Tips for Applying Gel Nails

Gel nails are an extremely natural looking type of artificial nail enhancement. They are thin and flexible and can be used as a natural covering of the entire nail or just the tips of the nails. If you are thinking about applying gel nails, read on for more information about gel nails and some tips about the application process.

Gel nails are quite popular both in Europe and in the United States. They are much more durable than their predecessors, the acrylic nail, which have been known to cause fungus growth and damage to the real nail underneath.

Gel nails have many benefits: they are flexible, clear, do not lift from the nail bed and don't have that nasty odor acrylic nails have. They are also much easier to apply than acrylics, winning over many professional nail salons. Gel nails are applied much like you would apply plain old nail polish. 

Applying gel nails yourself can be a little tricky. The following are step-by-step instructions on how to properly apply them on your own:

1. Buff your natural nails until there is no longer a shine to them.

2. Shape the end of the nail plate with an emery board to your liking and to the natural shape of your fingernail.

3. Push back cuticles and trim them if needed.

4. Using a gel brush, apply a thin layer of the gel to the full nail from the center to the cuticle just like you would if you were applying nail polish. Repeat for all fingernails. Be sure none of the gel seeps over the sides of the fingernails, if it does, wipe away immediately.

5. Place hands under a UV nail lamp to activate the gel and to fully cure it.

6. Apply gel for a second coat and cure.

7. Apply a topcoat to seal in the gel.

8. Apply cuticle moisturizer or oil.

A professional nail technician should apply the gel nails since it is quite labor intensive.