Preparing nails for applying gel polish and leveling with base coats

Preparation is essential to getting the perfect gel polish manicure. The length of time your manicure lasts and the smoothness of the finish are directly impacted by how well you prepare your nails before applying gel polish.

There’s more to properly preparing your nails than just cleaning them. Buffing the surface, cutting the nails, and making sure the nail plate is dry and free of oils are some of the steps involved. To keep the base coat from chipping and peeling, these procedures provide the ideal surface on which it can cling.

For a smooth, polished finish, leveling the nails with base coats is just as important as preparation. An excellent base coat smooths out any flaws and improves the stick of the gel polish, giving the finished effect a more polished and modern appearance.

Rules for ideal coating

The end product is primarily dependent on a few key elements, including an exquisite and superior coating.

• High-quality manicure. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many layers of material you put on your nails, until you have a clean manicure, there can be no talk of any beautiful coating. If the manicure is poorly done and there is a pterygium or smooth untreated areas left on the nail plates, then the material may flow along the surface. And this means that there will be smudges, an uneven paint line, material will be poured into possible cuts, the color will be in a rut, you will have to re-file your nails when removing;
• Materials with a suitable consistency. All materials you work with should be familiar to you: their consistency, fluidity. Choose those materials that are convenient for you to paint, draw, model, etc.;
• Convenient tools for coating. Again, you should be comfortable and convenient to work with. Choose brushes of the right length, a file of the right shape and other tools;
• Knowledge of the architecture and capabilities of certain materials. It is important to understand how the material behaves on the nails and what thickness of coating it can give. And if in the process of manicure you need to do alignment, then several layers in decorative manicure, then you just need to know and adjust the placement of the material on the nail plate;
• A refined technique of movement and coating algorithm. Of course, you need to do everything quickly so that the material does not flow down, does not collect on one side. It is also necessary to observe a strict sequence of layers. You understand that if you apply a top coat instead of a base or vice versa, then it is unlikely that such a manicure will have the correct architecture, be beautiful and last a long time.

Layers of the natural nail plate

It’s important to know which nails work well for any kind of manicure, which ones need a little more effort, and which ones shouldn’t be used at all. The state of the natural nails determines this.

Dorsal layer that influences the artificial polymer material’s adherence to the nail plate. Because of it, everything is possible.

There won’t likely be adhesion in some areas if the degreasing is not done thoroughly and the dorsal layer’s scales are not lifted appropriately, leaving shiny, smooth areas. Good material adhesion to the nail plate is ensured by the dorsal layer.

The following factors could be the cause of material delamination:

• Incorrect preparation – poorly sanded surface with shiny areas;
• The nail plate can be very mobile, and the material chosen is too hard, so there is no shock-absorbing membrane between the nail and the hard material.

Soft or intermediate keratin. Since the nails’ adherence will already be poor due to this top layer, strengthening the nails is essential. Should you find yourself staring at such nails, take the following action:

• Shorten the length;
• Use a primer;
• Strengthen the nails by leveling.

Inverse. Nails with a ventral top layer should not receive any kind of manicure. No adhesion, uncoatingable, and requiring a healing time.

In order to apply gel polish flawlessly, your nails must first be cleaned, shaped, and buff. A base coat is then applied to create an even, smooth surface that will guarantee long-lasting, chip-resistant results.

Stages of preparation for coating

1. The first thing to do is a hygienic manicure, which includes hand treatment, removal of the old coating, shaping the nails, cleaning and treating the skin around the nails and the nail plates themselves;
2. Degreasing the nail plates. The lipid layer, this natural fatty film, must be removed with a degreaser. You cannot start lifting the scales of the dorsal layer on the fatty layer. Be sure to degrease the surface first;
3. Polishing the top layer of the nail plate is done in one direction. First, we identify the middle part of the nail, where the central plane is located, and two lateral slopes. We lift the dense lipid plaque that has settled in the porous structure of the dorsal layer with a 180 grit buff in the case of a dense nail structure, with a hard lipid layer, or 200 grit in the case of a thinner structure. We move the periungual ridge and move the file strictly in one direction from one side to the other, first on the lateral slope from the ridge to the center, then we move to the central plane, and then to the other lateral slope;
4. Applying a dehydrator. Apply generously to the entire nail plate and draws out moisture and excess fat from the lower layers of scales. You can even walk on the skin around the nail;

Applying the primer. If the nails are healthy and problem-free, then we proceed straight to applying the base. If there are minor problems, then use a primer. To do this, squeeze out the brush, apply a semi-dry brush from the bottle to the middle of the nail (from the smile line to the free edge) with trampling movements, rub the primer into the structure of the dorsal layer. As if you want to fill all the areas and weak spaces of the natural nail. After application, polymerize in the lamp for 30 seconds. The primer works on the natural nail. Used when the nails are damaged, hyperplastic, highly exfoliated. There is no point in applying the primer to the base coat.

Alignment of the nail plate

If there are any asymmetry, twisting, dips, unevenness, cuts, or injuries on the nails, alignment is a procedure that is done for their beauty and aesthetics.

Alignment can be used to fix the longitudinal arch C-bend’saestheticflaw. We can align the nails if they grow upward, and lift them if they grow downward. Thin, brittle, sawed nails that are mobile are strengthened and shielded by alignment.

To get a smooth and durable manicure, take the time to properly prepare your nails before applying gel polish. The base coat is built upon a strong foundation created by cleaning, shaping, and buffing the nails.

Patience is key when leveling with base coats. Gel polish will adhere correctly and last longer if the base coat is applied evenly and given time to settle.

These easy steps will improve the longevity of your gel manicure and leave your nails looking immaculate and well-groomed.

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