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Nail Polish in Metro Detroit

The polish wall in all four Kelly Beauty stores covers the full color range plus the base coats, top coats and treatments that decide whether a manicure lasts two days or ten.

Base and top coat are not optional

The base coat prevents dark pigment staining the nail and fills ridges so the color lies flat. The top coat carries the shine and absorbs the wear. Leave out either and the manicure either stains going on or chips coming off, usually within two days.

The trick that adds days

Chipping starts at the tip because the tip wasn't sealed. Painting a thin stripe of color and then top coat across the free edge of the nail is the single change that makes the most difference. Beyond that: thin coats rather than thick, full drying time between them, and a clean oil-free nail before you start.

Regular, gel or dip

Regular polish air dries, needs no equipment and comes off in a minute, lasting a few days to a week. Gel cures under a lamp and lasts two to three weeks, needing careful acetone removal. Dip powder is thicker and more durable again, with the same acetone soak. The damage comes almost entirely from removal, so plan for that before you start.

Removal

Soak rather than scrape or peel. Peeling gel or dip off takes layers of natural nail with it, which is where the reputation for damage comes from. Cuticle oil afterward, and if nails come out thin and flexible, time off polish is the only thing that fixes it.