things i wish i knew before diying gel manis 🫢

i am not a professional! there is an endless list of “things i wish i knew” before starting my diy nail journey but these are some of the basics. i learned through trial and error for the first couple months of doing my nails but i was lucky enough to not get an infection or allergy along the way! gel manis at home is a great, efficient way to save money and be creative but please inform yourselves of potential allergies and infections and how to prevent them with proper use, sanitization, etc.

1- grit size on your files. the lower the number = courser the grit is. a higher number will be finer and grit file sizes can range from polishing to sanding and removal. anything lower than 240 should not be used on natural nails! i use 150-180 when filing off gel for removal. once i get closer to my natural nail, or when reshaping my nails, i use 240!

2- do not leave gel on the skin when curing your polish! this can lead to an allergy called contact dermatitis which can mean no more gel manis ☹️ wipe away any flooded gel with a clean up brush soaked in alcohol. do not leave uncured gel on the skin.

3- don’t paint your gel in thick layers. this can lead to improper curing of your gel because the lights might not be able to penetrate deep enough, leading to uncured gel and another way to cause an allergy! it may look cured on the top but maybe not underneath. instead, paint your gel in thin layers, curing in between each layer until your desired look! always cure your gel according to the instructions on your bottle. i also hear people do a final cure of 2min just to be sure! capping the free edge of your gel will also elongate the wear of your polish and prevent chipping.

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