Do you love having perfectly manicured nails? Do you hate the artificial look of regular acrylic nails? Well, the NexGen nails are the perfect new trend for you!
Nexgen nails have been around for quite a while in professional nail art salons, but have only recently become widely available to the average consumer. Everyone should try this gorgeous nail art style at least once in their lives. If you want to embark on your nail art journey, keep reading.
What Are Nexgen Nails?
Nexgen nails are a revolutionary new nail art technology. These nails are a form of ‘dip powder nails’ – a nail art technique that requires you to dip your nails into an ‘acrylic’ powder. In a nutshell, dip powder nails or NexGen nails allow you to get long-lasting acrylic reinforcements on your nail without having to deal with brittle, high maintenance, and artificial-looking salon acrylic nails.
Most salons today offer these manicure (or some form of dip powder acrylic nails) services alongside traditional acrylic nail options. However, you could also easily create your own NexGen nails manicure at home using a DIY nail art kit.
How To Apply Nexgen Nails
Applying this manicure is surprisingly easy, especially as you start to get the hang of it. Each dip powder or such nails kit varies slightly, but generally speaking, the main steps are the same!
To apply your NexGen nails, start by making sure your nails are free from any dust or oils. Next, apply a generous layer of a base coat of your choice to protect your natural nails. Then, apply the specialized nail glue that came with your new manicure kit.
Now, the fun can begin! You can now dip your nails into the acrylic nail art powder while the glue is still wet. Be sure to use a scooping motion to coat the nail completely. Repeat the glue and dip process until your nails are completely opaque.
Some kits might require you to apply a coat of sealant before each glue layer, so make sure you read the individual instructions that come with each kit.
Once your nails are at the desired opacity, grab a nail buffer and buff away at the surface of the dip powder nails. File the top layer down until it is completely smooth. Seal in the design with the second polish in the kit (the sealant coat). Finish it off with a nice thick layer of the glossy top coat to activate all the colors and glitter you spent so much time laboriously applying to your nails.
So, there you go! If you have the time and patience, you too could have your very own dip powder manicure at home in just a few easy steps.
Nexgen Nails Vs. Other Nail Art
Before we can debate the merits of NexGen nails, we need to understand what other nail art design options are available to average consumers.
Acrylic Nails
Acrylic nails are possibly the most popular nail trend of all time. The process can be executed in two main ways: tips or nail forms.
Acrylic tips are pieces of premade plastic nail tips that the nail artist glues to the end of the client’s natural nail. Then, the nail technician creates the ‘acrylic’ mixture by combining an acrylic powder (finely ground plastic) and a monomer (a strong chemical that acts as a sort of long-lasting nail glue).
The acrylic mixture is then applied over the client’s natural nail bed and the bottom of the plastic nail tip. This joins the nail and tip together so that you can have long, beautiful nails.
Nail forms work slightly differently. In that, there are no premade elements. The nail technician will actually sculpt an entire nail using just the acrylic mixture. This is a much more complicated technique that requires a professional nail artist to pull off properly, whereas nail tips can be executed fairly simply at home (with a bit of practice, of course).
Gel Nails
You might have heard of gel manicures before and wondered what on earth this technique is. In a nutshell, a gel manicure is like an acrylic manicure, except that the nail technician does not make an acrylic mixture. Instead, the nail artist uses a premade gel that remains liquid until cured under a specialized UV light. These gel nail manicures can be sculpted like acrylic nail forms, or they can be used to secure nail tips.
It is important to note that gel nails or manicures are not the same as gel nail polish! With gel nail polish, the wearer applies a coat of the color onto their nails and then cures that color under a UV lamp. Gel manicures involve actually lengthening and sometimes strengthening the nail.
As we can see, the main types of false nails are nail tips and nail forms. While Nexgen nails cant actually creates a new nail form, you can apply nail tips using the technique.
Why Should You Try Nexgen Nails
So, now that we know what this manicure is and how it compares to other nail designs, we can now ask, ‘why should you try out NexGen nails?’
1. Last Longer
If you have ever had acrylic nails, then you will know how much maintenance they require. Acrylic manicures are prone to breaking, grow out quickly, and generally stop looking good after 2-3 weeks. Dip powder nails can last a lot longer because they are very durable. So, not only will your manicure last longer, you will not be walking on eggshells the entire time that you have your manicure.
2. Nail Health
Acrylic nails are notorious for damaging the nail beds of its wearers. The harsh chemicals eat away at the natural nails until your nail beds are brittle and flaky. The nail buffing process that nail technicians do before applying the acrylics also wears down the nail.
Dip powder nails have no such problems. The glue in the dip powder and the polish bases should not damage your nails (if removed correctly). These nails can even act as a barrier to protect your natural nails from external factors that may cause damage.
3. Easy To Apply
Dip powder nails are extremely easy to apply. Unlike acrylic nails, there are no complicated chemical processes and ratios you need to be careful about with this manicure. You could purchase your own kit and have a beautiful set of nails in 20 minutes or less. The technique is simple, fun, and an effective way to get a gorgeous nail art manicure.
4. Odour Free
If you have ever been to a nail salon, then you will be perfectly aware of the pungent chemical stench that hits you as soon as you open the salon’s doors! Acrylics have a hideous odor because of the monomers used to make the acrylic mixture.
Nail powders are odorless, and the glue base has an odor that is no stronger than a regular bottle of nail polish. If you have a sensitive nose (or you just do not like the chemical odor of acrylic manicures), you should definitely try out Dip powder nails.
5. Unique Look
Nexgen manicures have a unique look that will make your nails stand out in a sea of acrylic and gel manicures. These nails have a soft and natural look that is very different from the cheap plastic look of acrylic and gel nails.
You can have a range of different nail colors and textures using this nail technique. If you get bored of the look after a while, you can always paint over the nails using regular nail polish colors!
Drawbacks Of Nexgen Nails
Nexgen nails clearly have many advantages, but they are not a flawless invention! There are several cases where these nails are not necessarily the ideal nail technique to utilize. Let us take a look at some of the issues with dip powder nails.
1. Thickness
Firstly, these nails can become incredibly thick. The supreme durability comes with the unfortunate consequence of the manicure becoming very thick and heavy. The layers are basically cemented together, and so is it really any surprise that it can end up feeling like – well, cement!
2. Cost
Nexgen nails are beautiful but can be quite pricey! On average, it can cost up to 10 dollars extra to get a dip powder manicure at a salon then it does to get a regular gel or acrylic manicure. If you decide to go the DIY route, then you could end up paying almost 100 dollars for a full kit with five dip powder colors. However, since these nails last longer, you could technically end up paying less money in the long run!
3. Sanitation
As these nails are becoming more popular in the mainstream, there have been some concerns over how hygienic it is. If you are buying your own kit and doing your NexGen manicure yourself, then you have nothing to worry about.
However, if you are going to a salon to get these nails, then you might not like knowing that you are dipping your nails into the same dip powder pot as countless other clients. This could increase the risk of nail infection! If you are going to get these nails, you would be better off getting your own personal kit.
4. Hard To Remove
As we know, NexGen nails are extremely long-lasting and durable. What this means, however, is that the manicure is pretty hard to remove on your own. Nexgen nails should usually chip away after a while and then can be removed with nail polish remover.
Alternatively, your nail technician will take off the manicure during your next visit using a nail filing drill tip. Should you have to take off the manicure before either of those times, then you would be in for a long ride!
If you want to remove your NexGen nails manicure yourself, you will have to begin by buffing or filing down the dip powder layers. Then, you will have to soak your nails in acetone (usually by dipping some cotton into acetone or nail polish remover and then wrapping it around your nail and securing it with aluminum foil) for at least 10 minutes.
You may even have to repeat this process a few times. Then, when the manicure is soft enough, you can chip away at the pieces using an orangewood stick.
Clearly, this is a tedious process. However, it can be made easier by using a peel-off base coat and simply popping the manicure off when you are done with it. This will make it so that your manicure will not last as long as it would with a normal base coat, but it will be a breeze to take off!
Nexgen Nails – Trend or Trash?
Nexgen nails have many appeals, but they come with almost as many concerns and drawbacks. So, should you actually try NexGen nails?
Well, it depends on why you are getting a manicure in the first place. If you want hassle-free nails, then NexGen nails might be good for you as they are long-lasting and durable. For the same reason, NexGen nails may be perfect for you if you have weak or brittle nails.
Maybe you just want to give your natural nails a break from the harsh chemicals involved in applying acrylic nails. If so, try NexGen nails to get the look without the damage.
If you are an amateur nail artist or just a passionate hobbyist, you would love NexGen nails. This manicure technique is fun, fresh, and exciting! The look is different, the application is ridiculously satisfying, and the overall experience will make you feel like a real nail technician! Nexgen nails are an amazing addition to anyone’s nail art repertoire.
The times where NexGen nails may not be appropriate are limited. If you like plastic ‘Barbie nails,’ then gel or acrylic manicures will work best for you. If you just don’t want to spend an extra few bucks on a manicure, then NexGen nails are not for you. If you like switching up your nail art often, the NexGen nails will be the worst kind of nail art for you!
Ultimately, the benefits and drawbacks of NexGen nails come down to personal preference. Every nail art lover should try this gorgeous nail art technique at least once during the course of their lifetime. Whether you decide to carry on using the style, you can at least rest assured that you tried it.
After all, what do you have to lose? So visit your local nail art salon or purchase your own DIY NexGen nails kit today!
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Last Updated on by ShradhaTiwari
