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By Vanessa Steed

Getting your nails done and have a sleek and chic manicure has leveled up with the advent of gel nail polish.

Unlike regular air dry nail polish, the use of gel polish has been advantageous for girls whose looks are not complete without a pretty coat of polish on their fingertips. First and foremost, gel polishes last a lot longer, generally between 2 to 3 weeks, whereas regular manicured nails chip off a lot easier.

If you aren’t the type to be careful, your nails can get wrecked in a day or two. Gel polish coats are a lot stronger and it can even give your nails extra strength, plus its super glossy finish makes your nails look a lot more… well, polished!

You can also check the” difference between dip and gel nails

There are upsides and downsides to wearing gel nail polish though and the biggest one would have to be how to put it on in the first place.

Going to the nail salon to have your nails done in gel are a lot more expensive than getting a regular manicure.

The good thing is, because of its popularity, a lot of brands have already come out with their own home kits. Do your research, read reviews and get the brand that would best work for you. In each and every case though, follow these 4 easy steps in doing nail polish at home.

1. Basic Nail Care: Every girl knows that to have the best skin and hair, it’s not really about what expensive product to use, but rather, it’s taking the time to properly care for it.

Nails are the same thing. You have to make sure to keep them clean, properly shaped, buffed and moisturized, especially when putting on gel polish. And it’s just about the nails, you also have to care for your cuticle.

Regularly apply cuticle oil to the area because gel polish can dry it all up pretty quickly.

2. Coat the nail properly: Before applying anything, make sure that your nails are clean, dry, filed and shaped properly. Use a cotton ball with acetone to remove any excess oils. Then, apply a very thin layer of base coat.

Allow that to dry before putting on your first layer of gel polish, making sure that it is thin enough and that the color doesn’t go near the edge of your nails as this might spread over to your skin.

This might look a bit streaky, but don’t worry since you’ll be filling it in with the second coating.

3. Cure with the correct LED lamp: For each of the two layers, pause and cure the paint in a UV or LED lamp. Curing can be done for about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the home kit that you have. Lastly, apply the top gel coat. Sometimes, an extra film develops over the nail after curing the top gel, you can just remove this with some isopropyl alcohol.

4. After care and removal: One other challenge when it comes to gel polishes is having to remove them.

Remember, don’t strip or pick at the polish as this can damage the nails underneath. Instead, soak some gel polish remover or 100% acetone in a cotton ball, place on top of the nail then wrap the whole fingertip in aluminum foil for about 15 to 30 minutes. This will help the gel polish crumble off for easy removal.

For more tips on doing your own gel nails at home visit www.diygelnailkits.com

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