DIY gel nails

[purplepansy]

Anyone recommend a good DIY kit? Or is it just a case of paying the salon price forever (having got them done finally, i am no addicted to my lovely shiny non chipping fingers and toes)

SensatioNail - love it!!!!
Results same as salon but saving a fortune and I can do it after kids gone to bed - will be doing tonight in fact

Is in Boots (and according to the SN fb page somewhere else very soon)
70 quid for kit including lamp, all the basics and 1 colour

just be warned.....its knackers your nails. mine took about 3 months to recover following 6 consecutive weeks of shellac....my nails are long and strong, but were reduced to bleeding stumps alarmingly fast.....and before anyone asks - yes i had them removed professionally!

Fuck ,I've just had mine done. They said you could remove it with nail polish remover, is that not true?

sauvignon unfortunately that's not true. You have to have them professionally removed, nail polish won't do a thing to them.

I'm addicted as well, shall just see how my nails cope when I'm changing colours.

you will need pure acetone and will need to soak them off in a bath of it.....i found after 6 weeks my nails were weak, flaky, brittle and tore off in strips so far up the nail they bled....my nails were sore! i havent done it since. id do it for a holiday or special occasion but not for any longer than a couple of weeks because i value my nails!

its a shame because they looked so nice and i loved that it didnt chip off - but the cost to my nails was too much.

I did Calgel on mine and never would again. Totally ruined my nails and even after six months, they just won't grow back properly, they are still flaking and very brittle :(

I had Gelish done and found them very simple to soak off with acetone nail polish remover. Don't be tempted to peel them off!

For Gelish removal, all you need is tinfoil, cotton wool and acetone nail varnish remover. Soak cotton wool in remover, place on nail and wrap finger tip with foil to hold the cotton wool in place. Leave for 5-10 minutes and rub it off like normal nail polish. Do one hand at a time.

Mine had been left on for three weeeks. After removing it, I left them bare over night and in the morning applied Essie Millionails. Two weeks later, they don't seem particularly damaged or weak.

It's unlikely I'll get it done again due to £ though .

I think some of damage occurs when the surface of your nail is buffed to remove the shine so that the polish stuff sticks.

if id stopped at one application it would have been fine - but i had it done 3 times one after the other - then my nails fell apart.

Thanks for the advice, it's only been on a week so I'll give it another week then take it off.
The manicurist mentioned tin foil but was a bit vague.

I have brittle and very short nails anyway, so I don't care if they get trashed. At least they look nice with polish on :) I will try the above kit, thanks!

Sauv - def do the foil method. You don't need to have it done professionally though, can do it at home if you prefer.

First file off all the shiny top colour layer - not down to the natural nail though!
Use 100% acetone on cotton pads, wrap in tinfoil and leave for 15 mins and then push off residue with a cuticle stick.
Cuticle oil afterwards as acetone can dry your skin around the nail.

Hope you get on ok with the kit Pansy!