Difference Between Solar Nails and Gel Nails

Solar Nails vs Gel Nails

Solar nails and gel nails are both artificial nails. Artificial nails are also referred to as false nails, fake nails, nail enhancements, fashion nails, etc. Artificial nails are actually nail extensions which are used to cover the real nails as fashion accessories, and some look like real nails in appearance while some have designs which make them look not-so-real. Artificial nails are made of many different materials. The two main varieties of artificial nails are acrylic nails and gel nails.

Solar Nails
Solar nails are a type of acrylic nails. “Acrylic” refers to a material called polymethyl methacrylate acrylics. It is basically a mixture of two components, a liquid monomer and a powder. This mixture when applied to the nail starts hardening within seconds when exposed to air. It hardens perfectly within 15 minutes to form a protective layer and provides a perfect surface for any nail color application. The removal is also easy; it takes 15-20 minutes for the removal of the acrylic layer using acetone.

There are some pros and cons for solar nails:

Pros

When broken, they can be fixed at home.
They last for a very long time.
The application costs less than a gel application.

Cons

They may create areas for fungal and bacterial infections.
They may look less natural than gel nails.
The application involves chemical fumes.
Pregnant women should avoid solar nails.

Gel Nails
Gel nails are made of polymer resins and are also called UV top coat. They harden only under the ultraviolet light. There are three different coats to be applied; a base coat, secondly the polish color, and finally the top coat which needs to be cured under the ultraviolet light for about two to three minutes. They are more expensive than the solar nails.

There are some pros and cons for gel nails also:

Pros

They look glossier and more natural than other fake nails.
The time taken to cure them is shorter than acrylic nails.
They do not have the chemical fumes thus are more eco-friendly

Cons

They do not last as long as the acrylic nails.
They cannot be done at home, and fixing them is hard as they shatter and do not break clean.
They are not easily removable. They need to be either filed off or have some soaking for removal.

Summary:

1.Solar nails are acrylic nails which are made of polymethyl methacrylate acrylics; gel nails are made of polymer resins.
2.Solar nails harden by air; gel nails are cured by ultraviolet light.
3.Solar nails are less expensive than gel nails.
4.Solar nails can be fixed at home if they break; gel nails shatter and cannot be fixed at home.
5.Solar nails are longer-lasting than gel nails.
6.Solar nails look less natural than gel nails in appearance.
7.Solar nails can be easily removed by using acetone; gel nails need to be filed off or sometimes soaking methods are also used.
8.Solar nails produce chemical fumes which are not so eco-friendly; gel nails are more eco-friendly as they do not produce chemical fumes.
9.Solar nails cause damage to the nail bed and can cause fungal and bacterial infections.

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