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Gel

1/31/2019

12 Comments

 
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​I’ve become a Gel Girl.
 
For those not familiar with the vernacular of beauty salons, gel is a kind of nail polish that, for all intents and purposes, is a modern-day miracle. 
 
Its positives are many, including the fact that there’s no chipping, cracking or peeling.  And, also unlike traditional polish, gel holds its shine and won’t fade; lasts weeks longer, and is odorless.  Some professional manicurists also swear that clients who get regular gel manicures have stronger nails within a few months.  Gel also comes in plenty of colors, and thanks to a special LED light, dries within seconds of being put on, which eliminates smudging. 
 
For every one of these reasons—especially the fact that I’ll now only need a new pedicure when I notice my toenails growing out—I’m never going back to the Cutex our grandmothers used. 
 
But gel wasn’t an overnight sensation.  Indeed, nail polish has a long, and global, history.
 
The product originated in China as early as 3000 B.C., and contained beeswax, egg whites, gelatin and vegetable dyes. 
In Egypt, the richest of women wore nail extensions made from bone, ivory and gold.  In Greece in the 1800s, women of the same class choose empty pistachio shells to wear over their real nails.  Automobile paint inspired the first modern-day polish, which was colorless, but in the 1930s, premiered in a second, cream color.  A decade later, pin-up goddess
Rita Hayworth made bright red nails famous.       
 
Then came artificial nails.  Shiny and durable, they were gel’s predecessor.    
 
Like many other out-of-the-box ideas, it happened because of an accident.  In 1954, a dentist named Fred Slack broke a nail at work, and created a fake nail using dental acrylic as a replacement.  And while today’s acrylics are way more advanced than Slack’s primitive substitute (although the process is still meant for damaged nails, or ones that can’t grow), I always cringed when I saw someone getting an acrylic manicure. The chemical smell was overpowering; the sound of a drill-like instrument kept me more than an arm’s distance away, and I’m pretty sure smoke was involved.   
 
So, I kept buying drugstore polish, knowing that in a few weeks, my toes were sure to chip.  That, of course, meant it was time for the nasty smelling nail polish remover and a fresh coat of polish to the damaged areas.  Even when gel polish hit my little beach town about 10 years ago, I assumed it was uber expensive.  Consequently, I kept doing what I’d been doing.   It wasn’t great, but it was okay. 
 
Then, late last year, my daughter gifted me with a gel pedicure.

There were a few steps more at this appointment, including a different top coat and the already-mentioned light.  But as it turns out, a gel is just $10 more than a regular pedicure. 

However, there’s one big downside to traveling the gel road: over-the-counter polish remover won’t take it off.

Instead, I’ll need to go back to the salon.  I could try the removal process at home, but that involves more steps and time than the original application, including buffing the shine off each toe; placing a cotton ball soaked in acetone on every digit, and then wrapping it all in aluminum foil.  This is pretty much what salons do anyway, but at least in the hands of professionals, I know it will be done right.

I’ll keep nail polish remover around, though.

It removes paint splatters from windows and floors, as well as eliminating tea stains from China cups.  One of the weirdest uses is this:  if you happen to see a blood-sucking leech on your skin, pour the acetone directly onto the leech, and it will soon peel off.

Here’s hoping that if I’m ever in that pickle, I’ll have the remover at hand. 

​But I’ll never need it for my toes again.  
12 Comments
leslie spoon
2/1/2019 11:34:06 am

Hilary Interesting history of polish. I had no idea how it had gotten started. I think that I will just keep my toe nails plain.

Reply
Hilary A Grant
2/1/2019 02:12:29 pm

I thought the history was also very interesting. I mean, pistachio shells? :)

Reply
Tammy Dalcin
2/1/2019 08:48:11 pm

Hilary i must say this is a very good topic. Being the hairdresser i am, i was introduced to gel nails was about ten years ago. I had a manicure done with the gel polish. It was a very sparkling red. I had so many compliments with that polish, it was a very deep red and shiny! I have to admit i was hooked. It was amazing. The polish stayed on for weeks and i loved the way it looked. I still get my pedicures with gel and sometimes get the manicure. I love them both, it makes me feel good about myself. It’s a treat for sure 😊 i am very impressed with the advancement of nail polish. The part i love the most is that i can get my nails done and do a haircut immediately after words! WOW! Thats just so cool! I love the gel polish!

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Hilary A Grant
2/1/2019 08:58:47 pm

When my daughter was talking about the miracle of gel, she told me that I should get the polish on my nails, too. (I haven't had traditional polish put on for years because I work on my computer so much. When I did have polish put on, it chipped w/in a few days, even a clear coat) But now that gel is around.. I may get a super light coat, maybe even clear, to put on. We'll see! :)

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Kimberly Kinner
2/3/2019 03:00:34 pm

Interesting history. I enjoyed your blog Hilary.

Reply
Hilary A Grant
2/3/2019 06:15:40 pm

Thank you! :)

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Patrice
2/4/2019 11:02:34 am

Being a beauty junkie, I love this post, especially the references to pistachio shells & automobile paint!!

Reply
Hilary A Grant
2/4/2019 12:06:31 pm

Yeah, you never know where beauty products start, or what was once popular, 'til you do the research... I'm just thrilled that the industry has come so far to have gel out there! Which reminds me that there was a time when bird feathers were considered way more valuable than diamonds. : )

Reply
Susan J.
2/4/2019 04:32:27 pm

If I ever actually grow my nails, I'll try this gel polish instead of the old-school stuff for sure. My problem is (besides biting them) is that having any length of fingernail unsettles me physically! I can't articulate it better, except to say that it's kind of like a shock wave or chill sent through my system if my nail catches on or lightly scratches just about anything. It's like being painfully tickled. So they're very short.

Reply
Hilary A Grant
2/4/2019 06:59:05 pm

I'm like that w/ my toenails, which are the only digits I get polish on. (I think the last time I had polish on my nails was a super light pink on my wedding day... nearly 15 years ago... and it came off w/in a few days). I always ask the person doing my toenails to CUT the nails short--do not file them! Short toenails look WAY better than long ones. And, given the computer work I do, shorter fingernails are the way for me as well. And the shock wave/chill thing? That I've never experienced!

Reply
Larry Grant
2/4/2019 05:21:25 pm

Being a history buff (guess that's sort of a pun) I found this an interesting read.

Reply
Hilary A Grant
2/4/2019 06:59:55 pm

It's not just a pun. It's a good one, too! xo

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    Hilary Roberts Grant

    Journalist, editor, filmmaker, foodie--and a clown! 
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