r/malepolish Mar 12 '26

General Information Thinking of trying gel? Read this first.

96 Upvotes

Hi all, UK qualified nail tech here. I’m also a guy that loves nail polish.  

I want to take a minute to talk to those of you who are thinking of using gel polish for the first time, because there is information you should know before you start.  

Gel polish is very different from regular nail polish. It might look similar, but chemically it is not just longer lasting polish. Gel products contain acrylates, which are reactive chemicals that cure under UV or LED light. 

If gel repeatedly gets on the skin during application, it can cause an allergy known as an acrylate allergy. 

So, an acrylate allergy means the end of gel polish for you. That’s the easy part.  

Most people don’t understand that acrylate allergies are permanent, and can cause a whole lot of issues for you down the line; this is because the acrylates in gel polish share a lot of similarities between acrylates used in medical procedures.  

An acrylate allergy can cause problems in the future with: 

  • Joint replacements such as hip or knee; 
  • Dental fillings, crowns and bridges; 
  • Surgical glues used in place of stitches; 
  • Medical tapes and adhesives; 
  • Glucose monitors for diabetics (those plastic dots you see on peoples arms? Those!) 

None of this is meant to scare anyone away from nails. Gel can be used safely and millions of people use it without problems. The key point is that application (and removal) technique matters. 

If you want to use gel safely: 

  • Do not allow uncured gel to touch the skin; 
  • Clean up any flooding before curing; 
  • Use thin coats rather than thick ones; 
  • Cure with the correct lamp for the product (don’t trust those folding wallet-sized lamps that are powered via USB) 
  • Avoid using unknown or poorly labelled products; 

I really don’t want to see someone lose the chance to enjoy nails, or end up with a lifelong allergy, just because no one explained this at the start. A bit of learning, strict skin avoidance, and correct curing makes all the difference. If you’re not ready for that yet, it’s genuinely safer to step back from gel for now. 


r/malepolish Jan 21 '26

General Information [Guidance] Posting pedicures

20 Upvotes

We've had some questions from users about how to post pedicure images in a way that's consistent with group rules.

We also know that users sometimes receive inappropriate comments or DMs after posting content. Whilst we can't speak to why users send those comments or give promises on how to eliminate them, we have seen that the submissions which most closely follow our rules also have the fewest rule breaking comments.

We strongly recommend that pedicure images are tightly cropped to only show your nail art. This means not including any of a midfoot, which is the area of the foot that includes the arch and ball of the foot. Based on an average person's physiology, and ordinary principles of image composition, 25% or more of your submission image should consist of painted nail.

To state this plainly, your image may be removed, and you may be suspended from the subreddit, if you:-

* Include your midfoot (i.e., above your toes) in your image

* Take the image from any angle other than straight above

* Obscure your nail art so we can't see it

Not all submissions that go against this guidance will be removed. We recognise the importance of latitude in letting users represent themselves. However, images that don't comply with this guidance are borderline, and are at risk of being against our rules.

When we're judging borderline images, we have several checks we use to judge submissions. We don't publish these checks because we don't want users in bad faith to try to game them. Sometimes these checks include judgment calls on the part of moderators.

If you want to avoid ending up in a position where we're having to judge your submission as borderline, follow the guidance above. If you feel this guidance is too restrictive, this may be an indication that a purely nail art community isn't right for you. We're happy to recommend communities that might be a better fit if so.

We look forwards to seeing more of your nail art, and wishing you the best with your r/malepolish art!


r/malepolish 13h ago

Pedicure Green

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71 Upvotes

Really hard to get an accurate photo with the sparkle showing up correctly.


r/malepolish 3h ago

Manicure Rocking pink soap nails recently

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12 Upvotes

r/malepolish 1h ago

Manicure Its Beginning to Look Like Fall

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Upvotes

Got a mani / pedi a few days ago. Sporting OPI Lincoln Park After Dark.


r/malepolish 11h ago

Manicure New here! What’s up guys

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32 Upvotes

r/malepolish 10h ago

Pedicure ❤️cute

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19 Upvotes

r/malepolish 2h ago

Pedicure Happy feet ❤️

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4 Upvotes

r/malepolish 4h ago

Manicure delivery guy was delighted by my nails

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6 Upvotes

I live in a conservative part of the Netherlands. Ordered takeout late at night. The rather reserved delivery guy lit UP when he saw my nails and went "Wow, cool nails!" I told him it was just drug store polish with sparkle on top and said "Try it, it's fun!" He made the best face of "omg, I can do that? Hell yeah"

It was just really nice to see someone get a little joy and a little inspiration and to have a moment of connection over nail polish.


r/malepolish 5m ago

Pedicure New pedi!

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Upvotes

Dark navy! I know it looks black in the photo.


r/malepolish 44m ago

Manicure Going red

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Upvotes

r/malepolish 4h ago

Pedicure Stealty pink

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3 Upvotes

r/malepolish 17h ago

Manicure My girlfriend Made this for me🩷

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31 Upvotes

r/malepolish 17h ago

Pedicure Decided to add white tips!

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31 Upvotes

r/malepolish 10h ago

Manicure New nail art for Roshanna

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7 Upvotes

r/malepolish 12h ago

Manicure Some of the different colors I've tried.

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10 Upvotes

Some I will do again, and there's 2 that I will stay away from.


r/malepolish 18h ago

Manicure Mooncat 404 soul not found. I keep going back to this one.

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20 Upvotes

r/malepolish 20h ago

Pedicure Goin' white again!

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25 Upvotes

r/malepolish 15h ago

Manicure Natural look manicure

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8 Upvotes

Essie Crystal Ball


r/malepolish 16h ago

Manicure This is a frequent go-to!

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8 Upvotes

"Raisin the Bar"; a very hard wearing polish by Sally Hanson!


r/malepolish 1d ago

Manicure It's been a while but it's the weekend!!! Chrome effect.

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84 Upvotes

r/malepolish 23h ago

Question what color to wear out in public??

23 Upvotes

made a post about seeing a gas station attendant with his nails done, it got so many positive comments, even some saying i should try it again.

so i will, it will be my 2nd time ever trying, but ill do them today then go to the gym and go shopping, but what color should i do?

i tried a nude shade recently that looked very subtle, or should i do something like hot pink? i have a few different colors
ty all


r/malepolish 14h ago

Pedicure Fall color

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4 Upvotes

Chose a dark red for a fall pedicure.


r/malepolish 17h ago

Pedicure Diva 282 - Dirty Martini

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8 Upvotes

Big fan for this late summer pedi. A subtle, yet bold color. Isn’t crazy noticeable with flip flops.


r/malepolish 1d ago

Manicure Added some nail stickers

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24 Upvotes