Gel polish

[Tanzanite]

I saw a gel kit on Groupon anyone done their nails at home how do you remove it is it easy how well does it last pay a fortune for nails every 2 to 3 wks at salon does it save you money ? anyone thanks

 

[eliza61]

I saw a gel kit on Groupon anyone done their nails at home how do you remove it is it easy how well does it last pay a fortune for nails every 2 to 3 wks at salon does it save you money ? anyone thanks

I've never done the at home version. I have had gel manicures a few times. Love them for their longevity. Got one before going to Europe, my nails looked fantastic for a solid 3 weeks.

Hate them for what they do to your nails. getting them off is a pain. I you-tubed every method and nothing worked without destroying my nails.

I think my nail salon is fairly reasonable. 25 bucks for a gel manicure, last me 3 weeks.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I do my own at home every 2 weeks. I did not buy a kit, I bought everything individually on amazon. I love them and they last 2 weeks and still look great. They are really easy. I pick/peal mine off at the end of 2 weeks for the most part, or you can soak them.

I bought this light and can do both hands at the same time. Huge time saver!

UV Light

PH Bond, Base and Top Coat - these are full size bottles

And I have purchased this brand of color, also full size bottles:

Color gel polish

I've been doing it for several months and have been very happy with the results.

 

[pigletto]

I won't get the nail polish from the salon anymore because I don't go in regularly enough to get it taken off. So I either have to peel it off (and it doesn't come off easy) or go in and pay to take it off.. which however inexpensive is annoying to me.

I wouldn't buy the kit without knowing how to remove it yourself or it will be a pain IMO. If there's a way to do it.. I don't know what it is.

 

[jedijill]

Just use straight acetone...scuff them a bit with a nail file and then soak in pure acetone. The thought of peeling them off gives me the heebie jeebies. I get mine done at the salon.

Jill in CO

 

[woodkins]

Removal is simple. Put acetone on a small piece of cotton, place cotton on your nail and wrap your fingertip in silver foil. Let sit for about ten mins. The polish will literally flake off with an orange stick. Make us to use oil on your nails afterward.

 

[Tanzanite]

I do my own at home every 2 weeks. I did not buy a kit, I bought everything individually on amazon. I love them and they last 2 weeks and still look great. They are really easy. I pick/peal mine off at the end of 2 weeks for the most part, or you can soak them.

I bought this light and can do both hands at the same time. Huge time saver!

UV Light

PH Bond, Base and Top Coat - these are full size bottles

And I have purchased this brand of color, also full size bottles:

Color gel polish

I've been doing it for several months and have been very happy with the results.

Thanks so much I will buy them there to I just want to do it at home once in awhile and my 12 yr old wants to do hers I will still go to salon most times

 

[Tanzanite]

Removal is simple. Put acetone on a small piece of cotton, place cotton on your nail and wrap your fingertip in silver foil. Let sit for about ten mins. The polish will literally flake off with an orange stick. Make us to use oil on your nails afterward.

Thanks that's easy.

 

[pigletto]

Removal is simple. Put acetone on a small piece of cotton, place cotton on your nail and wrap your fingertip in silver foil. Let sit for about ten mins. The polish will literally flake off with an orange stick. Make us to use oil on your nails afterward.

Thank you! I love how long a gel manicure lasts .. I just hated having to pay and go in again to have it removed since I usually do my nails at home.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I just can't bring myself to spend the money on getting a kit for at home. I'm getting my done tomorrow for the 3rd time with gel polish and pay $30 for the full manicure and the polish. At some point I'm sure I'll decide its too expensive to continue but I'm enjoying it for the time being. If I had roommates or daughters to split the cost of the light and polishes it'd be a different story. A friend of mine and I were actually considering a "shared custody" arrangement with a light then buying our own polishes.

 

[ChristineNic]

Does the gel polish or its removal damage your nails? I have been blessed with strong nails that grow quickly. The two time I had tips on my nails, my nails were tissue paper like until the damaged nail grew out. I usually don't bother with nail polish because regular polish chips so quickly.

I'm curious about the gel polish, but I would hate to damage my nails.

 

[jedijill]

Does the gel polish or its removal damage your nails? I have been blessed with strong nails that grow quickly. The two time I had tips on my nails, my nails were tissue paper like until the damaged nail grew out. I usually don't bother with nail polish because regular polish chips so quickly.

I'm curious about the gel polish, but I would hate to damage my nails.

No, it doesn't. Just to clarify..we are talking about shellac/gel polish not actual gel nails...It actually helps make my nails stronger.

Jill in CO

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

If you get the 'High quality" job on your nails I had in about a week the gel just fell off the nail.. NO damage, but not real benefit either!

Needless to say I won't bother again LOL !

 

[ChristineNic]

No, it doesn't. Just to clarify..we are talking about shellac/gel polish not actual gel nails...It actually helps make my nails stronger.

Jill in CO

Thanks! I may treat myself to a gel mani/pedi for my birthday.

 

[kellia]

Get the "Sensationail" kit at Rite Aid. They have $10 coupons or rewards all the time, plus I get 20%off. It comes with the light, which is worth the price of the kit! After that, I've gotten other gel polishes in other brands and they all seem to work about the same. I get about 1.5 weeks out of mine since my nails grow quick and that's about as long as I can stand looking at the growth. Make sure you coat the edges, that's what will cause the tips to chip. Watch videos on YouTube, very helpful!

To take off, I buff the finish off, then use the round make up pads cut into quarters or some gauze soaked in acetone. (I don't want my fingers soaking in acetone.) Then wrap tinfoil around them. Takes 10-15 minutes and it's off.

 

[eliza61]

Just use straight acetone...scuff them a bit with a nail file and then soak in pure acetone. The thought of peeling them off gives me the heebie jeebies. I get mine done at the salon.

Jill in CO

Removal is simple. Put acetone on a small piece of cotton, place cotton on your nail and wrap your fingertip in silver foil. Let sit for about ten mins. The polish will literally flake off with an orange stick. Make us to use oil on your nails afterward.

I must have industrial strength polish then. I work for a major chemical company, I get my acetone straight from work and this stuff never comes off easily.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

As far as damaging your nails..it depends. The polish itself doesn't do any harm but peeling it off or scraping it off is going to take off some of the nail itself. Not as much as them grinding off for acrylics or anything. As far as making your nails stronger, that is true but only while the polish is on. It's not a nail treatment like wear it for a little while and have strong nails.

 

[aggielawyer]

I found a base coat that made any polish work like a gel, and I really liked it. I did it for about three applications, but then I notice my nails were splitting and getting weak from the acetone needed to remove it. I haven't done it since. I will do it again once my nails have grown out, but will not make it a regular thing.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Does the gel polish or its removal damage your nails? I have been blessed with strong nails that grow quickly. The two time I had tips on my nails, my nails were tissue paper like until the damaged nail grew out. I usually don't bother with nail polish because regular polish chips so quickly.

I'm curious about the gel polish, but I would hate to damage my nails.

I also have very healthy, strong, fast-growing nails. I had a gel manicure at the salon for my DD's wedding in November. It lasted for weeks, but when it started to grow out I tried and tried to remove it! Called the salon and they said to soak in acetone polish remover for 15 minutes. Hah! After 45 minutes it still wouldn't budge so I had to scrape it all off with the edge of a metal nail file. After that my nails were so damaged they snapped off if you looked at them wrong! Thankfully, in a few months they grew out and I will NEVER do gel polish again!

 

[crisi]

I like my home kit, but don't get two weeks out of the nails.

I'm a polish picker/peeler to start with, so once there are edges, I peel the polish off in an hour or two - which is the reason it doesn't last two weeks

I find that if mine are covered with polish all of the time, they are nice and strong - as long as there is polish on them. There does seem to be a need for my nails to "breathe" polishless so I have to skip for a few days or weeks after about three applications.

The kit I got was $60 at Ulta - or two trips to the salon.