Going to the salon and having your nails done is a nice way to spoil yourself. But why pay so much for something that you can do at the comfort of your own home? Frustrated with weekly paint jobs that chipped within a day, I’ve realized just how much I miss having gels—and I’m certain I’m not the only one who feels this way. The good news? You don’t actually need to visit a salon in order to have a professional-level set of gels. Sure, doing your own may seem more intimidating than a traditional mani, but with a bit of practice and the right tools, a near-indestructible manicure of your own doing is totally achievable. In this blog I am going to teach you how to do your own gel nails at home in 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Removing the old gel manicure.

You will need foil, cotton balls, acetone, nail file and a cuticle pusher. Cut the foil into x10 rectangles (big enough to cover your fingertip) First you need to file the shiny layer off the gel nail. (you can use a nail buffer block too). Get 10 cotton balls or cotton rounds. Soak in acetone one at a time and place on the nail and then wrap one piece of tinfoil around your finger. I press on the nail when wrapping to make sure it’s doing the job! Continue to do this for all 10 nails and wait for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check to make sure they are starting to lift or peel a bit on the sides. If not, wait a few minutes longer – you can also put more acetone on to make sure it speeds up the process. Once they look like they’re ready to come off use a scraping tool (or cuticle pusher) to scrape off the gel nail polish. If the polish is not coming off easily, do not force the gel to come off, repeat the acetone process and scrape the last bit off.

Step 2: Cut the nails and file.

Once all the gel is off, cut them to desired length and file to desired shape. You can then soak your nails in some lukewarm soap water for 5 minutes. Press the cuticles back gently and clean the nails by using a cuticle pusher. Buff the top of the nails to make sure the gel nail polish is all removed and your nails are ready for the next step.

Step 3: Painting the nails.

Get your base coat, nail polish and top coat ready as well as your Gel Nail Polish Lamp! You can remove all the excess oils from your nails by using 90% alcohol or 85% Isopropyl Alcohol Nail Sanitizer. Apply a thin layer of base coat and put under the light to cure. (cure according to the polish specifications) Then apply 2-3 coats of your desired color and cure each layer in the lamp. (You can view our stunning range of gel polishes here) Apply a thin top coat. Be careful not to apply too much–it is very thin and the excess will run off to the edge of the nail. If it does this, it will pool up and will lift off very easily within the 1st week. Keep all polish away from the edge and cuticle! If the nails are sticky, you can use rubbing alcohol and lint free wipes to wipe the nail. Rehydrate your cuticles with cuticle oil, slather on your favorite hand lotion, and bask in the glory of your beautiful new nails. If you enjoyed this blog, you can view our latest blog posts here.
Crystal Clawz offers the best quality, affordable gel and gel polish products available in the market. Perfect self-leveling, high pigmentation for fewer coats (saving time and cost) that sits fast until it's time to remove and start again. Long lasting wear (up to 6 weeks) with no lifting, chipping, fading or peeling.