Nails for beginners - Prep

Preparation is key.
You can have a perfect application, but without the prep, your set of nails is doomed to fail.

A good preparation is necessary to minimize lifting and infection.

Always start clean.
That means your implements, your work area and your and your clients' hands should be disinfected.
You can disinfect your tools several ways:
*using alcohol
*bathing in antiseptic
*bullet sterilizer
...
For your work area, you should always use a clean towels and clean tissue/paper towel.
Depending on the surface of your work area, you can also disinfect the table by simply spraying alcohol or antiseptic on it and wiping it away with a paper towel.

You can sanitize your own hands by washing them thoroughly and using an antiseptic spray.
Your clients' nails should not touch water or oils at least 2 hours prior to application.
The nail will suck up some of that moisture and might cause lifting.
Note that this is my personal opinion.

What I like to do is spray her hands with IBD prep.
This is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent and also dehydrates the nails.

So when everything is nice and clean you can start with prepping the nails.


This prep video also applies for a new set.
Both acrylic and gel.