What To Do if Your DIY Home Manicure Is Leaving You With 'Chunky' Nails

Incase you missed it, DIY manicures are IN as women everywhere are ditching the salon to get creative whilst saving on spending. Considering a full set of gels would cost an average of $51.29 in 2019, a figure that any nail lover will tell you has risen significantly since, its unsurprising so many are taking the treatment into their own hands.

Despite giving it a good go, there's one element of a gel set that some self-taught techs still struggle with: avoiding a chunky nail.

Usually a result of poor application, the 'chunky' look is not one to be striving for if you want a salon-level look. But fear not, as a nail tech and educator has shared her top tips for smooth application in a now viral TikTok video.

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Kara, or @karanailedit, amassed over 544,000 views on the video, during which she took viewers through a step-by-step tutorial on how to avoid chunky nails. Explaining the benefits of her method, she said, "Not only does this look really natural and nice,
but when it grows out it doesn't look chunky either. And it helps with the structure,
which makes your nails stay on better and not lift."

She said that the process results in nails that are "perfectly balanced and structured at every step of the process, and with each process product that I used, and layered on my nails so that it can grow out nice and seamlessly and beautifully."

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Newsweek also spoke to celebrity nail tech, Tina Le, who counts Serena and Venus Williams amongst her clients, to get her top tips for salon-worthy gel application and secrets to perfect nails.

How To Guarantee a Smooth DIY Manicure

1. Don't Flood the Cuticle

Kara stresses the importance of not letting too much polish gather at the cuticle. She explained, "Start your brush a few millimeters above your cuticle and drag it towards the free edge. The cuticle area hasn't been touched by the polish yet.

"Now, with whatever remaining gel is on your brush, just gently push it towards the cuticle as close as possible. Load it towards the free edge."

"If you have too much gel on your brush, you can even wipe it off so that you're really just using what is left on the brush and no extra. The goal is to thoroughly polish the cuticle area, but to make it as seamless as possible, especially when we're doing a bunch of layers."

2. Build Your Apex

It can be tempting to go straight in, but when working with builder gel, a slip layer is absolutely essential. After applying this using the same method as the base gel, place a bead of product onto the nail and begin floating into place.

Kara said "being careful that my bigger bead of polish that I'm using to build the apex is slightly above the cuticle area as well, and this is actually super important for the structure of your apex with your builder gel, because if the cuticle area is thick,
it can lift more easily."

It's not just the bulk of the nail this applies to. She said, "This goes for the tips, too. We wanna make sure that the cuticle area and the tips and the side walls are as thin and balanced as possible."

3. Wipe Any Excess Away

Don't be scared to wipe away any excess polish—especially when it comes to your color.

Kara said, "I just start a little bit above the cuticle, and if you have too much polish, be sure to wipe it off like I just did there, too, because you don't want it to be goopy or pool in any areas. We wanna make sure that this layer is super consistent and thin."

Celebrity Nail Tech Tina Le's Top Gel Tips

4. Nail Prep Is Key

Nail prep simply can't be skipped and is vital for both smooth application and long retention times.

"Start with a clean slate." said Le. "Remove any old polish, push back and trim your cuticles, and lightly buff the nail surface. This creates a smooth base for the gel to adhere to."

5. Cap the Free Edge

The free edge is arguably as important as keeping your cuticles neat. Le explained, "Sealing the free edge (tip of your nail) with gel polish helps to prevent chipping and gives a smoother finish. This little step can make a big difference in the longevity and appearance of your manicure."

6. Check Your Brush Pressure

How you apply your product makes a major difference, and pushing down with too much force could effect how evenly it lies on the nail.

"Apply gentle pressure with your brush to avoid dragging too much product," she recommended. "This helps in achieving an even coat without streaks or bubbles."