Louise McSharry: ‘I finally found the secret to long and strong nails — BIAB’

In my youth, the nail salon wasn’t a place I frequented because, again, my nails seemed to be impervious to nail polish. It starts to peel off quickly after being used, even if it’s a normally long-wearing Shellac. However, when I discovered the extensions, everything changed. With gel or acrylic extensions, I can have nice looking nails. They can be as long as I want, in any color or design I dream of. For years, every few weeks, I went to the salon to have my extensions replaced and cleaned up. I was happy. I don’t mind that my own nails are probably hurting underneath the tough product, because they’re inherently trash! Why should I worry?

After that, my life was changed by four small letters. BIAB. BIAB, or The builder in a bottle, is a gel coating that strengthens nails, helping them to grow without warping or breaking. It is applied like nail polish, then cured under a UV lamp. With BIAB, your natural nails have improved flexibility and thanks to the fact that the removal process is significantly gentler than removing gel or acrylic extensions, they are less likely to more damaged. Nail polish lasts longer on BIAB, so your nails look solid for weeks on end and when I get a glimpse of my natural nails these days, my nails are long and beautiful. . Plus, BIAB is less expensive than gel extensions. Sounds like I love it? Because I like it.

Maintenance of the BIAB is relatively simple. Depending on the growth of your nails, going to the nail salon every three weeks or so to fill in the ingrown and clean nails will help you continue on your ‘I’m a Precious Man’ nail path. she likes’. You’ll be surprised how quickly your nails get long and strong, but you can keep them short and neat if that’s your preference.

If you suddenly want a really long nail for a special occasion, Aprés Gel-X . extension is the answer. These extensions can be soaked to prevent damage from filing and removing nail extensions like traditional gel or acrylic.

While BIAB and Aprés Gel-X Extensions are not offered in every nail salon, they are growing in popularity and will cost around €50-€60 per treatment. Biosculpture and ‘shellac protein’ are similar treatments, so look for those as well. In Dublin, check out Tropical Popical, Genevieve Beauty and Nails Dublin among others. Elsewhere, check out The House of Nails in Cork, Dazzling Beauty in Belfast, Fox Beauty in the Beauty Atelier salon in Limerick and Shannon’s Beauty Suites in Galway.

Lost in translation

These days, the girls on TikTok and Instagram are all speechless skiing. But what does it mean and should you do it? Essentially, skiing is the practice of applying Vaseline or a similar product overnight. The idea is that it creates a barrier and keeps your other skin care products and moisture in it. It’s not right for everyone, but if you’re suffering from dry skin, you may see some benefits.

Something old…

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