HANDGEMACHT By Yvonne Benneker (Davos Platz)

A distinction is made between the use of nail tips and modeling with a template. First, regardless of the method used, the customer disinfects the hands and nails. The nail is degreased, the cuticle is pushed back during a manicure and (consisting of isopropanol and acetone), but not necessarily, made with a buffer or sanding block, dehydrator and additionally often with adhesion primers for modeling.

After two to four weeks, the outgrown part of the nail must be filled due to the displaced statics and unsightly growth. For this purpose, the extended nail is appropriately shortened for a constant length, the transition to the grown-out natural nail is smoothed and recoated with the appropriate plastic and filed into shape.

Gel nails are nails that are processed using the gel technique. The gel consists of a UV-reactive acrylic gel that hardens under UV light. Due to its comparative ease of use, it is the most widely used method for strengthening and lengthening. The nail designer has her own hardening device, where the customer places her hands with the nails previously modeled with gel. The gel hardens in a few minutes, generating heat. Since the gel is a comparatively "soft" material, it is usually more suitable for soft natural nails. Colorful gels and other decorations such as crystal stones, dried flowers and inlay designs can be incorporated into the liquid gel, as the modeling gel remains workable for a long time until it is placed in the curing device. Most gels are solvent resistant and therefore need to be milled for removal.