Gel Nail Tutorial: How to Apply Gel Nails for Beginners

Materials and Tools Needed for Gel Nails

- E-file and hand files

- Swipe liquid

- Protein Bond

- Base gel

- Hard gel of choice

- LED/UV light

- Nail forms (if necessary)

- Dust collector

- Gel nail polish of choice

Nail Preparation for Gel Enhancements

First, cut the nail and use a hand file to smooth the free edge and prevent any jaggedness. Next, gently remove the shine from the surface with an e-file and medium grit arbor band. It’s important that the arbor band be used in a feathering motion over the nail without digging at the nail surface. Additionally, too smooth a surface will prevent the gel from adhering. Cleanse with Swipe liquid to remove oils and dehydrate the nail, and then brush on two coats of Protein Bond. Just like that, your prep is complete, and you can move on to the gel enhancement steps. 

Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Apply Gel Nails

1. Using your jar of hard base gel, you will “pull through” the gel with your brush to get a nice bead on one side of your brush. Keep the gel toward the tip of the brush rather than all the way to the base of the brush to ensure the product will transfer cleanly. 
2. Use your brush to push down and through the gel bead, connecting the gel to the nail and creating your perimeter. Using firm pressure, brush the gel from cuticle to free edge and all the way over to each side.
3. Put your nail inside the light to cure for 60 seconds. 
4. Once cured, apply the nail form under the nail.
5. Using a circular and floating motion, apply your hard gel to build length onto the form. Keep contact with the gel always as you shape, adding another bead if necessary to achieve the desired length. Cure for 30 seconds. 
6. Build the body of the nail, focusing on the cuticle area first, and then building a perimeter. Cure the nail. Repeat for all ten nails.
7. Using a floating motion, fill in the center hollow of the nail and any remaining areas of unevenness. Do not wipe between layers! Cure for a full minute. Repeat for all ten nails.
8. The surface will be tacky. Use swipe liquid to remove the surface layer.
9. Positioning the dust collector under the hand, file the nails into the desired shape.
10. Use the e-file to gently smooth the surface and create a subtle arch by thinning the product near the cuticle and free edge but leaving the gel slightly thicker at the mid-point of the enhancement. Finish with a hand file and cleanse with Swipe.
11.  Apply Protein Bond.
12. Paint the nails with the gel polish of your choice. Apply two coats of color and one top coat, curing between coats.
    
    

Do’s and Don’ts of Hard Gel Application

- Work from pinky to thumb, and not the other way around. 

- To avoid an uncomfortable sensation of heat while curing, don’t build the nail too thick. 

- If you are sensitive to the thermal aspect of the UV light, keep your hand in front of the light for 30–40 seconds. After that time, a 30-second cure won’t feel like anything at all. 

- Patting and swirling gel will cause bubbles. Floating it in smooth, circular motions will prevent this.

While gel nails for beginners may seem intimidating, nail enthusiasts can achieve salon-grade results with the right tools, a knowledge of the steps involved, and plenty of practice to get your technique perfect. No matter your level of expertise, Young Nails has what you need to give you that “new set” feeling.