How to Use Gel Nail Products
Written for Walgreens.com
In the quest for a longer-lasting, more perfect-looking manicure, a new contender is on the scene: gel nail polish. It has several benefits, but the greatest is that it could extend your manicure from three days to nearly three weeks. With less chips, more shininess, and the freedom to not baby your nails, gel nail products can be a girl’s best friend. But how do you use them?
The first thing you need to know is that although gel nail products appear similar to regular nail products, they’re not. The process for applying and removing them is different than what you may be used to, and will require a few new tools such as a wooden stick and LED/UV light.
Application
Prep: To start with, your gel nail manicure looks the same as your normal manicure. To prep your nails for color, remove any old polish, lotion, or oils. Clean your nails as best you can to make sure the new color will adhere.
Foundation: This is where you will start to notice differences from a regular manicure. Most gel nail manicures require that you apply a thin layer of base gel and seal the nail’s edges. This base creates the adhesive bond between the nail plate and other gel nail products.
Cure: Once you’ve applied the base gel, cure your nails beneath an LED light or UV light, depending on what your specific gel nail brand requires. For most products, this will require 10 seconds to one minute.
Polish: Apply a thin layer of gel nail polish. This is different from normal polish.
Cure: This time, you will cure your nails for a bit longer than before. If you want a stronger color, you may repeat the polish/cure steps one more time.
Top coat: Apply a thin layer of top coat from the cuticle to the free edge of your nail.
Cure: This will be the longest session in either the LED or UV light, lasting between 30 seconds and three minutes.
Cleanse: Most products will suggest that you wipe your nails with the provided cleaner to remove any residues and provide a high-shine finish.
Removal
File: Gently file the surface of the nails to remove the gel nail polish. This will break the seal of the top coat and remove shine.
Remove: Soak a piece of cotton with gel polish remover and place this over the nail. Wrap the cotton-covered nail with foil and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Note: Non-acetone remover will not remove gel nail polish. Once the gel nail polish has softened, carefully remove it from the nail with a wooden stick. Never peel off the gel polish because it could damage your nail.
Buff: Lightly buff the nail surface.
Moisturize: Because gel nail products can be rougher on nails than normal nail products, it’s important to keep nails moisturized by applying a lotion or oil to the nails in between applications.
Although there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using gel nail products, before you know it you’ll be an old pro. Trust us—your gorgeous, chip-free nails will be worth it.