications have increased a lot. When it comes to increasing beauty, it comprises manicures, pedicures, makeup, hair styling, etc.
The manicure and pedicure consist of enhancing the beauty of the nails of the hands and feet. These are done by extending the nails artificially. These artificial nails are mainly of two types: UV gel and acrylic.
Here are some differences between these two.
Key Takeaways
- UV gel nails are made by applying a gel that hardens under UV light, while acrylic nails involve mixing a liquid and powder that hardens when exposed to air.
- UV gel nails have a more natural and glossy appearance, whereas acrylic nails can look thicker and less natural.
- Acrylic nails are more durable and longer-lasting, but UV gel nails are less damaging to the natural nail and easier to remove.
UV Gel Nails vs Acrylic Nails
UV gel nails are a type of artificial nails, made of a gel-like substance that is cured under a UV lamp to harden. UV gel nails are more flexible and natural-looking. Acrylic nails are artificial nails made of a liquid and powder mixture that is applied to the nails and air-dried to harden.
The UV gel nails are made of gels cured under a UV lamp. These nails have a natural and glossy look. These can be filed at desired shape according to the person doing the manicure.
These nails are decorated with nail polish and other accessories to look gorgeous.
The acrylic nails and nail extensions were applied to look at long, beautiful nails. These are comparatively easy to apply and remove. These can be done in a beauty parlour as well as at home.
These are formed by mixing polymer powder with liquid monomer. The process of curing is carried away in the normal environment due to the presence of the chemicals in the mixture.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | UV Gel Nails | Acrylic Nails |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Natural and glossy | Artificial and unnatural if applied incorrectly |
| Durability | These nails are short term durable | These nails are long-term durable |
| Flexibility | More flexible in comparison to acrylic nails | Less flexible and brittle |
| Cost | More costly | Cheaper in comparison |
| Harmful | These are not so much harmful but harmful if not done by expert | Harmful as it can affect the nail bed and harm the natural nails. |
What are UV Gel Nails?
The UV gel nails are formed by applying a mixture. This mixture is made by mixing polymer powder with a liquid monomer. These mixtures also have an extra chemical called oligomers which results in the flexibility of the nails.
These gel nails are more natural-looking due to this chemical. These nails are not for the very long term. These nails should be kept away from hot water. Its lifetime is nearly 2 weeks and should be taken care of to keep it for that time.
The UV gel nails are made of gels cured under a UV lamp. These nails have a natural and glossy look. These can be filed at desired shape according to the person doing the manicure.
These nails are decorated with nail polish and other accessories to look gorgeous.
These nails are a little costlier as it requires expertise and many costly types of equipment to form the gel nails. The UV lamp is very important in this procedure. The nail is firstly made rough, and then an extension is stuck at the tip.
After that, the mixture’s gel is applied along with the extension. Then it is cured under the UV lamp. After that, the nail is filed and scrubbed. The nail gets completed.
What are Acrylic Nails?
The acrylic nails and nail extensions were applied to look at long, beautiful nails. These are comparatively easy to apply and remove. These can be done in a beauty parlour as well as at home.
These are formed by mixing polymer powder with liquid monomer. The process of curing is carried away in the normal environment due to the presence of the chemicals in the mixture.
The procedure of this acrylic nail formation is. First, the nails are made rough. Then after a nail extension is stuck on the tip of the nail. Then the nail extension is filed and made smooth with the nail.
Thereafter the mixture is applied all across the nail with the extensions. Then after the acrylic nails are filed and then applied with acrylic polish. The nail formation gets complete. After that, the nail is decorated as per the person doing the nail extension.
These nail extensions are very easy to apply as well as very easy to maintain. The acrylic nails are much more durable. As the formation of nails does not require much more machines, the cost of the transformation is much cheaper.
But these extensions are very harmful to natural nails. These harm the nail bed and can lead to permanent discolouration of the nails.
Main Differences Between UV Gel Nails and Acrylic Nails
- The UV gel nails appear natural and glossy in contrast to the acrylic nails appear artificial and unnatural if applied incorrectly.
- UV gel nails are short-term durable, but on the other hand, acrylic nails are long-term durable.
- UV gel nails are more flexible in comparison to acrylic nails, and acrylic nails are less flexible and brittle.
- The UV gel nails are more costly, and on the other hand, the acrylic nails are cheaper in comparison
- These are not so much harmful but harmful if not done by an expert as they can affect the nail bed and harm the natural nails.
Last Updated : 24 November, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
Thanks for breaking down the differences between UV gel nails and acrylic nails in such detail. This was an interesting read.
A very detailed and comprehensive comparison of UV gel nails and acrylic nails. It was a pleasure reading this article.
That’s very insightful. Is there any difference in the process of application of UV gel nails versus that of acrylic nails?
This is a very informative article. It’s great to have a detailed comparison of UV gel nails and acrylic nails in one place.
I’ve always been intrigued by UV gel nails and acrylic nails. Understanding the science behind their formation and the differences in appearance is fascinating.
Are there any particular products or brands that you would recommend for UV gel nails or acrylic nails applications?
Great comparison! I was particularly interested in learning about the application process for both UV gel nails and acrylic nails.
This is really interesting. I would like to read more about the possible risks associated with UV gel nails and acrylic nails.