With the advent of gel polishes, many began to do manicures themselves. When at home there is a UV or LED lamp, a lot of color gels and designs, you will inevitably think about nail extensions at home. In fact, this is a completely different branch of manicure. Some materials from the gel polish system will work, but many will have to be purchased.
The use of a manicure machine for removing gel polish is gaining more and more popularity. If he is, this is a big help. Beginners have to file down the shape of artificial nails, and the files get a very long time. But besides this equipment, good materials will be required.
Manicure tools
In order for the work to turn out to be of high quality, the nail plate should be thoroughly cleaned of the skin, especially in the corners. This is the only way to remain confident that material breaks will not occur. It is worth considering the process of sterilizing the tool, since sterility during the operation of nail extensions at home is the key to a long job preservation.
The following toolbox will be required:
- Knipser.
- File for natural nails 180/240 grit.
- Ceramic hoof.
- Buff 240 grit.
- File for artificial nails 100 grit.
- Lint-free napkins.
- Dust brush.
- Pusher / scraper.
- Nippers for the skin.
How to prepare nails
Cleaned hands are wiped with a clinser and remove the varnish. After they remove the length with a knipser, they give the nails a semicircular shape with a 180 grit file. The proximal roller is pushed back with a scraper. A ceramic hoof is removed from the nail of pterygium - the skin that has adhered to it. Brush off the dust with a brush. After all the nails are processed, remove the gloss from the nails with a buff. Having brushed off the dust, they wipe the nails with a clinser. Now they are sterile and ready to grow.
Which gel lamp is better to choose
Now you can buy very cheap UV lamps of the old model, in which LED gel is not polymerized. In addition, they constantly require the replacement of elements that have a certain marking. It is best to purchase a combination lamp that combines both technologies.
Special gels dry for half a minute in such a lamp. All LED products can polymerize in UV lamps, but the time will be increased to 2-3 minutes. Modern gel varnishes are adapted for LED technology, the LED lamp itself lasts a long time and does not require replacement of elements. It is easier to transport, it is not bulky. There are lamp brackets with six lamps in which both UV and LED gel dry.
Gel Building Materials
If at home you already have everything for gel polish, then you can purchase several products from the line for building the same brand. Often companies that produce gel polishes produce materials for modeling. Then there is no doubt in the compatibility of the preparatory tools and gels.
For gel building, you will need materials that are also present in the gel polish system:
- Klinser.
- Acid free primer.
- Rubber base.
List for gel nail extensions at home (materials that are purchased separately):
- Camouflage construction gel.
- Transparent constructing gel.
- Number 4 brush for gel.
Materials for acrylic building
In the case when it is only planned to start manicure, you should think about acrylic extensions. He does not need a lamp. Acrylic is convenient to transport, it can be taken to the country, where there are problems with electricity. It takes up little space. Acrylic nails are thinner and stronger than gel nails. If later it will be decided to purchase gel polishes, then the design on acrylic nails can be done with them.
Acrylic starter kit:
- Monomer.
- Glass for acrylic.
- Acrylic brush number 6.
- Klinser.
- Acid Primer
- Transparent powder.
- Camouflage powder.
If the extension is supposed to be done on the forms, acquire them. Sometimes, with very high rollers, it is difficult to substitute the form. Resort to the help of tips. But it’s best to buy arched shapes that combine both of these technologies. They are reusable and easy to work with. That's all you need for nail extensions at home.
What is arched form
The company "Formula Profi" has patented a unique device for modeling - an arched shape. After its application, the glued tips remain on the nail, on which the material is laid. The tip will have a finished arch formed, which is very convenient for nail extensions at home for beginners.
This form works with any material. It allows you to simulate modern nails, and do it simply and quickly. The set has ten numbers of plastic forms that can be matched to any nail. Material is applied to it, after which the form is established and polymerization occurs under appropriate conditions. To work with the gel, you need a rubber base, on which the form is made. Acrylic is suitable for anyone.
Change of standards
If you look at the photo of the extended nails that were made fifteen years ago, you will see quite wide nail plates, curving downward in profile. The technique of those years recommended using flat nail tips for flat nails. Often the nails were trapezoidal in shape. When building, this led to diamond-shaped nails.
In nail extensions, standards have changed. Tips that were previously produced almost always had a shape bent down. In modern modeling, this is unacceptable. In the process of wearing artificial material, the natural nail during regrowth further bends the structure down. Therefore, after two or three correction sessions, you have to perform the simulation again.
Normally, the nail should have a transverse arch called the C-curve. If the nails are flat, they have to be artificially corrected by pressing. This is done with reverse tweezers until the polymerization is over. At home, gel nail extensions will cause difficulties with such an operation. When building with acrylic, it is easier to determine the moment when complete polymerization has not yet occurred and the structure can be compressed. For beginners, the use of arched forms that already have the correct C-bend and a straight longitudinal shape will help.
Step-by-step instructions for the gel
Each company has its own characteristics of gels. There are separate recommendations for them. Here, innovative technology from Formula Profi, a domestic brand that works on American materials, is examined.
To perform the simulation, you will need:
- Camouflage LED gel.
- Arched forms.
- Klinser.
- Bonder.
- LED lamp.
- The gel base is universal.
- Gel brush number 4.
The video shows gel nail extensions at home step by step.
Procedure:
Step 1. Form the tips with a universal base - lay out a small thickness in an arched shape. At the edge, which will be on the nail, remove the material by two millimeters. Cure a few seconds in the lamp.
Step 2. Fill the edge of the mold with the base and put it on the nail, gently holding it. Put your hands under the lamp. After a few seconds, the supporting arm is removed and the gel is dried for 1 minute. Remove the dispersion layer from the back of the nail.
Step 3. Apply camouflage gel. Cure 2 minutes.
Step 4. Remove the dispersion and file the nail. Brush off sawdust with a brush.
Step 5. Apply color gel polish or top.
Gel Features
Gel nail extension at home has its own characteristics. Here are some of them:
- Work with the gel requires special movements. They should be smooth and zigzag, this will help to smoothly fill the surface of the nail with volume.
- The gel is able to reach for the brush. This property is used for alignment.
- UV lamps have a limited life, so they need to be constantly updated to fully cure.
- If it comes into contact with the skin, immediately remove the gel until it is polymerized. Subsequent sawing it leads to detachment.
- With quick brush work, bubbles get into the gel, which are difficult to get rid of.
- If the brush is not immediately cleaned of the gel, it may dry out when light is exposed to it, especially sunlight. The brush will be damaged. For the same reason, do not keep the gel brush in the area of the included UV lamp.
To understand how the gel of the brand of your choice behaves, practice laying out the structure on a piece of paper. If you do not put the gel under the lamp, it will not freeze. Therefore, a large consumption of material is not required for training.
Video instruction for acrylic
To form modern and durable nails, it is better to use arched shapes. This video instruction in detail examines just them for nail extensions at home step by step.
If there is no lamp for gels yet, the design is done with varnishes. On acrylic nails they are worn for a long time.
Features of working with acrylic
Often when building acrylic nails at home, the following errors occur:
- The working brush, while new, is in the cap. This is the packaging; it is thrown away. If the brush is closed immediately after work, the monomer evaporates and leaves a yellow color on the bristles. Correctly after work, rinse the brush and place it horizontally in a pencil case. They do not store it upstairs, the brush deteriorates from this, and when working with it, ugly stains will result.
- The monomer is thrown away after work, it is contaminated with particles of powder, not suitable for storage. When using it, there will be a marble effect.
- The acrylic cup should be large so that the brush opens. It should be pressed on a surface of sufficient height. To wash the brush after work, you need to open it several times and squeeze. This is not possible with small glasses. The best choice is a 150 gram wide-bottomed glass.
- If it is not enough to squeeze the brush, then the acrylic ball will slip off of it and fall into powder. In this case, it should not be reached with a brush. This is done with a wand, because the brush deteriorates with such movements - acrylic is clogged into it, solidifies and is difficult to remove. The brush no longer holds the shape, it is impossible to work with it. In addition, if such a liquid ball can be brought to the nail, it will spread, come into contact with the skin.
- The brush should not be pressed on both sides, it will turn out to be a too scratchy ball. It will harden quickly and will not give the opportunity to make a form.
- Work with a ball on the nail washed and wrung out on a napkin with a brush.
- Wipes should be white, as the coloring matter will get on the brush and ruin the work.
- To coat acrylic nails with varnish, use the base, otherwise they will stain.
Conclusion
Technology in the nail industry is developing rapidly. Today, what seems modern and fashionable will become obsolete tomorrow. If you constantly monitor the news, you can successfully do nail extensions at home. Good luck!