Gel nail polish and regular nail polish have a fundamental difference in their constitution. Regular nail polishes are like paint and dries quickly. However the gel nail polish, as the name suggests, is a gel compound. The gel nail polish requires curing or drying under a LED lamp. UV rays are also used to cure the gel nail polish. Gel nail polish is being increasingly used these days due to its ability to last long and resist chipping. It has a glassy surface as opposed to acrylic which looks like a plastic coating.