Try To Limit Your Exposure To The Uv Lamp
A recent study from the American Academy of Dermatology revealed that gel manicures may not be a safe option for people who are highly sensitive to UV light. The UV dose that you receive during a gel manicure is brief, but its intense, Dr. Adigun said in the study. Over time, this intense exposure can add up to cause skin damage.
“An additional concern is the rise in popularity of LED nail lamps,” Dr. Adigun notes of her own research on the safety of gel manicures. LED lamps have become popular as much for their faster curing times as the belief that they’re safer than UV lamps, but Dr. Adigun insists this is not the case. “Although many people mistakenly believe these lamps do not use UVA to cure, they in fact use higher intensities of UVA wavelengths in order to achieve the shorter curing times. This higher intensity of UVA irradiance means that it requires less time for these lamps to potentially harm the skin,” she explains.
Instead, Dr. Adigun recommends bringing along your own pair of YouVeeShield gloves to protect your hands against UVA radiation . “It is the most protective material protects the entire digits and wrist,” Dr. Adigun says.
How To Apply Gel Nails At Home
Jenni Draper talks us through how to do the ultimate at-home gel manicure in 10 simple steps :
1. Ensure cuticles are pushed back using a tool like Tweezerman Dual Sided Pushy Cuticle Stick, £16, but avoid using cuticle clippers. If the cuticles are cut incorrectly it can lead to infections and cause the skin to grow back thicker, so leave that to the experts.
2. File your nails to your preferred length and shape . Dont seesaw with your file, just go gently in one direction and back again the other way.
3. Using a soft nail buffer, go from the cuticle to the free edge , removing shine and leaving the nails with a smooth, ridge-free base. Theres no need to over-buff, just go gently, before brushing any excess dust off.
4. Using a lint-free wipe and a nail cleanser for gels, scrub over the nails to remove oils and dust, leaving them squeaky clean.
5. Apply a thin layer of specialised gel base coat, being careful to only apply to the nail, avoiding the skin. If any touches the skin, use a cuticle or cocktail stick to remove it straight away, before curing in the LED light box recommended for your gel system, for the recommended amount of time.
8. Apply your second coat of colour, perfecting your coverage. Repeat steps 6 and 7.
10. Finally, wipe over the nails with a cleanser from your kit and finish off with a nourishing nail oil and hand cream. I love DadiOil, £7.50, and Chanel La Creme Main, £45.
Romantic French Tips With A Hint Of Glamour
This set of gel nails takes the traditional French tip look and updates it with a little bit of pizazz. If you are new to experimenting with nail designs with diamonds, this is a lovely way to get your feet, or fingers, in this case, wet. This nail design would be a fantastic choice to highlight a new engagement ring.
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Kiara Sky French Starter Kit
These are quite a strong acrylic overlay on short nails. The MIA Secret comes with a liquid moniker along with the clear acrylic powder. These are an ideal option for at-home nail art as they are long-lasting.
This product is blended with a liquid monomer and is a non-yellowing formula to apply nail tips with gel overlay. The Acrylic powder prevents your nails from discoloration. This product is available in the color violet.
If you are a newcomer, it will just take a few practices, and after that, youre going to get salon-quality nails right at your home.
How Do You Remove A Gel Manicure

This is not a swab-with-remover situation. Taking off gel polish requires time, patience, and no picking! Whether you’re getting gel taken off at the salon or DIY’ing, here’s how to break out of gel’s tight grip: Cover each nail with an acetone-soaked cotton ball, held in place with aluminum foil, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, the polish should slide off without any filing or scraping. For any stubborn spots, a wooden stick can be used to gently ease it off.
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Let Your Natural Nail Breathe In Between Gel Manicures
Whether or not you opt for a gel or traditional polish formula, the truth is that regular manis of any kind can weaken your natural nails. “The manicure process can lead to dehydration and thinning of the nail plate,” says Dr. Adigun. “I’ve seen my clients come in with peeling, thin, breaking, discolored nails and even painful nail beds,” explains Jenna.
But that fact isn’t to deter salon regulars, nor those who live for an at-home manicure. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Adigun, by not looking at your natural nail at least every two weeks you won’t be able to properly assess its condition, plus you might even be missing infections and in certain, severe cases, tumors. The thick, armor-like coating of polish also blocks nails from being able to transfer oxygen, explains Jenna.
Dr. Adigun encourages patients to avoid back-to-back gel appointments to prevent lasting damage. “I always tell my patients to go on a gel ‘honeymoon,'” says Dr. Adigun. “This break will allow their nails to rehydrate and repair.”
How To Apply Soft Gel Nail Tips: Step By Step At Home
How do you apply soft gel nail tips at home? If you have done gel polish and press-on-nails before, then applying Gelish soft gel tips is just the combination of the two. Simply put, you will brush on a coat of gel base coat and cure it. Next, you will put a soft gel nail tip over the base coat and cure. This soft gel nail tip will adhere to the natural nail after the gel base coat is cured.
For the soft gel tips to last as they should, both nail surface preparation and applying the gel tips should be carried out correctly. The application of Gelish soft gel tips is explained step by step in the section.
If you already know how to do a gel manicure, these steps are self-explanatory. For those who are doing for the first time, follow these steps closely and you will have a perfect set of nails that lasts.
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Prepping Your Natural Nails
How Long Do Gel Manis Really Last
The biggest pro of gel manis is how long they last. “Gel manicures could last up to two weeks with proper nail prep and at-home care, such as cuticle oil and hand lotion,” says Duguay-Gordon. But if you’re really careful, they can last up to four weeks.
If you have a bunch of events coming up back to back like prom, internship interviews, and family vacays, gels can be the perfect solution.
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Dazzling Pink And Glitter Nails
This ultra-feminine selection blends glitz and glamour to produce nail art that is perfect for any true nail addict. A delicate blush pink is complemented by a rich, luxurious silver-toned glitter. These designer nails are sure to impress as they glint and glimmer whenever they catch the light. This look takes artificial nails to the next level.
A Soft Gel Nail Tip Kit Includes:
One Soft Gel Basix Kit: a soft gel full cover nail tip kit. In this kit, you will find:
These Gelish soft gel nail tips come in different sizes and lengths.
- Medium or long Coffin shape
- Medium or Long Stiletto shape
You can only get one in each soft gel kit, not all.
These Soft Gel nail tips are flexible so they can take on the shapes and curves of natural nails. This makes these tips adhere better. This flexibility also prevents any gaps between these tips and the nails from becoming too big so they are virtually snag-free.
Another advantage of these flexible soft tips is they are resistant to breakage.
These full cover soft gel tips also come pre-shaped so they cut down on shaping time.
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Pastel Winter Sky Sparkle Nail Design
Pretty pastels reminiscent of a snowy morning sky have become one of our go-to nail styles for any time of year. An accent nail in silver glitter creates an impactful statement. Whether you are off to a holiday celebration complete with hot cocoa and snowmen or a summer luau with snow cones, this look is delightfully dazzling.
Blue Half Moon Gel Nail Art

The lighter half circle at the base of the nail is called a lunula, or a half moon. This bold gel nail design plays on the anatomy of the nail by highlighting this area with a neutral shade. By painting a bold blue on the rest of the nail, you can achieve one of our favorite trendy nail polish design options that pulls double duty by elongating your fingers.
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Glitter Chevron And Nudes Oh My
Perfect for ladies wanting to blend edgy nails with more subdued tones, this option works for both short nail designs and long nail designs. Chevrons are all the rage, especially when they are placed next to a sparkling accent nail. Copper glitter nails look lovely next to golden tape over white nails. This results in just the right amount of sparkle without going over the top.
A Neutral Take On Mandalas Perfect For The Office
Selecting a nail art design that is both cute and appropriate for work is easy with these creative nails. This design blends a pallet of neutral nail colors with an accent nail delivering a look that moves effortlessly between day and night. You will look professional while still showcasing your personal style and flair, making it one of 2018s top manicure types. It is sublime for anyone after simple nail designs for short nails as well.
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Apply The Gel To The Dual Forms
When you are placing on your dual forms you want to fit all of them first and make sure they fit exactly. If by chance you get a dual form that is too small, even in the slightest bit then your polygel nail will pop off prematurely. When applying the gel to the dual form you can use the spatula and the brush in order to spread the gel evenly all over the nail.
But honestly, as I started doing my nails more and more I learned an easier and faster way to complete this process. Just spread the gel on the dual form and then press it on the nail and the gel will evenly distribute all over your nail naturally. Watch the video below to see more of what I mean. Once you put on the dual form an optional step that I like to add is to put the clips on each nail to keep them in place and then place them in the UV lamp.
This is where having the bigger UV lamp comes in handy because you can use the clips to keep the dual forms in place on your nail, while you do each nail and dry all your nails at once. With the smaller lamp, you will have to dry one or two nails at most under the lamp. Once again it can be very time-consuming.
Getting Bold With Aqua And Gold
A slight coffin shape, or ballerina slipper shape for those that dont like the more morbid term, is accentuated with a bold aqua. Pushing the boundaries one step further is a gorgeous gold accent nail with a clear half-moon. Gold nail designs can tend to get somewhat gaudy if they arent balanced with other design elements. We love this look as it provides just enough flash to be interesting without becoming tacky or overbearing.
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Jewel Tones With Added Sparkly Richness
This deep, rich turquoise nail polish design is perfect for adding a pop of jewel-toned elegance. An accent nail with strategically place glitter gives this design depth and personality. This option is perfect for anyone new to nail art that wants to ease into trying out the sparkling trend of glimmering nails.
Build The Gel Nail Extension
In this step, you will build the gel nail extension. Building a solid gel extension is crucial for a long-lasting nail set.
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Tips To Fortify The Beauty Of Your Gel Nails
We aren’t too far from Christmas. While it’s the season to be merry, teach your digits to party in style. What works better than a manicure? Go for gel nails that promise a glossy touch. Salons are open and so are your go-to manicurists waiting to deck them all cute. It turns out your gel manicure is in its best form for two to three weeks and through this journey and beyond you may want to prevent these from getting chipped off.
Healthy, and fabulous-looking nails? Hook yourself up to this edit. Weve scoured for some tips that could come in handy and heres how to protect your gel nails to ensure it stays as-is for days. Get your sure-fire tips below.
1. Want nails to be free of trouble? Dryness to turning yellow due to excessive application of nail colours can wreak havoc for your cuticles. Heres when a cuticle oil can serve as the base before you give your nails the glamorous treatment.
2. Cant keep your hands away from cleaning the space around you? Wear those gloves on and get scrubbing. This prevents the chances of damage from getting to your nails.
3. Nothing feels as therapeutic and warm as a sauna bath? Watch your water. Too hot? You’re giving it an easy entry for water to get absorbed which in turn leads to flaking of the polish.
4. Give your nails a taste of another coat. The application of a topcoat ensures that the gel sits tight for an extended time frame.
Builder Gel Vs Gel Polish

You can get both soft and hard builder gels to create shape and length.
However, its important to remember that both types of builder gel are different to regular gel polishes. These have a thinner consistency and while they do help keep the nail stronger, they arent as hardy as builder gels.
You can paint gel polish over the natural nail or over the top of your builder gel just make sure you stay within the same gel system brand.
A post shared by Glossify on Aug 11, 2020 at 11:58pm PDT
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