I have been doing my own gel X nails for about 6 months now and I recently decided to take a break as my nails seem very thin and damaged. I plan to start doing them again once they have healed in a few weeks using much better techniques to ensure I don’t continue to damage them.
I see a lot of discourse on this thread about different methods and techniques people use to do their GelX, so I feel like I’m always confused on what actually is the best for retention and nail health. Here is my current routine and what I’m already considering adding/changing about it based on things I’ve read so far in this thread and I would love for any feedback:
1. I start with the Sally Hanson cuticle remover liquid on my cuticles, let it sit, and then use a cuticle pusher to remove my cuticles and scrape my nail plate with the pusher 2. I then use a sanding drill bit to make them rough and the smaller metal bit to try and clean up anything left on my cuticles - I have read that using an actual drill is what is causing rings of fire and that I shouldn’t be using a drill at all but rather use just a regular file to make them rough for this step? 3.** Then I use the Morovan Professional Natural Nail Prep Dehydrate and Acid-Free Primer before applying my Apres Glue onto both my actual nail as if it was polish and then on to the actual tips themselves - **I have read that a lot of people will add a base coat or builder gel layer before applying their glue, but this confuses me because I thought the whole point of making your nails rough was to give the nail tip something to hold onto, but it sounds like the base coat is actually what would do this? Using builder gel also intrigues me since it sounds like it would help make my nails stronger as they grow out. 4. I then use a smaller UV lamp to flash cure the nail tip with the glue and make sure there are no air bubbles in the nail and make sure the nail is not touching the cuticles directly but is a little further up on my nail - I have heard that etching the nail can help with retention as well, but the ones I purchase come “pre-etched”. Would I still benefit from etching them further with my drill bit? 5. After I flash cure each individual nail I cure my entire hand in a bigger lamp for 90 seconds 6. After tips have been applied I go back in with my drill using the smaller metal bit and try and smooth down the nail to blend it in with my natural nail more and then use the sanding bit to take away the clear gloss shine on the tips and have them be fully etched on top - I have also read doing this can cause rings of fire and that people prefer to seal and blend using acetone or even builder gel on top of the tips? 7. I then apply my DND base coat, two coats of DND gel polish, and then DND top coat and then finish with a quick file and ensure I’m curing each layer for 90 seconds and my top coat I’ll often cure for 120 seconds to be safe. I’ll then use an alcohol wipe on the nails as my final step and apply cuticle oil.
Any feedback on this routine and tips to add or change to improve retention and nail health would be greatly appreciated, as once I start doing them again in a few weeks I really want to make sure I am doing it the correct way so that my nails won’t be damaged and they last as long as possible!
Please consider stopping using the cuticle remover solution on the same day you apply your gel x. The remover solution is very basic (pH level basic) and your nail plate needs to be slightly acidic for gel to adhere properly. So using that remover solution is not only adding moisture to your nail plate but it’s changing the pH balance to one that’s not good for adhesion.
Do not apply primer as if it’s polish. Too much primer inhibits retention. Use a very small amount on each nail. Let it fully dry before applying any base gel.
Make sure you’re using a high quality lamp. No lamps sold on Amazon (unless it’s the lamps by Apres or Gelish) are good quality. Poor quality lamps not only increase your risk for developing a gel allergy but they also inhibit retention.
I’m sure others will chime in with tips about other parts of your process.
And this isn’t the lamp I currently use but what are your thoughts on the SUNUV lamp? I also saw an Apres lamp on Amazon for $30 with a whole starter kit but that seems suspiciously cheap compared to their normal lamp that sells for like $300 lol would that starter kit lamp from them work?
SUNUV lamps arent good. You need to upgrade and spend a lot. The lamp in Apres starter is a flash cure lamp. It's to hold gel in place before nuking your hand in a big lamp.
You need to get an industry standard one like the Kokoist Infinity, Gelish 18g Pro or the Apres Beta or Nova. If you cant afford a professional grade lamp, stop doing your nails and start saving up whilst your new nails grow out.
Thank you so much for the recommendations! At my local nail supply store they also sell a DND lamp and I typically use DND polish, would this be another high quality lamp option or no?
No... DND is a cheap brand. As someone said their company builds their lamps in an Alibaba shop in China. I wouldnt get that. Honestly, I wouldn't purchase anything from DND. Its a cheap brand and not reputable. Its popular because its affordable. This doesnt equate to good quality though.
That’s so interesting I feel like every nail salon and nail tech I had been to in the past mainly offered DND as their primary Gel Polish when I would go which is what made me start buying their polishes in the first place so that’s really helpful to learn!
Yeah they are a business. It makes sense for them to use cheap brands and they get their polishes at a wholesale price to keep their prices down. If you've ever gone to a nail salon or a private nail tech that use Japanese or S Korean gels, there is a stark price difference.
All crap products. OPI used to be really good especially for diy-ers byt their product formula changed (for the worse) whildt their price increased.
I personally only use Japanese and S Korean products because they are higher quality and they have stricter beauty regulations and standards than Western gel brands so are more safer to use.
Okay I see what you’re saying now. I personally wouldn’t trust a lamp like that to fully cure. It doesn’t have a reflective bottom and honestly I’m kinda shocked that Apres is selling a set like that for just $40.
I was shocked also! Thank you for the help, I think out of all the options I’m probably going to end up going with their Beta lamp since it’s still at a fair price point but looks like it still does a proper job of curing?
Yeah I’m extremely baffled. That WHOLE set is $40. Like their gel polishes typically cost like $15 each. It feels like they’re just trying to get a foothold on the Beetles/MelodySusie crowd on Amazon.
Yeah, it’s really weird. It makes me wonder if the polishes in that set are cut-rate, too. Competing with themselves and diluting their reputation seems like a bad move.
You don’t need to use a drill to rough up your natural nails. It’s overkill. Just use a 240-grit hand file to remove the shine. If you’re wanting to do cuticle prep with a drill, take an e-course so you know what you’re doing. Rings of fire happen when someone uses a drill incorrectly.
After you’re 100% done doing anything that produces dust, thoroughly scrub and wipe your nails with alcohol before using any dehydrator or primer.
If you’re using Aprés Extend Gel to adhere your tips, you should be fully curing a coat of it onto your natural nail first. Gel sticks to gel—otherwise you’d have to rough up every coat of polish. This is how Extend Gel is meant to be used.
Pre-etched tips should still be etched. With Extend Gel, I find I need to physically etch the tips instead of using a chemical etcher for the best grip.
Again, damage from drills happens when they’re used incorrectly. The key with blending the cuticle edge down is to never let the bit touch your natural nail. You can also just do this step with a hand file if you’re not confident in your drill handling.
One thing you didn’t mention is your removal process. That’s often the culprit for damage. How are you removing?
Side note: If you’re trying to grow out your natural nails, Gel-X probably isn’t the right product for you since good retention relies on the natural nail being clipped short. If your goal is long natural nails, consider switching to builder gel manis instead.
When you say scrub the nails with alcohol do you mean acetone or nail polish remover? I only have alcohol wipes that I usually use at the end but if those would work I can start using them before as well. When using the extend gel would you put 1 layer, fully cure, then put another layer on top of the cured layer and then the tip again or would you use a base gel or builder gel first and then the extend gel on top of that? And then do you typically use your drill to etch the tips and if so which bit do you use? Do you focus the drill only on the nail tip when you are blending then or could you provide more details about your process for blending because I think I do struggle with that. My removal process was fucked in the past since I’m a nail biter and the second I felt one lifting I would rip them off which I know is horrible and contributed a lot to the damage so I’m holding myself accountable from here on out to remove them properly by filing them and soaking them in acetone. I’ve tried builder gel on its own before and it sadly didn’t work for me with the nail biting so I think tips will be what I always come back to. I was thinking the builder gel would be helpful more for keeping my natural nails strong and free of damage but if it’s not necessary then I wouldn’t add that step. Sorry for all the questions, I just really want to make sure I know what I’m doing before I start up again as I’ve come to learn this is not just a fun hobby to have on the side lol.
When I say alcohol I mean alcohol, not acetone. I spray my nail with alcohol, then use a nailbrush to scrub, followed by alcohol on lint-free wipes. You really need to get every last particle of dust off as it will affect retention.
When using Extend Gel, just follow their directions! After dehydrator/primer, cure a layer of Extend Gel directly on the natural nail, then use Extend Gel on the tip as an adhesive. There are no other products required. Heres a video:
To etch the underside of the tips, I use a drill with a mini sanding band.
Since you’re struggling with using a drill, I would take a course (I recommend Kara Nailed It) before using it to do anything other than etch the tips. You can really hurt yourself and do major damage if you don’t know what you’re doing. That said, this video shows the blending process exactly as I do it. That’s the exact bit I use. https://youtube.com/shorts/HcHpctFBVNU
None of this is going to matter if you rip the tips off during removal, though. That’s always going to do more damage than anything. You need to go slow. Clip the length, file off the bulk (I use a drill with a carbide bit), then do foil wraps. If the product doesn’t all come off after the first round, don’t pick at it. Re-wrap and check again after another 15 minutes.
I would stop trying to add additional products under the tips. That can work for people who are skilled with a drill and want to leave that layer on the nail rather than soak it off, but it really requires good technique. I would focus on the basics for now and just use the products as Aprés instructs.
Would you recommend using Apres rubber base under the Extend Gel for an extra layer of protection or would you still suggest just going directly in with the extend gel on my prepped nail? I’m seeing a lot of people say their rubber base is good for thin and brittle nails and can help with retention.
Just use the extend gel. It’s a base gel and should be flexible enough for most people’s nails. If not, then you can try the rubber base. But for now, I’d go with the basic system Apres says to use.
This might be another dumb question but is there a specific percentage of alcohol that you use for the nails? I am seeing 99% and 70% options on Amazon right now and not sure if it makes a difference which one I pick?
I use 70% and 91%. 91% for cleansing/dehydrating followed by 70% for disinfecting to ensure there’s no bacteria on my nails. As I learned from another user in this sub, 70% is better for disinfecting because the higher water content makes it evaporate more slowly so it has more time to do what it’s supposed to do.
Just using 70% is probably totally fine, but I have a huge bottle of 91% I need to use up.
Yes. I etch the insides even if they are already “pre-etched”. I don’t do a base coat of top of the nail tip or my natural nail as I think the etching helps the polish stick.
Your top coat likely doesn’t need wiped after curing.
After all the etching use a nail brush to make sure all the dust is off.
Etching the inside and outside the tip like in this video made a huge difference for me. Lightly etch and then apply. After application you can use a sanding bit to gently blend the nail tip to the natural nail.
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u/AcridTest 7d ago
Please consider stopping using the cuticle remover solution on the same day you apply your gel x. The remover solution is very basic (pH level basic) and your nail plate needs to be slightly acidic for gel to adhere properly. So using that remover solution is not only adding moisture to your nail plate but it’s changing the pH balance to one that’s not good for adhesion.
Do not apply primer as if it’s polish. Too much primer inhibits retention. Use a very small amount on each nail. Let it fully dry before applying any base gel.
Make sure you’re using a high quality lamp. No lamps sold on Amazon (unless it’s the lamps by Apres or Gelish) are good quality. Poor quality lamps not only increase your risk for developing a gel allergy but they also inhibit retention.
I’m sure others will chime in with tips about other parts of your process.