My new gel nails look crap, help please!

[Jemster]

I am a terrible nail biter and in desperation to stop I had gel extensions done this week.
When I look at them closely I don't think they look very good and certainly not like I've seen on other people.
They are painted coral and there is a gap between what I presume is the edge of the gel and my cuticle, so you can see my own white nail there. It looks odd, surely the gel should go right up to the cuticle? It looks like they've grown out already and that was on the second day!

Also several of them don't look wide enough so you can see my nail poking out at the sides.

And finally they are really thick so don't look at all natural.

I'm a bit upset as they cost me £39.00 and the woman doing them was a bit severe so I don't fancy having to go back & tell her they look crap!

Can anyone tell me if these things are often the case when you have extensions, am I being too picky?

Poor you!

No, re growth normally starts to happen after a lot longer than a day! And you shouldn't see any nail down the sides.

£39! Eek! Don't go back there!

Gel nails are quite thick but not unattractively so IMO.

Hi OP sorry I can offer no advice but I will watch your thread as I have booked in for gel nails next week for the first time ever.

I too am a nail biter but I have a couple of wedding and because I have put on weight and feel crap want to look good I am getting my nails done.
Mine will be £23 with choice of colour/finish is this too cheap to be good?
The salon comes highly recommended.
I am worrying now

Nope-mine fit to the edge, are generally nice and smooth, but they do take some getting used to thickness wise. I'd bite the bullet and go back. (Forty quid? Mine cost about 25)

Can you post a pic so people can see if the gap is normal?

39 is pricey too. My first set with extensions were about £25-30. Later when they had grown and no extensions £20 a time.

I'm so annoyed, it was meant to be a treat and to make me feel better about my ugly hands. I really don't want to go back there as she was horrible and I don't trust her to do them well now. I don't know what to do.

Ask friends to recommend somewhere. Go there and explain the situation use it to your advantage and they may help

Also DH will have a fit if I spend another 40 quid on them
so soon!

I think you maybe able to get them done cheaper if that helps

£39! I pay £20 for hands and toes done at same time! Or £18 if just toes. Go elsewhere.

Some posters are confusing gel extensions with gel polish. Gel polish is cheap gel extensions are usually a bit more that acrylic nails £30-35 average.
There should be a slight gap around the edges and bottom if the gel touches the edge it can cause lifting. Post a pic. Were the sculpted gels or did they stick on tips and then paint the gel over?

Yes that's right itsbetterthan i had extensions not just polish and this seems to be the going rate round here for extensions.
They stuck the tips on and painted the gel over so I thought they would have painted the gel right up to the edge.

Did you go to a salon or was she a mobile manicurist? If it's a salon I would write to the salon explaining that you are very unhappy with the results (and the manner of the woman who did them) and you will not be returning there, even to have them altered as you don't feel the nail technician was good enough to make them any better. Ask for a refund. They may just say no or ask you to go back but if you don't feel you can go back there it may be worth a try?

It was a salon. I went there year ago and the lady did a good job but she is not there anymore.

The women was a bit severe. It's a wonder she has any custom at all with that attitude. That's the only reason some people go to salons to be pampered
You're a paying customer and if you're not 100% happy with your treatment then you go back in there and tell her to some people £39 might not be a lot but it's most certainly not a little either.

I do my gel nails myself now and tend to paint up to the edge, when I got them done in a salon they did tend to leave a small gap (1mm ish). As pp said this is meant to stop lifting. Tbf, my DIY ones don't last quite as long and tend to lift slightly, this is probably why but it's due to my inexpertise.

It was always more noticeable when I go bright or dark colours done in the salon too

Do the tips fit properly? The should be the same width as your nail. Sometimes they do it too quickly and don't.
In regards to thickness did they use powder and liquid mixed and painted on? Then cover it in clear and put your hand under the UV light?
Or was it all thick clear gel in layers each time put under the light with no powder and liquid?

I would say 5 of the tips definitely don't fit and are not the same width as my nail. It was just gel, no powder used, what's the difference?

Oh that's alright then. Only because sometimes some bad salons use acrylic which is powder and liquid with a gel topcoat and then call it gel or 'powder gel' so they can charge more because people think they are getting entirely gel nails. I ask because acrylic nails are usually thicker so as you said they were thick I thought this may have happened.

Oh dear that doesn't sound right. Here are my gel nails, had them done a week ago and cost me £15.00!

Yours don't sound right. I go to a place where it's Vietnamese people and they always do a lovely job. Don't give up, maybe ask people who have nice nails where they got them done. I love them!

Scarlet they look lovely and have confirmed how awful mine are. Two of the tips have broken off so hands are looking a mess!
She did say to call if any break and they will replace - can't
say I'm looking forward to going back for that!