Gel nails how many coats

If you use a gel top coat as a base coat you will not have the long-lasting feature of gel polish that it is known for. Also, gel base coats and gel top coats have different curing times.

Failure to follow these curing times will result in improper curing and will reduce the expected two-week gel polish wear. However, if you do not want your gel polish to last two weeks or more, you do not have to use a gel base coat so you do not have this long-lasting feature.

The reason people do this because they do not want color polish on their nails. Putting gel topcoat on your nail plate before color polish to prevent your nails from getting stained from gel color polish.

Gel polish basecoat acts like double-sided tape. It is normal to be sticky to the touch even after it is cured under a UV light. You should not wipe off the cured gel basecoat with any cleaner.

Doing so will change the surface of the nail and the gel color that goes on next might not adhere well to the base coat and premature peeling or lifting will occur. If you do not have a gel base coat and you need to polish your nails for one day, you can use a gel top coat as a base coat.

Keep in mind though, your gel polish can peel, chip, or lift away from your natural nails in a few days. Even though it looks unnecessary but this clear topcoat will prevent the gel polish color from staining your nails. If you do not want any color on your nails and want to add some strength to your thin nails, gel basecoat and topcoat will be a good nail strengthener. Both need to be applied thinly on the nails and cured under a UV light for 30 to 45 seconds separately.

With this option, you can just apply one layer of gel base coat and topcoat after a week to make your nails looking fresh again. You could remove the gel base coat and top coat, trim your nails before preparing your nails to put them back on if you want to. In my years of doing gel manicure for customers, the brand that I buy and always used is Gellish.

The base coat bottle has a short, stiff brush so applying a thin coat is easy. The topcoat has the right consistency to my personal preference and works well under different temperatures year-round. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. All rights reserved.

This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. File and shape your nails. To get the ultimate look from your at-home gel nails, start with the ultimate blank nail. Take the time to cut, file, and shape your nails. Before you cut them, decide what shape you want.

Cut the basic shape and then file the tips. Finally, finish shaping by rounding the surface of your nails with a buffer. Because gel nails are based off of your nails, this is when you shape your nails.

Use cuticle remover. Once you have the basic shape to your nail, apply a cuticle remover around the base of your nails. Apply your base layer. Apply a very thin layer of your basecoat to your nails. For gel, you use a much thinner layer than you would with standard nail polish. Let your base layer dry for twice as long as recommended. Part 2. Apply 2 thin layers. Once your base layer has dried completely, apply another extremely thin layer. This will be your color gel. It will probably look streaky, but that is normal for the first layer.

Make sure to use these colored layers to paint over the tip of your nail as well as over the surface. This will keep the gel from curling back off your nail. Cure each layer under a UV lamp for minutes. Apply your top gel. Coat your nails completely in your top gel. Paint over the tip, like you did with your color gel. Once again, cure the gel polish under a UV light for minutes. Remove the tacky. Some gel methods leave a tacky, sticky layer on and around your nails after curing the top gel.

If this is the case, simply take a cotton ball dipped in isopropyl alcohol and wipe over the tacky. If your gel nails start to look dull after a few days, take a buffer and smooth out the top layer of clear coat, then cleanse your nails and reapply another clear top coat to bring back the shine. Part 3. File off the top layer. To remove your gel nails, you first need to file off the top layer of the gel. This will take away the shine. Only once the shine is removed can you move forward in removing the gel.

Avoid picking the polish off your nails. That can remove layers of your nail in the process, leaving them brittle and dry. Take 10 pieces of cotton balls and soak them in your acetone. The cotton balls should be big enough to cover your whole nail. Use caution when you're working with the acetone, as it's a harsh chemical. Also, keep in mind that the acetone is very drying to your nails, so they could be brittle afterward.

Wrap tin foil around your fingertips. Take one of you cotton balls and place it on your nail, covering your entire nail. With the cotton ball in place, wrap the nail and the tip of your finger with tin foil. Do this over the rest of your nails. It is very difficult to use foil-covered fingers to wrap the second hand.

Let sit and then remove one at a time. Let the foil stay wrapped for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the wrapping one nail at a time. Getting a manicure can be a much-needed luxury, but sometimes there's no time or budget to get it done.

But, it's all good. With a DIY mani, you get the nostalgia of your teenage years every time you pick up a nail polish bottle. If you're anything like me, you're relaxed by just dipping the brush into the paint while listening to music or chatting with girlfriends on the phone. Oh, the joys of being giddy, wide-eyed year-old. When painting my own nails, I much like the time-pressed rest of the world only use two coats of color, a topcoat for shine and a few quick drying drops.