Healthy, strong nails, even in the absence of manicure, make women's hands well-groomed and attractive. However, the condition of nails can worsen for many reasons. Frequent contact with water and household chemicals, lack of vitamins, decreased immunity, use of decorative varnishes, extensions, application of gel polish - all this can lead to deformation of the plate, its fragility, delamination, loss of natural shine and yellowing of the nails.
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There are many recovery methods. Salon treatments are not available to everyone due to the high cost. Traditional methods using various baths and compresses take a lot of time and are not always effective. The simplest and most accessible method for quick results is the use of special strengthening varnishes. They mechanically make the nail plate stronger, and also have a healing effect thanks to the useful components in the composition.
Conventionally, such funds can be divided into the following groups:
- A simple strengthening coating. It has no color and has an exclusively therapeutic effect. Used in courses.
- A universal strengthening agent. Can be used alone or as a base, and sometimes as a top coat.
- Colored strengthening varnish. Designed for those who do not want to give up color coating. It is characterized by medicinal properties and has color. There are both nude and bright options.
We present to you the rating of nail strengthening polishes 2022. The best 12 products that were selected by our experts based on user reviews and ratings.
Rating (2021) | Prices, ₽ | A country |
The best inexpensive nail polishes to strengthen nails | ||
1. Belweder strengthening multivitamin | from 190₽ | France |
2. El Corazon Active Bio-gel polish Cream | from 180₽ | Russia |
3. Frenchi Smart Enamel | from 160₽ | Russia |
4. El Corazon Iron Hard | from 140₽ | Russia |
The best varnishes for strengthening nails in the mid-price segment | ||
1. Belweder strengthening with ceramides | from 6500₽ | France |
2. Horsepower Reanimator | from 300₽ | Russia |
3. Belweder strengthening with calcium | from 220₽ | France |
4. Librederm Ultraprotection | from 220₽ | Russia |
The best polishes for strengthening nails in the premium segment | ||
1. Christian Dior Diorlisse Abricot | from 2300₽ | China, Malaysia |
2. Orly Breathable Treatment + Color | from 520₽ | USA |
3. Catrice Stronger Nails | from 420₽ | Poland |
4. Trind Nail Repair Natural | from 420₽ | Netherlands |
Why strengthen your nails with gel polish?
The simplest option is to strengthen it with a base. However, this option is not suitable for everyone. This is due to the excessive softness of the nail plate and its ability to bend in different directions. Unfortunately, most bases are quite flexible, so they bend along with the natural nail and the top coat.
Which quite often leads to chipping and peeling at the ends of the nail. However, this method is ideal if the client’s nails are quite strong and thick. In this case, strengthening with the help of a base will be sufficient. This method is also suitable if it is necessary to correct some defects in a natural plate. That is, using the base you can perform alignment.
Strengthen nails with gel polish
How to strengthen your nails with a gel polish base?
Instructions:
- To carry out the manipulation, it is necessary to prepare the nail plate in a standard way. To do this, filing is carried out using a soft buff in order to remove shine from the natural nail. After this, it is necessary to remove the pterygium so that detachments do not occur in these places.
- Next, treatment is carried out using a primer and a degreaser. After these manipulations, a thin rubbing layer of base is applied. It is not necessary to dry it.
- Now you need to place a large drop of base on the nail and use a thin brush to smooth it out, not forgetting to draw the apex line, gradually reducing the amount of material towards the cuticle, side ridges and ends of the nail. After this, you need to turn the nail down in order to even out the coating and place it in the lamp for a few seconds until the base dries completely.
- If your nails are quite strong, strong, and thick, then such strengthening will contribute to longer wear of the gel polish.
After strengthening
How to strengthen nails under gel polish with acrylic powder?
In addition to this method, strengthening is often carried out using a base containing acrylic powder. In this case, acrylic acts as a kind of reinforcement, that is, it builds a kind of strong frame.
Instructions:
- To carry out this manipulation, the preparation of the nail plate is carried out in a standard way; a thin rubbing layer of base is applied, which must be dried in a lamp. After this, a thick layer of base is applied and sprinkled with acrylic powder.
- After this, the mixture is dried in a lamp without removing the sticky layer; another leveling layer of the base is applied, which will help hide the grains of acrylic if they are large.
- This method is suitable for nails of medium strength, and will not save you from chipping gel polish if your nail plate is very thin, weak, or flaking.
Camouflage base
Rating of the best varnishes for strengthening nails
Nomination | place | Name of product | price |
The best budget varnishes for strengthening nails | 1 | Belweder 3 in 1 | 191 ₽ |
2 | Frenchi Smart Enamel | 111 ₽ | |
3 | Relouis "Iron" strengthener | 167 ₽ | |
4 | FITO COSMETIC Healthy nails growth activator | 100 ₽ | |
The best varnishes for strengthening nails in the mid-price segment | 1 | Seche Rebuild for the care and restoration of the nail plate | 395 ₽ |
2 | Trind Nail Repair Matt | 450 ₽ | |
3 | ANNY Cosmetics Express nail hardener | 599 ₽ | |
4 | Sally Hansen Nail Nutrition Green Teaa + Bamboo | 403 ₽ | |
The best premium nail polishes | 1 | Christian Dior Diorlisse Abricot | 1 885 ₽ |
2 | VitaGel Strength | 1 390 ₽ | |
3 | OPI Nail Envy - Original | 1 200 ₽ | |
4 | ALCINA Effective Nail Hardener Varnish | 822 ₽ |
How to strengthen nails with gel under gel polish?
You can also strengthen the nail plate using hard materials. They are ideal if your nails are very thin. This is the only possible option for girls who do not have any coating on their nails for longer than a week. This is due to excessive weakening, softness and thinness of the natural nail plate.
Accordingly, there is no alternative to strengthening with solid materials. Because it is not possible to strengthen such nails with a base using acrylic powder. This coating simply does not stick to the nails and chips off after just a week. To extend the durability of the design up to three weeks, it is necessary to use reinforcement with solid materials. That is, gel or acrygel.
Instructions:
- To carry out manipulation for the purpose of strengthening with gel, it is necessary to file the nail plate, remove the remains of the pterygium using a bullet cutter, and shape the free edge. After this, dust is removed using a cloth with a degreaser, and a primer is applied.
- For better adhesion of the coating, you can apply bonder. And after that, apply a very thin layer of base using rubbing movements, which is dried in a lamp for 30 seconds.
- Thus, using the base, we form a kind of adhesive tape that will help hold the hard material on the nails. After these manipulations, strengthening can be carried out using gel.
- To do this, you need to take a small amount of product on the brush, work the entire nail plate, including the cuticle area, side ridges and free edge. Thus, you apply a kind of substrate.
- After this layer, you need to take a drop on a brush and apply it to the center of the nail. Now, using a thin brush, you need to distribute the gel in different directions, forming the apex zone. After you are satisfied with the quality of the alignment, you have built the architecture of the nail, you need to place your hand in the lamp.
- This option is suitable if you work well with the gel, it does not numb, and you are completely satisfied with the quality of the material. It is very convenient to use for leveling the nail plate and strengthening it with gels of medium consistency.
- Jelly gel is not suitable for these purposes because it is quite thick and does not level well. It is better for them to do extensions rather than leveling. For strengthening purposes, a regular extension gel of medium consistency is suitable.
- If necessary, you can take transparent or camouflage. The thinner the gel, the easier it will be for you to level. This is due to the fact that such material is very quickly leveled on the nail plate, and after that there is no need to file.
Strengthening nails
Which bio-gel to strengthen nails should you choose?
Choosing the ideal biogel should begin with determining the reason for its use. Some biogels are suitable for sick and damaged nails, and others are suitable for normal nails that cannot be grown.
Also, a lot depends on the availability of a lamp, because many biogels do not dry naturally, but require polymerization under special radiation. El Corazon Active Bio-gel biogels are ideal for independent home use without a lamp.
And, of course, the budget is important.
Many craftsmen give their preference to Runail biogel because it combines decent quality and low price. However, if the nails are severely injured, its properties will not be enough. In this case, it is better to choose TNL Professional Bio Gel from this price category. If that doesn’t work, you should switch to more expensive biogels, for example, Planet nails Sculpting.
In modern abundance, everyone can find and choose the ideal biogel for themselves, knowing and using the information presented above.
How to strengthen nails under acrylic gel polish?
One of the most popular methods of strengthening at the moment is the use of acrylic. With its help you can not only grow your nails, but also strengthen them.
Instructions:
- To carry out the manipulation, the nail surface is prepared in a standard way. That is, the old coating is removed, the regrown part is cut, the pterygium is removed, after which a layer of degreaser is applied, and the remaining dust is removed.
- Next, you need to apply a layer of primer, and after drying, coat the surface with a base. Thus, the base serves as a kind of substrate for reinforcement with acrylic. If you are reinforcing with this solid material, the base must be applied in a very thin layer. There is no need to bother with alignment. Now a ball of acrylic is placed in the center of the nail using a spatula.
- Please note that to strengthen it you need very little, much less than to build it up. Your task is to tighten the material from the center to the side rollers, cuticle, and free edge, so that the maximum of the product ends up in the center of the nail, the apex zone.
- Smoothing the surface can be done by wetting the brush in a degreaser, base or top. Once you are satisfied with the leveling option, you need to dry it in a lamp. If you are very good at this material, you have a lot of experience working with it, then perhaps there is no need to carry out sawing. But in most cases, light sanding is carried out using a buff.
- Now you can use a flame cutter or a bullet to carry out processing in the area of the cuticle and side ridges, this is done in order to reduce the amount of material in this area to nothing. Only after this can the cuticle be removed.
- It is best to do this using a ball cutter and additionally polish it with a silicone grinder. As you can see, any of these methods will not work in all cases. For weaker nails, hard materials such as gel and acrygel are chosen, and in the case of hard nails, strengthening can be done using a dense rubber base.
Acrylic Powder
Gel polish coating after strengthening nails: how to strengthen nails with single-phase gel polish?
Gel polish coating is carried out in a standard manner. Please note that after strengthening with acrylic and gel, and after removing particles of sawdust, there is no need to apply a base. Gel polish adheres perfectly to artificial material without applying a base.
Peculiarities:
- If you want to remove small errors that remain after strengthening with acrylic or gel, you can level it using a base. After this, several layers of colored coating are applied and covered with topcoat.
- Many girls who do their nails at home and make their own gel polish often use three-phase gel polish systems in order to reduce the time spent on manicure. That is, one bottle contains color pigment, base, and top. That is, instead of applying several layers, you only need two. However, this option is absolutely not suitable for application to weak, natural nails.
- The fact is that in 70% of cases this varnish chips off on almost all nails within a week. That is, the durability of such a coating is less than a week. That is why it is necessary to apply a base and strengthen it. Single-phase nail polishes are a good alternative for pedicures, but they are very rarely suitable for creating a beautiful coating on fingernails.
- As you can see, strengthening nails is not a mandatory procedure, but it is necessary if your nail plate is very thin and weak, and gel polish practically does not stick to it.
Strengthening products
Nail care after gel removal
After using the gel to strengthen your nails, it is advisable to carry out procedures to improve their health:
- Have strong nails sealed in a salon using beeswax. It will create a protective barrier on the surface of the plate and will not allow external factors to destroy it.
- Conduct a course of paraffin treatments.
- After removing the gel polish, you can rub special oils and liquid vitamin E into the plate every day.
- Salt baths or herbal decoction will be beneficial.
- An oil compress made from a mixture of castor oil, lavender ether and vitamin E will help to moisturize the nails, which must be soaked in a sponge and applied to the nails for 5-7 minutes. Do the procedure 2-3 times a week.
Strengthening nails at home with acrylic gel polish
Not so long ago, nail strengthening was performed using ordinary acrylic and monomer. However, technology does not stand still, and manufacturers of nail service products are developing. The procedure for strengthening with acrylic is quite simple.
Instructions:
- It is necessary to moisten the brush in the monomer, dip it in the powder, and use an adhesive ball to distribute the resulting mass over the nail plate. This method is now rarely used, due to the fact that the monomer smells very bad and can cause allergies.
- At the same time, acrylic itself is quite difficult to saw down, it is very hard, so sawing can take a decent amount of time. Therefore, polygel, acrygel, that is, hybrids, are very popular.
- They are very easy to apply and easy to saw. Which takes a minimum of time in the process of strengthening nails. At the same time, if you have a very good command of materials, you have decent experience, then in most cases you may need very little sawdust in the area of the cuticle, side ridges, and end. This significantly saves time on correction and strengthening of nails.
Strengthening nails before applying gel polish is an optional procedure. But if your nails are thin, this is the only way to improve the durability of the coating.
How to choose a nail hardener
In order not to make a mistake when choosing a product, we recommend that you study the following parameters before purchasing:
Effect.
Strengthening varnishes come in different types. Usually the main effect of a varnish is mentioned in its name or characteristics. A standard hardener is aimed at protecting nails from external influences and thickening their structure. The regenerator contains more oils and vitamins to restore and nourish nails. The growth activator, on the one hand, strengthens the structure of the plates, on the other, stimulates their growth. The most optimal products are those with a complex effect that strengthen, restore the structure, and protect against fragility and delamination.
Compound.
The effects of a strengthening varnish can also be calculated by its composition. To seal and strengthen nails, the active substance in the product must be calcium. However, such varnishes must be used intermittently. Camphor, wheat and calendula extracts help to cope with the problem of delamination. Vitamins E, A, C, B, keratin, talc, silk proteins, and microparticles of gold usually help against fragility and tarnishing.
Texture and coating.
It is desirable that the texture of the varnish be liquid. Typically, such products are easier to apply and more economical to use. It is also worth paying attention to the coating properties of the varnish: application and durability. With even application, good durability and a neutral color, the product can be used, among other things, for regular manicure.