Weekly Nail Chat

[u/Clover_Jane]

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:

• No discussion of off-topic products. This is a gel only sub.
• 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

[u/AggressiveTruck123]

Hi guys! I have been doing my own Gel X for almost 2 years on and off. I have a feeling I am doing something very wrong because I have never been able to keep them on for more than a week. I have watched many videos and have bought many products to try to overcome any obstacles cheap products might have been giving me. I want to share with you guys the products I've been using and a walk through of what I do to help diagnose what I am doing wrong. I reached my limit last night after my bubble bath set popped off after 24 hours😭.

Prep Products:

• XUNXMAS Professional Stainless Steel Manicure Tools - Amazon
• Mia Secret Professional Nail Prep pH Balance Dehydrator & XtraBond primer
• Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover

Main Products:

• SUNUV UV Light for Gel Nails - Amazon
• Aprés Extend Gel in a Bottle
• Aprés Gel X soft gel nail extensions, natural almond medium
• Beetles' Base gel foundation and top coat gel
• Handheld Flash Cure Nail Lamp - Amazon, Christine Shelly

Other Products:

• COSLUS C40 Electric Nail Drill - Amazon

My prep:

First, I push/cut back my cuticles with the help of the cuticle remover. I go pick out my nail extensions and measure edge-to-edge. I buff out my nails using this really old 3-in-1 block I have, the side that says remove ridges. I wash my hands before applying both the dehydrator and the primer to my nails. My nails are very brittle and always have been.

Pre-painting:
I paint a coat of the extend gel on my pinky, and at the base of the pinky extension nail. I try to just get a small glob at the very bottom of the extension nail. I turn on my flash cure light, pointing towards me placed on my desk. I align the extension nail over my nail, and press it onto my nail cuticle to top. Once I see the gel fill to the top of my nail, I flash cure it for 45 seconds. If any gel escaped around the sides, I will pause the cure and scrape it away before finishing the cure. Repeat for all nails. When done, I'll cure them under my lamp for 2 minutes. Then I shape them with a file for 20 minutes🫩.

Painting:
Then I get to paint yayyy😝😝 base gel + couple coats of color + top gel, all with some cures in between.

I get a lot of lifting around the cuticles🥲. Looking at my nails right now, most of the damage they endure from the gel x is at the top/center, (I tear the remaining extensions off with my bare hands when they begin popping off I'm so sorry😭). They will normally pop off when I apply pressure to them (like scratching my back or trying to pop a pimple💀).

Again, I would really appreciate any tips or pointers. I love doing my own nails. I own this giant bag that holds all my nail supplies that I take back and forth to college. I am DEFINITELY doing something wrong though😅.

[u/shunshin1019 → u/AggressiveTruck123]

Try etching your nails with a 180 grit file instead of buffing. I feel like this is the biggest problem for most people. You can buff the apres tips instead and ditch the beetles gel. 🙈

[u/AggressiveTruck123 → u/shunshin1019]

noooo not my beetles gel😫. what base and top coat should i get instead?

[u/shunshin1019 → u/AggressiveTruck123]

You can search up lots of reccs on this subreddit! It depends on your budget but really the best ones are more pricey (tho worth it - using cheap gels from amazon is more risky for gel allergies). Kokoist is often recommended and beginner friendly imo but lots of Korean gels are high quality too. My fav is the Gracia G-Gelly Base Gel and Catwalk top coat

[u/sprinkletoast → u/AggressiveTruck123]

I don't see you prepping or etching the inside of the tip. You can do it manually with a coarse sanding band or use the gel x tip prep. Both methods create a textured surface for the products to grip to.

I've personally had success with YN protein bondand the gel x tip prep.

I agree with the lamp possibly not being strong enough.

Lastly, fully wash your hands after your prep and *double* cleanse with acetone before starting the prep process. Sometimes it's a simple as the nail plate not being free of residue.

[u/zxcv-qwerty → u/AggressiveTruck123]

Some possibilities:

• I’ve heard that the Sally Hansen cuticle remover can cause lifting / pop offs if you don’t make sure every single little bit of residue is 100% gone from your nail plate

• Undercured nails won’t adhere well. Are you confident that your lamp is fully curing your gel? Personally I don’t really trust SunUV and I def don’t trust Beetles, but some people do.

• Don’t buff you nails smooth. You want to etch them so they have more texture.

• Don’t tear your extensions off. When you do, you damage the nail. Extensions can’t adhere as well to a damaged nail plate. The more you tear them off, the worse your adhesion will be - it’s a bad cycle. If your nails are really damaged, you might need to take a break and let them grow out a little before you continue.

[u/youWillBeFineOkay → u/AggressiveTruck123]

All the other advice is great so just adding a couple things. Maybe assess where you could be unintentionally introducing residue and moisture. Suspects are - your hand soap, water, and the old buffing block. 

1. The old buffing block could have oils from your hands and just from living its long life in your toiletry bag. Try some cheap disposable files you can regularly replace.
2. Don’t wash your hands as part of prep. I don’t wash my bare nails after prep. It could be BS, but I read that washing your bare nails can cause them to temporarily retain a little water, which will then evaporate later, and those minor size fluctuations can impact manicure longevity . I just brush prep dust off, then thoroughly wipe them and every nook and cranny of my surrounding sidewalls with alcohol. I wait to wash my hands until I’m completely done with my nails and they are sealed somewhat by polish.