I cannot remember the last time I sported bare nails. Ever since I was young, I’ve had some form of nail polish on—I just feel more put together when my nails are done. For most of my life, I did my own nails, but for the past couple of years, I’ve been getting gel nails in-salon.
My favorite type of gel to get on my nails is undoubtedly hard gel (also known as builder gel). It lasts longer than soft gel, it’s all but resistant to chips, and if you’re like me and have a penchant for long nails, it strengthens nails so they won’t bend or break. In my eyes, hard gel is the ticket to near-perfect nails. There is, however, one caveat: it’s extremely annoying to take off.
To remove hard gel properly, you need to file (or drill) off most of it, then soak the remaining in acetone. A couple of months ago, I went to a nail salon that was ill-equipped to remove hard gel, and I ended up with the most damaged nails I’ve ever had—they were brittle, thin, and covered in unsightly scrapes.
Needless to say, my nails were in need of some serious TLC. First things first: I knew I needed to lay off the hard gel for a while so I could let my nails breathe. In the meantime, I needed to find a way to strengthen them.
If there were ever a good time for me to experience major nail damage, it would definitely be now. There have never been so many nail polish and treatment hybrids on the market as there are now. These treatments can help do major damage control on beat-up nails, and many of them also help mask imperfections and make nails look their best. Keep reading for some of my favorite polish treatments on the market.
My nails before and after using Dermelect Cosmeceuticals Makeover Ridge Filler.
This nail treatment’s subtle pink tone helps neutralize your nail color by canceling out any yellow. It fills in any ridges or scrapes, making your nails look brand new. It’s also infused with peptides and vitamins to help strengthen nails. It’s been my go-to for resuscitating my nails.
OPI’s new nail serum is made with Ulti-Plex technology that’s able to penetrate the nail surface to help rebuild bonds in the nail. For the best results, you can apply this two times a day for six days.
Essie’s nail strengthener treatment comes in sheer pink to add a glow to your nails or sheer violet to brighten and neutralize unwanted tones. This polish has nail bonding technology to strengthen nails.
Aptly named, Orly’s Nailtrition is a growth treatment that’s packed with good-for-you ingredients like green tea extract, algae extract, cannabis satik seed oil, calcium, and bamboo extract. It’s also sheer pink and shimmery, so it masks imperfections while it strengthens.
The key ingredient in Olive & June’s Nail Strengthener is celery seed extract, which helps stop nails from peeling and getting ridges. Swipe this on before you paint your nails and let it do its thing under your polish.
Kale for your nails? Sign us up. This base coat is infused with keratin to help fortify your nails.
Touted as a color and treatment hybrid, this polish gives your nails a blush-toned glow while strengthening them with sweet almond oil and raspberry extract. It also contains AHA to help renew nails.
This strengthening polish formula comes in tons of different colors, so you don’t have to settle for a fortified formula.
