A fresh new gel manicure is the stuff of dreams. But if you don’t apply it with care or look after your nails properly, it won’t last!

From preparing the nail for gel polish to taking care of your nails to keep them chip free, we give you our top tips for making sure your gel manicure lasts and looks great.

When you invest the time to do your own nails or the cash for an expert manicure, you want your nail polish to look great for as long as possible. Besides applying the best items, a little safety therapy remains in order, if you wish to keep your nails shiny. You do not need to quit excavating in the garden or scrubbing the shower, you simply need to protect your nails while you do it.
Apply a base coat and also a top coat with every manicure. The base coat aids the polish to follow the nail much better, while the topcoat shields your shade and also aids prevent chipping.
Protect your nails from warmth for at the very least 12 hrs after your manicure. Don't take in a warm bath or wash your hands with hot water. Avoid the sauna, and postponed the hot yoga exercise class for a day.

Use rubber gloves when cleaning meals, cleaning your home, or doing any other work that might plain or chip your manicure. Exposing your nail polish to cleansers, particularly abrasives, can take away the shine.

Avoid lotion, cold cream, and also hand sanitizers that contain alcohol, which can bring your polish. Bypass the exfoliating face and also body scrubs as well. Instead, rub oil, such as jojoba or Vitamin E oil, onto your nails and also follicles daily.

Fix nicks as well as chips as soon as they happen by filling them in with a clear top layer. Pick a fast-drying, high-shine polish, and also use a layer every few days to maintain your nails looking fresh.

We love gel manicures for numerous factors-- they're quick, challenging as, well, nails, and last up to two weeks. However, the honeymoon does not need to end there.

Here are seven ways to make gel manicures last

1. Keep away from hand sanitizer

Generally, considering that hand sanitizer will dry out your skin, nail bed, and cuticle, this is a good habit. It can also peel off your topcoat, so choose soap.

2. Apply the oil every day

Your nails will crack, tear when dry, and your nails will rage. Keep moisturized with cuticle oil.

3. Divert attention from dirty nails

Distraction is a powerful tool and an illusion. If you manage to keep the nail polish on your nails, but your nails are sticking out of the nail bed or being cut at the tips, hide them! Cover them up, make them glitter, or turn them into French tips.

4. Keep away from hot water

Just like soaking in a hot tub, extremely high heat will strip your nails. Keep showering for short periods of time instead of showering at extreme temperatures to make your mani last longer.

5. Repaint topcoat

Reapply the top coat every few days to maintain the manicure and luster of the manicure.

6. Take care of the epidermis

Applying to the epidermis will eventually cause the gel on the nails to condense and cause peeling. Instead of trimming the epidermis, use epidermal oil to push it back.

7. File your skills

If the edges of the nails are broken and wiped off, gently file them off, and then apply another coat on the "free edges" of your nails.
While I'll let you in on all the little hassles that stop your lovely, costly claws from lasting, there is one trick to keeping the manicure much longer: leaving it under the UV light.

8. Prep your nails for gel polish

It really is all in the preparation. While it may take a while, proper nail prep is a key stage in helping your gel mani last longer.
We always recommend pushing your cuticles back and carefully trimming away any loose skin. This will stop any gel polish from accidentally sticking to a loose bit of skin – which can be the main cause of lifting or peeling.
As for the rest of your prep, make sure to follow our 5 most important steps for prepping your nails.

9. How to apply gel polish

The application of gel polish can make or break a manicure. Our three rules are: thin coats, gentle strokes and don’t forget to cap.
Apply thin coats of gel polish to your nail. Thicker coats can go clumpy and be too heavy on the nail, causing bad looking manicures and resulting in lifting.
Gently apply each layer and take your time. Gel manicures aren’t a race, and if you want it to look good there’s no point rushing any step.
Finally, make sure you cap the free edge of your nail after you apply each coat. This will help seal the gel polish to your nail and prevent lifting from the edges of your nails.

10. Apply cuticle oil regularly

Cuticle oil is the magic ingredient when it comes to keeping your nails healthy and hydrated – and, in turn, helping your gel manicure to last longer. Regularly applying cuticle oil will hydrate your nails, helping them to grow faster and stronger.
How does cuticle oil help your nails? The healthier your natural nails are, the better your gel manicure will be. If you have a great base, the rest really will follow.

11. Keep your nails protected

Exposing your nails to hot water and chemicals can cause havoc for your gel nail manicure, leading to breakdown of the gel and potential lifting or chipping.
Whether you’re doing a quick wash of the dishes or a full scale clean of your house, be sure to wear rubber gloves to keep your nails safe from harm and avoid soaking them in hot water for too long.

12. Don’t use your nails as tools

We know that it’s incredibly tempting to pick at a label or to open a can or a tin using your nails, but something so simple can be the catalyst for causing unwanted chips – or even breaks to longer nails.
Always be careful of how you use your nails in order to prevent any unnecessary damage to your nails or the gel polish.

13. Consider using a primer

You do everything in your power to stop your nails from chipping, but that pesky peeling always seems to happen a few days after you’ve applied a fresh new gel manicure. Sound familiar? In cases of premature peeling, it’s worth looking at using an acid-free primer, which helps to dry out the nail bed and assists with the adhesion of gel polish by removing any lasting oils from your nails.
Applying a primer at the start of your gel manicure, just before your base coat, will help prevent lifting and chipping for a longer-lasting manicure.

How long should a gel manicure last?

With proper care, preparation and application, your gel polish will last up to two weeks.
It all comes down to making sure you take care of your nails not just when you’re wearing gel polish, but all year round.
And if you start by following our tips, you’ll have a longer-lasting gel manicure in no time at all!