I used to be an avid acrylic nail tips person, then had a few bad experiences with it breaking off and hurting SO bad and also realized how damaging it was to my real nails. I started to get dip powder, which was pretty good and kept my nails healthier (I think??), but didn’t love that I’d have to soak it off every time when getting it done again. I’ve also tried just regular gel nail polish a few times, but found that it didn’t really last that long and didn’t strengthen my nails that much either, so I didn’t love that either. I recently discovered hybrid gel nails which are “a hybrid between gel and acrylic manicures because they’re durable, long-lasting, yet still flexible. They can cause less damage to the natural nail than other gel manicures”. I loooove the hybrid gel. It’s applied like this: “Polygel is typically applied in one of two ways. Aaron says the formula comes in a tube that looks like toothpaste. This is applied directly onto the nail on top of a nail form. Then, it’s molded to the length and shape you desire. Or, a nail technician can have shapes formed into full tips, then pressed onto the natural nails and cured under a gel lamp.” In my opinion, it seems like the hybrid gel is easier to shape and is more durable/lasts longer. They’re also not as bulky as acrylic tips or dip powder, but also not as thin as regular gel. Highly recommend. I got it done at “My Nail Salon” and they did a great job.
