There Are Now Hydrogel Patches for Your Nails
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Hydrogel has become one of the beauty industry’s standard ways todeliver skin-care ingredients. We see the material used withunder-eye patches, face masks, lip treatment,pimple patches— and now nails. Hydrogel patches for your nails have the same jellylike format, giving dry,damaged nailsthe hydration they need.
I’d never seen hydrogel nail patches until a package from Hydronail arrived at my doorstep, but I was eager to try them.I’ve never had great nails. I keep them pretty short, and they’re typically bare. When I get a pro manicure, I tend to get gel so they don’t chip quickly, but aftergel removal, my nails are especially weak. They’re thin and brittle, and they peel and break.
I always thought I needed a nail hardener to keep mine from breaking, but when it comes to nail care, stronger doesn’t necessarily mean harder. Your nails need flexibility to bend without cracking, and hydration keeps the keratin in the nail plate flexible. Research has found that nails become more brittle in dry conditions and more flexible as their moisture content increases. That’s why theAmerican Academy of Dermatologyrecommends rehydrating nails in between gel manicures. Hydronail essentially turns that advice into an overnight treatment, using a water-rich hydrogel patch to keep the nails moist while you sleep instead of traditional nail hardeners, which the brand says often contain alcohol and other ingredients that can dry out nails in the long run.
The patches are meant to be used on bare nails, so after my last gel removal, I started wearing them at night. A box has a ten-night supply. Each individual sheet has ten patches in sizes that match up with your respective nails. My nails are short and narrow, so some of the patch overlapped onto the skin around my nail. They stick on easily and stay put. I learned it’s better to put them on right before bed because if I’m awake for a while doing things around the house, they flap up or get fuzz stuck to the sticky side — kind of like what happens when a Band-Aid starts to lift.
In the morning, the patches peeled off easily. While it’s safe to use every night, Hydronail recommends wearing them for at least four consecutive nights to see results. After just three nights of wearing the patches, my typically peel-y nails looked smoother and healthier, and so did the skin around my nails. Bonus. I’m wondering if it will keep the dry, angry cuticles away this winter.
Next time I get gel — or evenregular polish— removed, I’ll start with Hydronails that same night. My nails seemed to need the extra moisture, and I liked that there were no greasy oils or creams involved. I’d like to see if my nails are healthier over time if I continue to use them.
New! You can now save this product for later.
More nail products we’ve written about
New! You can now save this product for later.
AHAs and a plant-based keratin help create less brittle nails in just two weeks.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Nail pro Gina Eppolito says the rubberized texture really grips the nail.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A non-gel polish that lasts almost two weeks.
More From The Strategist
- Hark, the Advent Calendars Arrived (Very) Early This Year
- 63 Things You Should Never Buy Full Price
- The Strategist Fall 100
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
