Nails Guide

Flaunting gel nails with a neat coat of paint can get you all the attention you want but if not applied following particular stages and precautions they can look disastrous. Here is a look at the 4 main stages in which they should be applied.

1) Preparatory stage.
Firstly prepare the natural nail bed for the application of the synthetic nail. Push back the nail cuticles and with a 180-grit nail filer remove all the shine from the nails giving it a matt look. After this clean the dust with a lint free nail wipe and apply nail glue to attach the tips of the synthetic nail to the natural nail. The synthetic nail is generally very long therefore you may cut the tip as per the desired length using a nail cutter. After this file the tips to remove all shine and give it a matt look.

2) Bonding stage.
In this stage a thin layer of clear base gel has to be applied starting from the cuticles to the tips for it to stick properly. Care must be taken that the gel doesn’t touch the skin. After this is the hand has to be placed in a machine where the nails are exposed to UV light for 1 minute. We are now left with the last two important stages in the application of gel nails.

3) Building stage.
After the curing under UV light a builder gel coat is applied. It has to be applied starting from the centre of the nail moving the hand from side to side from the cuticle to the nail tip. To give it an arch place some more builder gel in the centre but not too thick or the gel won’t cure under the UV light. Again the hands have to be exposed to UV light this time for 3 minutes. Following this apply a second coat of builder gel; clean off the excess and again cure the nails in UV light for 3 minutes. After curing remove the above sticky layer with a lint free cloth dipped in alcohol. We are finally at the last stage in application of gel nails.

4) Finishing stage.
The last stage involves filing and shaping of nails. After that is done a thin coat of finishing gel is applied which gives the nails a shine. They are again cured in UV light for 3 minutes after which the excess gel is removed. In the end cuticle oil is applied. After the application of gel nails they can be left natural or can be painted with the nail polish.

Acrylic nails are artificial nails that when attached to your own nails give it the desired length and shape. They are very durable and relatively easy to fix and remove. By knowing to do acrylic nails yourself you will save a lot of time and money and with practice they will look professionally done too. Here are some of the things that are needed to do acrylic nails by you.

· Nail polish remover
· Nail filer
· Nail trimmer
· Artificial nail tips (suitable size for your nails)
· Acrylic powder
· Liquid acrylic (ethyl methacrylate)
· Brush
· Nail oil

Before starting off the do it yourself acrylic nails exercise it is necessary to cut nails short so that if the acrylic nail chips off it will not cause the natural nail to break with it. Then the excess oil and dirt have to be removed by cleaning the nails with a nail polish remover. After that a cuticle pusher has to be used to push the cuticles gently inwards without hurting yourself.

File the nails and roughen them in their corners followed by which start sticking the nails with glue from the tips. These nails are originally very long, therefore after the glue dries cut them to the desired length with a nail trimmer. After this is done pour liquid acrylic and the powder acrylic in two separate bowls. Dip the brush in the liquid acrylic and then in the powder. Automatically a lump will form on the brush. Ensure that it is not too watery and also ensure that the room in which you are doing the do it yourself acrylic exercise is well ventilated, because the strong chemicals used in the acrylic liquid can cause headaches.

The brush containing this mixture is then supposed to be run along the entire length of the acrylic tip and your own nail in an even, thin layer. Do not apply the mixture on the cuticles as it may result in an infection. It will take about ten minutes for this layer to dry. Only after it dries should you file the nails and shape them to look natural. Wash your hands with soap water to remove any dust. It is necessary to apply nail oil to the cuticle to regain its lost moisture. Remember this do it yourself acrylic nail exercise is not over just yet because once every two weeks an acrylic layer needs to be re-applied.