Just did my first home gel manicure!

[EarSlaps]

Decided to treat myself to a home gel manicure set after my DDad gave me some money. Finally got all the bits today so did the manicure this evening.

It wasn't too tricky but you need to make sure you hardly have any polish on the brush and do a thin coat. I used a cotton bud with nail varnish remover to clear up any bits on the skin before using the lamp.

My nails are short and stubby as I'm trying to stop biting them but they are so weak and flimsy. I'm hoping the gel varnish will help me leave them alone. Normal nail varnish helps me keep them longer but I'm so clumsy I chip it in a day or two!

Does anyone else do their own gel polish?

Is it just the gel or did you file the nail bed?
I had gel nails 3/4 times, when I finally removed them my nails were really damaged and the damage had to grow out.

That aside, the nails look good considering you are a biter and it's s first effort.
You can use tips with the gel, and have longer nails the same length now.

I really gently buffed the nail, then wiped over with the prep solution, base coat, three coats of colour and then top coat, another wipe with the solution and lots of hand cream!

My sister has a set and did my nails- after I soaked them off my nails didn't seem much worse than normal.

I'm a bit clumsy so I was pleased with this! Going to put lots more cream on my hands and sleep with those attractive cotton gloves on

I do! I've got the sensationail machine. I like it, but it doesn't last as long as I'd like, and my nails are totally buggered now underneath the gel.

They look lovely! I'm jealous as I have neither the skill or the patience to do at home manicures

I got shellac 3 times in a row (no break where nails were bare) and 3 nails broke across the middle of the nail. Agony and have taken six weeks to grow out damage. I was getting them as am new mum and washing hands alot, i thought the gel would protect the nail. Unfortunately i think the curing really deprives my nails of moisture or something and damages them. Maybe keep an eye on their condition and give them a break between applications?

Yes, I'm going to keep an eye on the condition but they really couldn't get much worse.

I've been using nail oil on my cuticles multiple times a day and lots of hand cream. I had two days between soaking the last lot off and using this polish and used a nail growth treatment. I was really careful about taking the old polish off- no picking!

I do my own gel! I have a lamp from Amazon and use their bluesky polishes. I love them. They last me 1 week but that's perfect for me as I'm impatient and like to change colours often. I use it as I find it completely impossible to have normal nail polish without it chipping on even the first day.
I buff gently as you say and soak off for plenty of time and my nails are actually healthier underneath than when I was going to a salon, I think because I'm not scraping off any excess and taking nail with it!

I do my toes too.

Must try my toes, but I struggle to reach them well and my usual pedicure technique is just to paint the whole area and let the excess on the skin fall off in time. That won't work with gel!

I'm using the Bluesky stuff too, plus a Mylee LED lamp. I can imagine they do scrape quite harshly in a salon to get it off. Whenever I've had salon manicures before I've ended up with problems after they scrape at or cut my cuticles. I do have massive cuticles but I manage to push and trim them without causing problems

Well over a week later and they are still looking good! Obviously there are little gaps at the bottom where the nail has grown but they are still lovely and shiny. I had one little chip on the end, but that's because I didn't paint along the end of the nail I think (mine were too short to do that). I just filed that nail down and it looks good again. I also did my toenails.

I've found that having them painted reminds me to take care of my hands and not to bite my nails. Really pleased I got the set now!

Sounds good - will you update on condition after a few goes? I might invest if it doesnt affect your nails adversely!!

Certainly will do! Though to be fair my nails were in a bad state before! I've been a biter as long as I recall and even in the periods I've managed to quit they are prone to flaking and peeling. They will never grow very long at all, unless I put some polish on to strengthen them. Normal polish chips off to easily so I never bother.

They look gorgeous. Shellac or gel nails wouldn't really be very suitable for me though, as I change my polish each day to match what I'm wearing.