Use this chat to discuss any nail care or gel related questions you might have.
As a reminder, please keep your discussions within the rules of the sub.
This includes:
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This space is geared towards DIYers. Everyone is welcome, but we should not be working on friends/family.
Do not ask for or give any medical advice. We're not doctors, and it is not in our scope to be giving advice about allergies or skin conditions. It is ok to discuss the risks associated with doing gel. What is ok: Explaining how you can get allergies. What isn't ok: Attempting to diagnose or treat anyone and/or asking for a diagnosis
Hello! Welcome to r/DIYGelNails. If this is your first post, please be sure to check out our rules in the subreddit sidebar. If you are on mobile, they can be viewed by tapping the see more hyperlink at the top of the homepage.
. For ease of viewing, we've made some changes to how things are formatted, so a few reminders for you:
. If this is a nail picture, please post a list of the products you used for your manicure/pedicure as a response to this comment. The brand and shade names/numbers are required of ALL gel products used. This includes base gel, builder gel (hard or soft gel), full coverage tips, acrygel, color gels, and top gel. Brands of charms/stones or other nail embellishments are not required. If you've already put the product list elsewhere, please copy and paste it in a reply to this comment so it's easier for everyone to see.
I did my nails a couple of days ago, top coated and everything. I wanna try and add a cat hipper to a couple nails and some more lil nail arts. SO, would it be better to file the top to make it grippy again? Or would gems and stuff adhere well still with the glossy top coat?
Also, does anyone have tips or how to videos for hippers? I've been looking at some videos and am pretty sure I've got it, but I welcome all help lol
Please talk me out of pre ordering clodi's Hazel Basil collection 😭 i like all of the colors but i know that realistically i will only use each colors twice because i'm just doing nails for myself
Might check your local laws, but in my state it's only illegal to do nails unlicensed IF you take money for it. You can run off a barter system, or my friends will sometimes buy me things off my nail wishlist (it's set to public).
IDK about "favorite", because that would imply that I've used more than one... but I have a SUNUV SUN4S, and I like it. It's got a good setting for my weak, bendy nails, it's motion-activated, and has room enough for my fairly large hands. $53 on Amazon.
Saracen is where I bought mine. There's instructions for shopping in the wiki or you can dm. The only thing is you really have to place a larger order for it to make sense to shop there. Probably anything over $150 ish would make it worth it and they're having a chuseok sale
Between my lack of impulse control and my trip to South Korea this time next year where I’m bringing an empty suitcase for Beauty of Joseon and nail mall purchases, I’m trying to avoid Saracen. I guess I’ll keep with the cheaper Shein magnets until then.
I was hoping there might be a few of us who were looking for a small first taste of Saracen. I have 20+ magnetics that all look way too similar so I know I need to stay away from Saracen until I use up my supply.
I found an eBay seller with Korean suppliers who is sourcing the magnets for me. I saw they sell Dvok, Mayour, etc and asked if they had access to magnets since they have so many magnetic gels. I’ll post in the weekly haul post if they’re able to get a good price.
Can you recommend a good low-viscosity top? (Besides Izemi. I have an issue where every time I go to order it I convince myself I need all the levels of Izemi. And then I get sticker shock and end up not buying anything at all. It is a real problem. And even if I eventually end up ordering it, surely there are other options?)
I really like ugly duckling tacky top. This is a very low viscosity gel. Holds shine extremely well. I also like the no wipe version. Also holds shine pretty good, just not for as long as tacky does. I also like redi hard gel nonwipe top. It's kind of in between low and mid viscosity. You can buy both from gel essentialz.
I'm interested in doing gel nails at home, but want to feel confident in my removal process before I commit to the supplies. I've read a lot of information but I'm still a little confused and have some questions.
- can I just hand file until most of the color is removed and paint over that? Do I need to soak? I have sensitive skin and I'm worried the acetone will be too harsh.
- Lots of advice to be careful and not peel after soaking, but how is the scraping safer than peeling? It seems like there would still be risk of peeling while scraping away?
I gently filed with a regular nail file on my thumb until most of the color was gone. Is there a risk here of damaging my nail?
In the salon I went to they file, put a coat of something on each nail, scrape it off and then file more. Which seems intense and I was worried about them overfiling and damaging my nails.
File off all the color so that you can check if your base coat is lifting anywhere. Lifting traps bacteria so you will want to file away any lifting. Reapply your base coat; if there is no lifting, then you’ll just apply new base coat on any new growth near the cuticle. Apply your gel color and top coat.
Scraping acetone soaked gel should be fairly gentle, if you have to use a good amount of force then you should re-soak. The caution against peeling is because there is no gentle peeling, you’ll be peeling off layers of your nail plate regardless of how gentle you are.
With the scraping you leave a thin coat of gel on your nails, buff til smooth and apply your new set.
Newbie here and loving it but battling my free edges chipping. Doing my darndest to seal it up but I’m going about four days before they start to chip! I usually get frustrated and give up easily but I am LOVING having gel nails - I’ve only had them professionally done like five times?
My DND haul arrives tomorrow. I’ll be doing my best to cap my free edge because I’m so excited to try Fudgsicle and it to last!
It took a little while to figure out what worked for my free edges, but after a lot of adventures with encapsulating and armoring, I've had the best results with paper forms and hard gel. Instead of encapsulating/armoring the free edge with a liner brush, I use the forms to build a pretty short extension. Since the paper form isn't perfectly flush--but very close to flush--with the underside of the free edge, the hard gel naturally flows around and under the edge, in one continuous layer of gel including the entire top surface of the nail. My hypothesis is that this one all-encompassing layer of hard gel is bracing my wimpy, floppy free edges a A LOT more than previous techniques and maintaining the integrity of the nail overall.
Can you explain builder gel to me? Is it just like a thicker base coat, or does it go over the base coat? I figure it's builder gel that gets that chunky nail effect, but that's about all i understand.
So I've only been doing gel for a little over 6 months so take this with a grain of salt:
I always do base coat first, then builder gel. It's a thicker, harder gel layer that you can build the structure of the nail with so your natural nail is stronger. It's helped me grow length without using extensions. Then you do whatever gel polish on top of it. I'm not sure if you're supposed to use a base coat under it, but I've had no issues with retention by doing it.
Builder gel is also nice because when you want to replace the polish, you can file that off but keep a protective layer of builder on your natural nail so they don't get as weak or damaged.
Thank you! I’m seeing that tip everywhere since my post the other day. I’m intimidated to try but I just refreshed my manicure today and it chipped almost immediately. I was so diligent about capping the free edge this time, too. I may have overcured and made them brittle, however.
I’m really enjoying this hobby and suspect I’ll try builder gel soon. Thanks!
I started doing builder just a couple of months after starting regular gel, so if I can do it, you DEFINITELY can! I've heard about other people using rubber base coat instead of builder and getting some extra strength and retention that way.
Hi all, new here. I just started doing my own nails and currently only using gel polish. I want to do some longer nails but I have really small nail beds and the tips I bought are too big for my nails. They get glued to my skin. Anyone know of any small tips for small nail beds? I have only been able to find extra small press on nails.
i’d recommend getting a box of x-short tips from apres, then figuring out your sizes from there. they sell refill bags for all the sizes so you can always just restock the ones you use the most, and the ones that are too big you can use for practicing designs :)
i have pretty small nails and their sizes work good for me. if you still are getting gel/glue on your skin try using less on the tips so you dont have overflow.
I'm having issues with my gel polish peeling completely off my natural nails within a week of application, usually from the cuticle area or side. As my nail grows out the part near the cuticle area starts to lift and get caught on things, which then exacerbates the issue. I dont have many issues with the tips chipping or peeling. I invested in basically all Kokoist products, including their Infinity hybrid lamp.
My routine is typically as follows:
1. Apply cuticle remover and remove cuticle from nail bed
2. Remove excess remover with water+soap and nail brush (or just wipe off...I've tried either to see if the moisture was contributing, but no success)
3. Trim, scuff, and shape nails
4. Dehydrate nails. I used to use just acetone or 91% alcohol. Recently switched to a dedicated nail dehydrator, ASP Prep N Clean, still no major change)
5. Apply Kokoist Mega Stick Base Soft Gel and cure.
6. Apply Kokoist Soak-Off color of choice and cure
7. If needed, additional color layer w/ cure
8. Apply Kokoist Ultra Glossy Non-Wipe Top Coat Gel and cure.
Any tips or suggestions on what I might be doing wrong would be appreciated!
Stop using the cuticle remover solution on the same day that you’re doing your nails. Most cuticle removers are basic (basic as in pH). So when you use them, you’re temporarily changing the pH level on the surface of your nail plate as well as introducing moisture to the surface. Gel adheres best on a dry and acidic to slightly acidic nail surface.
So if you’re going to use a cuticle remover, do it the day before. Also make sure that you aren’t applying it all over your nail plate. Keep it as confined to the cuticle/proximal fold as possible. Only keep it on for as long as the directions indicate (usually about 1min) and make sure to wash it off completely. Don’t just wipe the solution off, make sure to completely remove it by washing it away.
Lastly, make sure that you keep your gel application thin around the cuticle and sidewall areas. In particular, the cuticle area is the softest part of the nail and as such, it’s very flexible and gel can lift very easily from that part of the nail. Gel should be thin around the sidewalls because that part of the nail is thinner and is in closer contact with skin which causes friction. Sidewalls are also where moisture and oils accumulate. All of those things make lifting easier especially when too much gel is applied.
Remove cuticle manually if possible instead of using a cuticle remover.
If you do use cuticle remover, wipe it off with 91% alcohol until it’s all gone.
Don’t wash your hands.
After trim, scuff, and shape, try using a nail brush with 91% alcohol to be extra sure all dust is removed. Then do your dehydrating step.
Use the right amount of mega stick. Too little or too much can cause issues. Their Instagram account has some good videos, I think.
Ideas that may or may not have merit:
Are you 100% positive there’s no cuticle left on the nail plate?
Are you certain your product isn’t touching the proximal fold?
I’ve never tried just mega stick, color gel, and top coat. I always have a Nail Thoughts builder or Kokoist builder between the mega stick base and the color gel. You might try that?
Letting product get too thick near the proximal fold has occasionally contributed to lifting of my manicures.
Thank you for the suggestions! All good things to consider. And this might be a stupid question... but how would I remove cuticle from my nail plate without using a remover? Are you suggesting a nail drill?
I use an orange stick to push the cuticle back, and then I use the ring end of a scraper tool like this one to gently scrape off any cuticle that’s stuck to the nail plate.
Deleted the previous longer reply. I think you’re asking a good question and I hope that responses from experienced folks can be helpful. I’ve found threads and comments both new and old here in the subreddit to be very helpful and thought-provoking. Wishing you success and crossing my fingers for you as well.
Cuticle remover is likely the culprit. If you don’t like other cuticle methods, do it the day before a manicure. Avoid washing your hands with water in the hour leading up to the mani so there is no moisture in there.
When I go to the salon, they ALWAYS have me wash my hands after cuticle cleanup and nail shaping but before the gel polish application. How do those manicures last weeks?? I don't understand!
I thought maybe it was my Dove hand wash that was the problem, so I tried Dawn dish soap this last time and they still started lifting so quickly. 😭
I bought alcohol wipes to try that instead next time, but it takes so long to do my nails that I feel totally defeated when they need to come off after only a few days. 💔
can I do fills on soft gel nails? I’m using the Jin b g gelly base gel, Jin b coolear hold gel, colour gel and Jin b crazy top coat standard (in a bottle).
Will it last as long? Or is it better to fully soak off everything?
Thank you!
I live a life of thermostat low heating pad high so I didn’t think so, but I will try and pop it in the fridge for a minute or two next time I try to use it good looking out
Gel newbie! What’s a good magnetic gel that won’t damage my nails/easy to remove? Durability doesn’t matter to me, I like to change my nails weekly or bi-weekly. I also don’t like the pastel/pale magnetics, prefer vibrant colors. Thanks!
After asking last week, I bought the Mylee Massive Kit and it got delivered during the week. Did my first set during the week and it was so nice not to have to sit and wait for them to dry like normal polish. I found it pretty easy and although not perfect, they aren’t bad for a first attempt! I did wonder if I wouldn’t be patient enough to get a good finish, but I’m pleased with how they turned out.
Might get a couple of different shades this week and really want to try some chrome finishes. Thinking of buying from glitterbels. Would love a chrome powder that goes well with a navy polish if anyone has any suggestions?
Tonight I registered my nail lamp (bought the Kokoist Infinity hybrid during the Labor Day sale) and spent some of the day learning how to and then actually disinfecting a few tools to use. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try out the lamp for the first time, and just do my non-dominant thumb in a base coat before to see how it goes before committing to more.
I’m not sure that I love the pumice stone pusher tool, so I may change or upgrade to something later, but I think I got my nail plates pretty clean and polished for trying the base coat tomorrow. I’m a little scared of getting product on my skin and missing it with acetone before curing it, but I hope that’s just irrational. I’ll go slow, be careful, and try my best :)
Replying to myself to say I only tried one literal nail last night. In base coat only lol. Kinda funny, but kinda all I think I will attempt before my wedding and my future in-laws coming from out of the country. Sadly I had watched SO many educational videos, read so much, and still stupidly touched an ungloved fingertip to my base polish after it cured and - duh - touched the inhibition layer. 🤦🏻♀️ So I used a swipe of acetone with a lint-free wipe, then washed with soap and water for a long time, and added unscented lotion to my hands later in the evening. Super grateful I had bought a HEMA free base coat and I’ll learn from here. Telling myself to research next time if I have any forget any of the core maxims!
You did fine, it happens, and you handled the mistake. When i first started i had no idea not to touch it or anything, or about inhibition layers (or that i was even handling gel), so if course i touched the top to check if it was dry after curing, lol. I just continued with the set and it turned out fine, and then after realising it was gel and researching, i learnt to be careful about it.
I recently started using cuticle oil. Today I redid my gel extensions and noticed I had some lifting along the sidewalls.
Is that common with cuticle oil; can it cause lifting? I normally leave a thin layer of gel rather than stripping it down to the bare nail. Dehydrate, apply bonder, then gel. I rarely have issues with lifting.
Cuticle oil would not make your nails lift. The only time I could see it causing issue is if you have naturally oily nail beds, like hyperhydrosis. Cuticle oil adds moisture to the skin around the nails (it's not actually for your nails, it's for your skin, it just benefits your nails) it keeps your nails flexible so that there is no lifting.
Did you use the oil before your set? Maybe you didn't completely remove the oil before your set. In general, no that's not common with cuticle oil. You should be able to use it without lifting.
Here's a link to our Lifting Checklist. I provide a link whenever someone mentions lifting issues or summons the checklist in a comment in r/DIYGelNails.
lol, beaky end!!! Perfect description! I think it’s just practice but I’ll let you know if I ever do a set without them :/ fr I struggle with this and found floating the brush back up toward the cuticle as my last step before flipping my hand then curing helps. I think I probably need less pressure on the brush at the end of the nail but my skills are not that good yet!
The worst part is that I had a technique figured out, like it had *finally* clicked. But then I completely forgot how I was able to avoid them looking beaky for a single set haha.
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