home gel nails! Are they any good?

[jellyjiggles]

Do they last?
Is there a way to use your usual polish ?
Which system is good?
What watt UV light?
How long does it take to do?

[HorsesDogsNails]

Home kits are very variable in their quality and whatever they say in their marketing they are not as good as salon products. You can't use your own polish, gel polish is completely different to nail polish.

The wattage of the lamp only tells you how much electricity it uses, it is no indicator of the UV output. An understanding of the products and the lamp needed to fully cure them is essential, without that you run a real risk of causing yourself an allergic reaction. This is all taught on training courses.

How long it takes you to do depends entirely on your level of skill, I can do mine in under an hour but I'm a professionally trained nail technician and have been doing nails for 11 years! I know you'll think I'm trying to scare you but I had a long conversation with a prospective client last week who can't wear anything on her nails due to a skin reaction. Having spoken to her at length it started after she did her own gels without understanding how to work safely. Stick to letting nail tech's use professional products

[TheDuckSaysMoo]

I love mine! It's an led one rather than uv, as apparently they are better. It's by NYK1 - I'll try to find a link. Their gel polish is lovely too - you can't use your own. It takes me 20-30 mins to do base, three colour and top coat. Lasts three weeks. The time consuming bit is taking it off - 45 mins.

[pollyblack]

I have sensationails and it is good, not as good as having it done professionally though. They do a starter set that gives you everything you need. You can use their polishes and i believe they have now brought out a product which means you can use normal nail polish. Their website has some goods offers on it sporadically.

[Libitina]

I bought this yesterday and used it with a normal OPI varnsh I already had. Looks great. Very easy to do. Only problem is that I'm not as neat as a professional would be (don't cure it before you tidy the edges, lol).

www.boots.com/en/SensatioNail-Polish-to-Gel-Starter-Kit_1804964/

[itsbetterthanabox]

Horsesdogsnails is spot on. You don't want an allergy.
The poster saying it takes 45 mins to get off I dread to think what they are using. A product taking That long to soak off will be extremely drying and damaging to the nail.

[TheDuckSaysMoo]

I can't do links on my phone, but you can see the NYK1 led lamp on their site or amazon. It genuinely cures each coat in 30 seconds.

My nails are in great shape. I never said I soaked my nails for 45 mins - soak about 15 per hand, plus time fiddling with foils, scraping etc. It all adds up. Perhaps I am less efficient than itsbetter.

[Pigeonpost]

I started with a Sensationail kit and supplement it with Bluesky Polish. Lasts two weeks, same as my salon Gelish polish did but without costing me £25 a pop. Takes 15 mins to buff, soak and scrape off but I can only do one hand at a time so half an hour overall. Then half an hour to redo the polish. Best thing I've ever bought. I've got quite a steady hand and the gel never touches my skin so I'm not too concerned about developing an allergy. The Sensational kit cost me £35 in the sale and it is a LED with a 30/60 second cure time.