Gel nail beginner

[Mushhh89]

Hi, I have been practicing acrylic nails for some time now and am about to learn gel. I have a course booked in April but would like to get some practice in first, but I'm a bit confused.

From what I have read and tutorials I have watched, I believe you have to apply a base gel first before you use the builder gel. Can I use a thin layer of builder gel as the base gel? Which gel system would you recommend? Any advice or tips would be great appreciated.

Thanks in advance x

 

[perfect10kb]

Hi . Well done on booking your gel course . I would advise however do not try and practice before hand or read tutorials etc as this will not only confuse you but could make you have bad habits which would be hard to break . Are they not supplying you with the gels to use on your course ? I would wait till your course starts and learn the right way

 

[Mushhh89]

Thank you for your reply, maybe you're right. They are supplying the gel kit but I am just excited to get started... and impatient haha

 

[perfect10kb]

What gel system are they providing you with do you know ?

 

[Mushhh89]

I don't know unfortunately

 

[perfect10kb]

Ok without bursting your bubble why did you book a course for gels and you do not know which gel you will be trained in ? is there any chance of cancelling that and doing your research to see what gel you would like to use and then find a reputable course for that ?

 

[Mushhh89]

Don't worry you haven't 'burst my bubble' I'm sure it will be fine!

 

[AcidPerm]

If you plan to become a professional Nail tech rather than a diy-er it pays you in the long run to get the best training you can afford and preferably with a reputable brand from the start.

A lot of geeks post on here because they’re having problems with application, lifting, removal etc. and in the vast majority of cases, it’s simply down to having no training at all or poor quality training and the poster ends up having to retrain elsewhere.
Problems are also caused by using fake products imported from overseas and not using the correct lamp for curing, assuming any old 36w lamp will do.

 

[Bel's Gels]

Hi, I have been practicing acrylic nails for some time now and am about to learn gel. I have a course booked in April but would like to get some practice in first, but I'm a bit confused.

From what I have read and tutorials I have watched, I believe you have to apply a base gel first before you use the builder gel. Can I use a thin layer of builder gel as the base gel? Which gel system would you recommend? Any advice or tips would be great appreciated.

Thanks in advance x

Ask your training provider what brand/products you will be using.
Any decent educator should not have an issue answering these types of questions then you can do more research.
If they wont tell you then I would take that as a red flag.

 

[Jamjamnails]

There are loads of different makers and types of gel. A builder gel is a hard gel which is very viscous. Depending on the brand you may be able to use it as a base or a top, or both. If you're a beginner I recommend that you learn the basics first then work your way up. Good luck!

 

[PortiaM]

I was taught a Hard Gel was a Gel that could not be soaked off with acetone. Apparently builder gels can be soaked off with acetone. Am I incorrect Jamjamnails?

 

[Jamjamnails]

I was taught a Hard Gel was a Gel that could not be soaked off with acetone. Apparently builder gels can be soaked off with acetone. Am I incorrect Jamjamnails?

Depends on the maker. I work in Japan and we have hard, semi-hard and hard gels. Some can be soaked off but some can't. We usually use a base that can be soaked off so it's easy to remove and doesn't damage the nail plate as much. I think it depends on the system and the salon etc., so it's good to be trained in a specific brand. Most salons will charge extra for removal of another salons product because it's unpredictable and removal may take longer or be more difficult, also clients don't always know whether it's hard or soft gel etc.