Gel vs. Shellac Manicure?

They're the same, Shellac is a brand name by CND.

To my knowledge, shellac is just nail polish ( a very long-lasting nail polish) cured with a UV light. I think there is more to a gel manicure that can harm your nails if you want to take it off (Im not positive! others can share more insight)

A shellac manicure wont wreck your nails unless you peel the polish off. You remove it with acetone.

I had shellac for my wedding and it lasted all through my honeymoon. It generally lasts around 2 week.

ETA: haha thanks M, If thats the case,I'm totally wrong! lol Maybe I was thinking of acrylic. Isn't there a type of manicure thats like getting acrylics but called Solar Gel or something?

Pretty sure gel and shellac are the same thing. I do gel every 2 weeks. OPI brand always stays the best for me. I can usually push it to 2.5-3 weeks with OPI.

As pp said, Shellac is the brand name for a gel polish.

To answer your question, I love gel manicures, however, if you're going through all this trouble to strengthen your nails, the gel polish will ruin everything you've done. The polish looks great and lasts for about 2 weeks (depending on nail growth) but afterwards the nails become so brittle, so it's something you would have to maintain.

It's been my experience that it's not so much the polish that damages my nails, but the acetone soak required to get it off. It dries my nails out and they peel badly (which isn't typical for me.) They do look awesome though, so I limit Shellac manicures to special occasions, vacations, stuff like that. I don't like to get more than 2 or 3 a year.

Nope, the ones that need to be filled are acrylics. Tips are glued to your nails, and an acrylic layer is put over that.

Shellac technically has a slightly different polish that dries thinner than OPI gels, but they're still the same. Most places don't' have CND stuff though, but will have OPI.

Well, shows how much I know! I had no idea they were the same. I know I'm going to ruin the work I've put into my nails, but the thought of them being chipped and peeling the day of drives me batty!

Also, I love the regular OPI polish, so going that route sounds great to me because I know they offer great products. Thanks for the help ladies!

One rounds of gels around your wedding date won't hurt you!

I only notice brittle nails after several months of continuous wear.

Gel/Shellac do not last as long if you're in the sun/sand/water for long periods of time.

They also will destroy your already sensitive nails. I would suggest having your nails done with regular polish (even start a routine before your wedding, either have your nails done once a week or ever other week), the day before your wedding, and then if you are going to a resort, treat yourself to a manicure during your stay. For your wedding, stick with a lighter color. My personal go to is Sugar Daddy by Essie. It hides chips, and it's very natural. If you are looking for something with a more pink base, there are several others by both Essie and OPI.

Shellac! After getting engaged about a month and a half ago I started doing shellac every 2-3 weeks and my nails have never looked so good. Plus it's your REAL nail and doesn't harm them. The polish keeps them hard and it's next to impossible to break them

Thank you for all your suggestions! I think I am going to go get a regular mani this weekend, and the next few weekends leading up to the wedding (37 days away...eeeeek!), and hope that there is a miracle and my natural nails are in amazing condition. If they are not, and still chipping/peeling, I'm going to go the gel route just for the wedding, and then go back to the routine I've been following.

Honestly, if nothing else, this is 'forcing' me to treat myself to some pampering, and I'm not going to complain about that!

I've had problems with shellac/gel manicures in the past ... it makes my nails really soft and they hurt after I've had them redone a few times. However, when I was talking with a manicurist she said the shellac/gel itself shouldn't damage or hurt your nails, it's usually how the polish is removed. If you pick your nails or have it scraped off that causes damage but you will find better luck letting your nails soak in accetone or wrapping each nail in tin foil with a cotton ball soaked in acetone. I haven't had it done in almost a year but I am going to give it a try again for my wedding too!

I've been getting shellac every month for quite a while now. Love it! I like Opi the best! There's this new gel polish that's color changing based on your body temperature which is kind of fun too.

Is the Shellac similar to ANC?

@Kathryn, my friend was just telling me about that. How fun! However, I think for wedding purposes I'm going to stick with something a little more classic/neutral.

While everyone is telling you they are the same you need to ask the person doing them to verify, not everyone calls everything the same thing. Shellac is nail polish that last a long time and doesn't chip like regular polish. Gel at the places I got to means acrylics with color already in the powder. So since the color is already in the powder they don't paint over your nail. You can also get acrylics without the nails glued on the tips, where I go its called "an overlay" you get the security & lasting power of acrylics with the length of your own nails. You can also get an overlay without color and just get a "pink buff" they buff your nails with a pink powder so that they are their natural color with a pink hue. Other names you may hear used (as I have) is solar (acrylics), or powder (acrylics w/ color in the powder). Hope that helps. But ask the person doing them. I like to ask other customers (what's that called, how much, how long does it last, how many times have you gotten this)? These "nails bars" have gotten very creative in finding more ways to make money with additional services don't be afraid to ask.

Good to know! Was wondering this myself. Anyone have any cute nail art ideas or colors? I think I'll do a gel/shellac in light pink to match my BMs.

Thanks for the tip, FFW. I will be sure to ask my tech before I get anything done!

I love my gel polish. I just took mine off to let them breathe a little before I go have it put on for e-pics next week. I do find that OPI doesn't do as well on mine as Shellac or Gelish does, though. But OPI has never done well on my nails.