Articles · Learning path · Beginner

Nails done right, from picking a colour to aftercare

20 lessons in order: polish and gel types, tools, e-files, choosing colours, prep, smooth coats, extensions, nail art, safe removal, common problems, safety and hand care.

20 lessons · about 134 min in total

  1. 1 Polish, gel, builder, polygel, dip, acrylic: how nail coatings differSix ways to coat a nail compared on wear, time, removal and difficulty, so a beginner knows where to start. With common mistakes and the chemical safety basics. 6 min read
  2. 2 Your first nail kit: files, buffer, pusher, wipes, alcohol. What can waitThe nine things a beginner needs for gel nails at home: what file grit numbers mean, how to use a buffer and pusher, which liquids matter, and what not to buy yet. 7 min read
  3. 3 Nail e-file basics: bits, speeds, rotation and how a beginner should startUnderstand an e-file before switching it on: what each bit does, RPM ranges per task, rotation direction, a first practice routine, and protection from heat and dust. 6 min read
  4. 4 Gel colour types: opaque, jelly, glitter, cat-eye, chrome and thermal explainedGel colours do not all apply the same way. Type by type: how many coats, what extra you need (magnet, chrome powder, no-wipe top), and the problem each is known for. 7 min read
  5. 5 How to pick a gel colour for your skin tone: warm, cool or neutral undertoneThree at-home undertone checks, the colour theory you actually use at the shelf, a skin tone to colour family table, colours by occasion, and a 5-minute two-finger test. 6 min read
  6. 6 Base and top coats: rubber base, no-wipe, matte, and why tops go dull or yellowWhat a base coat does, regular vs rubber vs strengthening base, wipe vs no-wipe vs matte top, what the tacky layer is, and the real causes of dull or yellowed top coats. 7 min read
  7. 7 Nail prep without damage: gentle push-back, light buffing, and when to primePrep that makes gel last without thinning the nail: push cuticles gently, never cut, buff with 240 grit until the shine is gone, cleanse, and when to use primer. 8 min read
  8. 8 Apply gel smooth and even: thin coats, capping the edge, no floodingA glass-flat gel finish: load the brush lightly, three floated strokes, 0.5-1 mm from skin, let gel self-level before curing, plus fixes for waves and shrinking. 8 min read
  9. 9 Why gel burns in the lamp, and how many seconds each layer really needsWhat a heat spike is, why thick layers and thin nails get hotter, what a low-heat mode does, a cure-time range table by gel type, and what to do when it burns. 7 min read
  10. 10 Seven nail shapes: which suits your fingers, and how to file them evenlySquare, squoval, round, oval, almond, coffin and stiletto: which flatter which fingers, which break least, the right grit and direction, and getting ten nails to match. 7 min read
  11. 11 Nail extensions: tips vs forms, builder gel vs polygel, and where the apex goesFull, half and press-on tips vs forms; builder gel vs hard gel vs polygel. Where the apex sits, how thick is safe, real timings for a full set, and the common mistakes. 7 min read
  12. 12 Simple gel nail art: French tips, sponge ombre and marble, step by stepThree basic gel designs, simple tools: a crisp French line with a liner brush, sponge ombre, and marble on an uncured layer. Layer counts, cure times, common mistakes. 6 min read
  13. 13 How to remove gel safely: file the top coat, soak in acetone, never peelStep-by-step soak-off removal with real times, how to wrap foil, how builder, polygel and hard gel come off by filing, what never to do, and acetone precautions. 7 min read
  14. 14 Nail care after gel: temporary thinning, resting nails, and what oil doesWhy nails look chalky and soft after gel removal, how long recovery takes, what evidence says and does not about resting nails, plus oil, cream, gloves and doctor signs. 7 min read
  15. 15 Gel lifting, shrinking, bubbles, wrinkles, dull top coat: symptom, cause, fixEvery common gel problem in one table: symptom, usual cause, fix. Then the five most frequent in depth: lifting, shrinking, bubbles, wrinkling and a dull top coat. 6 min read
  16. 16 Nail chemicals and ventilation: acetone, monomer, filing dust and uncured gelAcetone, acrylic monomer, filing dust and uncured gel: the hazard of each, how to ventilate at home, which gloves and masks actually help, and how to store it all safely. 7 min read
  17. 17 Cleaning and disinfecting nail tools, even if you are the only one using themClean first, then disinfect. Which solutions, how long to soak, what is single-use, how to store tools dry, and why your own nails carry germs you do not want to spread. 6 min read
  18. 18 Hand care basics: why washing dries your hands, and what a hand cream needsWhy hands peel when you wash often, how to read a hand cream label (humectant, emollient, occlusive), when to apply it, sunscreen for hands, and gloves at the sink. 6 min read
  19. 19 Nail changes worth a doctor's visit: what to notice and why not to gel over themDark streaks, lifting nails, red swollen skin, colour changes, thickening: how to notice them, what to do before the appointment, and why covering them is a mistake. 6 min read
  20. 20 Storing gel and nail tools: light, temperature, lids and period after openingWhy gel thickens in the bottle, what temperature to keep it at, how to read the open-jar (PAO) symbol, when a gel has gone off, and how to store a lamp and e-file bits. 7 min read