Is it worth doing gel nails at home?

There is no doubt in answering that yes, doing your gel nails at home is worth it. If you look at the costs for each visit to a salon that in addition requires a lot of fuss and time lost on booking your appointment, that more often is not on the day you would want it.

Add the time spent to travel to and from your nail beauty salon and it becomes clear that being able to do your nails at home has an enormous advantage.

What you need to do is invest in a good quality poly gel starter kit that you can use at home, watch tutorials for beginners and start beautifying your nails. 

Poly gel starter kit

A simple click on your search browser after typing ‘poly gel nail kit’ will lead you to hundreds of results. But how do you decide on which one to try first?

The most efficient way to find the right product is by looking at other people’s recommendations and genuine reviews of real users. These can be found either on the manufacturer’s page, on review websites or in articles such as the one you are reading right now.

We recommend that your research focuses on the poorer reviews as well to spot any repeating issues with certain products. This will allow you to have a wider picture of the poly gel brand you research.

Also, reading about the brand, its founders and other products launched before the gel kits will aid in making a well-informed decision.

For example, we looked at www.gelbae.com, a gel nail range created by the Australian brand Secret Stylist that has also produced other successful high-end beauty products.

They offer two poly gel kits:

• Gel Bae Starter pack

It consists of:

• One base coat and one topcoat
• 12 sizes nail casts (pack of 100)
• One 15ml Gel Bae Poly Gel Tube (with a choice from 14 colors)
• A nail file
• A double-ended brush/spatula
• LED curing light
• A 30 ml slip

• Gel Bae Poly Gel kit

It consists of:

• One base coat and one topcoat
• 12 sizes nail casts (pack of 100)
• Five 15ml Gel Bae Poly Gel Tubes (with a choice from 5 color ranges)
• A nail file
• A double-ended brush/spatula
• LED curing light
• A 30 ml slip

The unique selling point of this brand is that their poly gels can be applied straight on to your hand, they are super easy to mold on the nails casts provided, all this resulting in less than 20 minutes full application.

They offer a tutorial that helps their customers to achieve the same great results even if they are gel nail beginners.

Cost of gel polish manicure

To have a poly gel manicure done in a salon you look at a starting price from 30$ to $90. In addition, you will need to take into account the cost of fuel or bus fare to get to the nail salon.

Another thing that you need to take into account is the possibility of damaging one of your newly done nails and the need to return for a touch up at the salon.

If you choose to do your gel nails at home, a starter kit can be purchased from around 70$ with prices differing on what each kit contains. 

One 15 ml gel tube contains enough quantity for two full sets of nail manicures.

The maximum cost of having gel nails done at home, for a session is just over 20$ (sometimes less, with Gel Bae for example you could end up with less than 8$ ). 

How long does gel nail polish last 

Poly gel nails should last at least for two weeks. Of course, this is influenced by the quality of the gels used, how it was applied and your lifestyle.

In some cases it could last up to a whole month, depending on the activities a person is involved in on a daily basis.

How to remove poly gel nails

To remove poly gel nails at home you will need to use the file supplied with your kit and file off the gel. Leave a little on (around 10%) to protect your natural nail from damage.

Poly gel nails should not be soaked off. Acetone should only be used if you plan to stop using poly gel on your nails for a longer period of time.

A correct application and removal ensure that poly gel will not ruin your nails in the long term.

Where to buy poly gel

If you decide that it’s worth doing your gel nails at home, you can buy poly gel from beauty salons, specialized beauty shops or online from a manufacturer’s shop. You can also order these products online from Walmart, Amazon or eBay.

Online training – Gel Polish Course

If you are a beginner with no current beauty experience ( or a fully qualified therapist looking to add a new skill to your portfolio ) this is for you: Online Gel Polish Course, learn how to do gel nails without leaving home. This online course is accredited by an insurance company.

You will receive a certificate that is recognized by the beauty industry. This way you can gain insurance to work from home or mobile.

Their Student Portal is entirely online and easy to access at any time, anywhere from your device connected to the internet (smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC). This way you can work at your own pace, at a time that suits you better.