The quest for a pretty gel mani begins with the perfect prep. Nail preparation is always critical for DIY’ers, especially for gel polish. Proper prep versus no prep is the key difference between a great gel manicure and an absolute failure. With a few simple steps, you will be on your way to a flawless gel polish application that you will be proud to flaunt.
Importance of Nail Prep
If you want long-lasting gel polish, you have to start the job right. Achieving pro-level results without the correct tools and preparation is unlikely. Unless you know how to prep nails for gel polish, your end results are likely to peel, chip, or look less professional than you’d like. Additionally, proper prep is essential for the long-term health of your nails, especially if you often keep them covered with polish. Good prep keeps your nails happy, healthy, and looking great.
How to Prepare Your Nails for Gel Polish Application
Don’t skip any of the critical steps of prepping your nails for gel polish. In order, this routine will get your nails in perfect shape for your gel polish.
Shaping: Use either clippers or a file to achieve the nail shape you are going for, whether almond, square, or rounded.
Cuticle prep: This is a delicate step—cuticles should be gently pushed back with a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick. Solvents or cuticle oils should not be used as these can interfere with the gel polish adhesion. If necessary, you can trim off any hangnails. Just the dead parts, mind you: it is easy to damage the cuticle and make yourself bleed if you don’t use a light touch.
Nipping hangnails: Again, tenderness is the name of the game here. Use your cuticle nippers to carefully remove dead (white) hangnails around the nail, taking care to leave live skin alone.
Removing the shine: Gently using a 180-150 grit file over the surface of the nail will break up the surface oils and give the nail the slight texture needed for your gel polish to adhere. Buffing the nail with too-fine of a buffer can create too smooth of a surface, which can lead to your gel polish peeling. Take care to not overdo it, as your natural nails can sustain damage from overzealous buffing or filing.
Dehydrating and cleansing: This is perhaps the most important step. Right before you go in with your gel polish, cleanse your nails to remove any dirt or oils that could keep your polish from sticking. A great cleanser will dehydrate your nail plate, and a bonder like Protein Bond will ensure that you are completely ready to go.
Best Gel Nail Polish for At-Home Manicures
The last step in a perfect gel manicure is picking the right gel nail polish. Knowing how to apply gel nail polish is almost as important as which formula you choose. Pick a high-quality polish, preferably one with a precision applicator, for the perfect color. The right base coats and top coats are of the utmost importance as well.
When you apply your gel polish, make sure to use careful, even strokes of the applicator to keep the polish smooth and off the skin. Resist the urge to “flood” the nail excessively, as this can cause an uneven surface. Or, if the product is applied too thick, this can lead to the gel polish not curing fully. Remember that multiple thin coats are better than one thick, bumpy coat. Curing between each coat ensures that, if you mess up, it’s easy to reapply and fix mistakes. A pro tip? Always, always cap your free edge.
And, when your nails are shining with fresh polish, the right UV light will ensure that they cure gorgeously.
Having the right tools and preps for your at-home gel manicure is incredibly important. With the materials you require, you can achieve salon results from a DIY job and keep your nails looking glossy and fierce!