Learning to do your own nails

Before I had my daughter, I would get my nails done all the time. I always have had issues getting my nails to grow. So I would get fake nails a lot. For me, it just made me feel good about myself no matter what was going on. Clothes and shoes might not fit, but nails always would. However, after having my daughter, I just stopped doing it. Being a single parent, I just never had the time or money to do it. Unless I was working, my daughter was always with me. And in general, I was just focused on other things in my life. However, it was something that I missed. Shopping for clothes or shoes, is not always a good experience for me. But getting my nails done always worked. It's just a great way of self-care, that makes you feel good. No matter what else is going on. And I knew that I missed that feeling and wanted it again.

I saw a video from something I was following, about gel nail polish and doing their own nails since they were stuck home during the pandemic. Being at home, you need to find ways to be productive and make you feel good at home. So I started to look into it. I had gotten my nails done so many times, I was sure that I knew how to do this. I thought it would easy for me. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But I was able to figure it out.

First advice, is practice and don't get frustrated with yourself. The first time it won't look perfect. It's a learning experience. But you will get better. It took me a few tries before I got a really great look with them.

Tools needed

There can be a lot of stuff that people say you need to do your own nails professionally. Don't get overwhelmed. Focus on the first thing you want to learn, and get things for that. I started with gel polish, and got the things I needed for that only.

Get kits. Kits are a great way to get everything you need for a lower price than getting them indiviually.

Above is a great nail kit, that includes everything you need to get started to do fake nails. You can do gel nails or acrylic. I will link it below: https://amzn.to/3fanm2N. The only thing that it doesn't have is a led light, which is something you need for most nail types. Here is a really good one I from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3F923JR.

A nail drill is helpful, but not needed at least for when you are first starting. A great website I started purchasing from is Madam Glam. If you sign up for VIP, you get 50% so you get some great deals. I use their tools and they are so worth the money.

https://www.madamglam.com/

If you want to just learn gel nails at first, you need a light, base polish and top coat. Then your color. Then start with more complicated things. Madam Glam has an advent calendar, and that is how I got started. It really had everything I needed with one price. No matter where you get it from, get a kit. It will save you so much money.

Gel Polish

If you are just getting started, start with gel polish. There is a lot, and a lot of things to learn. So start with the basics, it will help.

Polygel

If you normally get fake nails, or want to take the gel polish to the next level, then look into polygel. It is an at home way of doing gel polish. You can add length to your nails, like in fake nails, but it doesn't do as much damage to your natural nails. It does take practice. The first few times you try it, they might not look how you want or they might break. Because there is no glue or actual nail used, and it is just gel, then it can be weak.

The first few times I did it, they broke. I had to learn how to make them strong enough that they weren't really thin and broke on me. I got nail forms or dual forms. You can also use paper or sticker forms. While the paper forms are most of the time more cost-effective up front, I find that they are hard to use for a beginner. As someone that is not a professional, I found that the dual forms were easier to figure out, and created a smoother finish.

The thing you have to remember is that when you press the forms down, it will spread upwards. So try to make the nail part thick as you can. Put the base coat on, and cure it in the light. Then put the polygel on the dual form using a small brush to smooth it out. Press it onto the nail. Hold it down while you cure it. I like to cure it twice, once holding it down and a second time not holding it down. If you don't hold it down for at least 30 seconds, then it won't be totally attached to your nail. I like to put a second coat of polygel onto the part that is already on the nail, to ensure that it is thick enough to last. You then have two options. Either put top coat on it and leave it as is. Or you can put gel polish on it, like you normally would.

It is possible to be able to do at home. It just takes practice, practice, practice.

Fake nails

If all of that seems like it is too much work, or just not your thing, then maybe fake nails are the way to go for you. I think press on nails get a bad rap at times. They can look great and natural. Make sure to fail your nail with a nail fail. This creates something for the glue to stick to. It's also important to push your cuticles back. This makes sure that the fake nail flows into your natural nail very easily. If you get a kit of fake nails, they almost always come with glue. Most of the glue is actually really good. If you want that extra assurance that they will stick, then you can get extra strong nail glue from anywhere, including Walmart.

Kiss Nails, have really great kits you can get from Amazon and Walmart. However, for the best prices, I found that Winner's and Marshall's have great kits that are pretty and last for so long. I even used the glue that comes with the set and the nails lasted over 2 weeks. Best part is they are a great price, at only $5.99. Usually, you can get two sets out of one kit. So that's over a month use of nails. I did find the ones that Marshall's really long. So I just cut them shorter. And you really can't tell the difference.

It is possible to get a professional look at home. Do your research and practice. I hope this has helped you to figure out what you would like to try. If you can figure out how to do your own nails, then you can save yourself a lot of money. I hope this has helped and given you more information to look into.

-T