Over the last few years, gel nail technology has gone from super expensive to easy at home. You do not have to be a professional artist to use them!
Gel nails are very easy to use. You pick a gel nail brand, find out how to take your first (or second) class polish off, and you are ready to go. All you do is press down on the powder and then wait for it to dry.
Some brands require you follow their instructions for growing your nails, but most just let them hang longer before cutting again. Once they are length enough, you can cut them shorter!
You can now grow your natural nails at any time of day or season. Most people start after breakfast and continue until bedtime or right after bath. You can also do some painting or other activities while the nails are being painted.
Contents:
Apply base coat
When you are ready to begin your nail art, the first step is to prepare your natural nails. You can do this at home or can also purchase the luxury kits.
To prevent the paint from cracking, being too warm a touch when applying it and evenly distributing the nail polish over the entire length of the nail. And to ensure that there are no short, thick or sharp nails that would not be able to hold up the polish well.
To make room for the nail polish, take small pieces of tape or skin lightly removed from a finger and place it on top of the nail. Let it dry before adding another layer of nail polish. Doing these steps in order will prevent any water spots or abnormal growth that could result in breakage or removal.
Then, wrap some clear tape around each side of the foot just below wherethe paint is applied and let them dry as well.
Apply one thin layer of gel overlay
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Cure for 30 seconds using a LED light or 60 seconds using a UV light
Both products work, but the UV light is my favorite. When working with very bright lights or very long sessions with a UV light, you get more cure time.
The LED lights take less time!
Using a LED light is more cost-friendly than using a UV light. However, the LED light does not last as long as aUV light. Therefore, when doing very short sessions (30 or 60 seconds) using a UVlight, it is best to use an LEDlight to help preserve the nail bed.
When doing longer treatments with either an LEDlight or a UVlight, be sure to keep the correct height of your nails! Doing too much can lead to weak or broken nails or overcuring, which does not look good on your nails.
Apply second layer of gel overlay
When your nails are strong enough to hold another layer of gel, do so. First, score the natural nail with a sharp knife oricle, then place a small amount of glue on the opposite side of the cut.
Holding the nail in place with a file or other tool is also helpful to let the process work. After about five minutes, let it dry and lightly peel off the new layer. These nails will look stronger and more expensive than they really were!
To change colors, just repeat! You can also experiment with crazy shapes and decorations—just keep painting until you are finished with your set of nails.
Cure for 30 seconds using a LED light or 60 seconds using a UV light
Both methods can be used at home. A LED light can be fitted in a phone app or online, and can be held next to the nail to provide the right light intensity for the nail.
The UV light can be bought as a kit or installed in a window box to provide consistent light over the nail. Both are effective and cost friendly ways to treat your nails.
Using a UV light directly on your natural nail is more difficult and requires more practice to achieve perfect coverage.
Apply top coat and seal in shine
Now that you have your nails, let them dry completely before going to the next step. If you are doing either gel or regular natural nails, place a little bit of polish on the very tip of your nail and gently sweep down the length of the nail until it is fully coated.
If you are doing natural nails, place some polish on each short cut-off nail and brush them down to join the other nails. If you are doing gel nails, begin with one drop of colour and add more if necessary!
To seal in the shine, do one short row of gel overtop of the natural nail and then immediately do a strong sweep down of another type of nail to include the next short length.
Repeat on all nails
Once you are happy with your new gel overlay, it is time to repeat the process on all of your nails. Start by doing a short length of the nail that is parallel to the natural nail.
Then, do about an inch of the gel overlay and then pull up slightly and down as you slide it off the natural nail. Continue doing this on all five nails until you have a short length of super strong gel.
Once that is done, lightly buff the nails to set them down and remove them later. Now that you have five super strong, long nails, do one more step to create five short natural nails. Take about an inch of the super strong gel and do exactly what was done in reverse- start with just one small section and then add more each time until you have five shorter natural nails.
Take care of your natural nails and keep them healthy
A natural nail is created when the nail growth is not interrupted by a cut, broken, or removed part of the nail.
The healthy nail growth can also occur while wearing falsies or natural nails. When they are removed, the new nail growth can sometimes be slow.
To keep your nails healthy, you must regularly file and polish them. File and polish every three to six months, depending on how long your nails have been growing.
Sometimes, people underestimate the work required to take care of your own nails. Unfortunately, some people choose to file and polish their own nails but fail to take care of them.
You can do something as simple as pour some gel over your normal nonacetic acidbased polish and leave it on for three days before removing it. You can also buy fancy polished versions of your natural nails that are shipped directly to your home.