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And honestly? My nails have never looked better
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FRIDAY, MARCH 20
I Broke Up with Gel Manicures and My Nails Have Never Looked Better
Between rising salon costs and nail-health concerns, more people are going au natural than ever before
By Meaghan Wray
 
For years, gel manicures felt like the ultimate beauty hack. The promise was simple: shiny, chip-proof nails (and, crucially, no dry time) that could last up to a month without a second thought. For someone who types constantly, hates the look of chipped polish and has the patience of a toddler, it felt like a miracle.

I became a regular at my neighbourhood nail spot and loved the ritual of leaving with a fresh set, even though I almost always got the same thing: a coffin shape with a neon green French tip (my idea of a classic). But over time, something started to bother me. My nails couldn’t really survive without the gel. Whenever the polish came off, they felt soft and bendy, the UV curing process always hurt and the appointments were expensive and time consuming.

So I decided to quit gel manicures cold turkey, and it was a bigger mental shift than I expected.

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