The more you do it, the less time it takes. I think the channel creator said she doesnt do nail art often so thats why its taken her this long. I went from literally 8 hours to 2-4 hours😂😂😂😂
That's why I usually do my nails in stages over the course of a couple of days with breaks in between so I'm not sitting there for HOURS lol Stage 1. Removing old nails Stage 2. Prepping and applying new nails (i use full cover tips) Stage 3. Painting left hand Stage 4. Painting right hand
Oh my gosh THANK YOU for this!!!! I set a stop watch when I did my nails and it took me 6.5 hours. And I didn’t do any nail art. I feel better knowing I’m not alone in this. One thing I started doing is I do my dominant hand first, which has really helped in feeling overwhelmed.
I do that also so after I’m done with the hardest part it’s much easier for the rest of the time spent and feels like it goes faster. I think it definitely helps keep me sane throughout the 6-8 hrs spent😂😂😂. Depending how I feel due to Lupus , fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease, PAH, CHF, RA plus a lot of other illnesses. It’s the pain aspect that decides how long or how much I do at one time really. I’m self taught been doing my own nails for 8 years now. Builder gel overlay (soft gel)and lately been using full cover tips. The nail art is always the most time spent of course depending on what I’m doing.
That makes sense because then the brain goes, ok, well, now I just need to match *this*. Which in turn, will hopefully make it less stressful to do the non dominant hand since the bar is already set at "anything is better than this!!" Lol
I sometimes split it into couple of days: take old gel off, shape nails, prep the cuticle, next day I’ll start applying gel and on third day I might do the nail art.
it sounds doable. even i usually do my nail care routine over several days and i do just normal nail polish (taking it out, shaping, cuticles, oils, etc and then the 1 or 2 layers of colour and the top coat)
I really appreciate you being so transparent. I’m learning how to do my own nails too the way you do and a basic set takes me 3 hours and a lot of back pain and not always the right shape and maybe a couple bloody cuticles. But I’m getting better every time!!! It’s a JOURNEY!!!!
Ya same! I mean I'm not trying to do mine like her, but I've started learning to do nail art (simple) and it takes me around 2 to 3 hours to get them right
i'm not a nail tech but i've been learning to do nails for like a year now!! and i can tell you for sure the experience of doing your own nails is far different from doing somebody else's. i genuinely take at least two days to finish a hand because i'm such a perfectionist that i can't stop until it's perfect. most of the time i just give up and start over.
Same it usually takes me 5 days to fully finish both hands but I usually start non Dom hand and by the end I the week the non Dom nails are slightly lifted and the Dom aren't 😭 I'm trying to atleast put on the nail it self at the same time minus art on both hands at the same time .
im so glad im not the only perfectionist that takes 2 days to finish. i see everyone else saying “omg it also takes me 3-6 hrs to finish and then im so sweaty with back pain ugh” like 😭😭 try 24 hrs!!!
I love hearing this, because it always takes me HOURSSS to do my own nails 😅😅 I just turn on some movies or an audio book to background watch/listen, and take my time. It's like a relaxing, kind of 'self-care' day every other weekend lol
@@chaozingaTHIS HAPPENS TO ME HALF THE TIME but I figured out it’s cause I spend extra care working on my dominant so it doesn’t look like a toddler did them and then I rush on my non-dominant hand so it actually does look like a toddler did them 😭
I can attest to that, I struggle with money atm so for years from about age 17 I did my own acrylics and gels at home and it would take me half the damn day to do them because I'd be so ocd about them and also didn't want to nick my skin with the electric drill bit I used for filling and trust me getting both hands even and shaped nicely when you're not trained and only going off what you've seen actual nail techs do during appointments it's one of the most stressful "calming" activities ever xD
I also did a lot of research before I ever took on doing my own nails before I bought or used any products. Remember nail prep and care is the most important step to any manicure or pedicure no matter what and should never be skipped or half-assed
YES! But it's also hard to do your own nails even if you are trained...it takes me usually around 10 hours to get both hands done, so I do it over two days. It's truly maddening and stressful!!
As a black woman who does her own hair and want to start nails thx you for this. Doing hair is GRUELING, especially with 4c, my longest project took 4-5 days constant work. I love love love acrylics but I’m not mentally prepared so I’ve been pushing it off.
Just start already hun!! Acrylic is tough at first, I'd say try one of those cheap kits to test it out (not on anything living lol) and you'll get the hang of it. Plenty of tutorials now days too. Good luck 😊
Acrylics are the hardest to do on yourself, ud say dual form poly gel and/or gel x are the easiest. Like another person said; try a cheap kit on a fake hand. Ali express has some cheap practice hands; that aren't too terrible INO.
I started with polygel first, then gel overlay and I just started working with acrylic about 2 months ago. Personally, I am SO glad that I started with the easier stuff first, because I think I would’ve rage-quit doing my nails altogether if I jumped right into acrylics! Since you already have incredible patience from doing your own hair, you will probably do just fine with acrylic nails-but if you aren’t in the headspace to take on that much of a challenge… I definitely recommend starting with polygel first. If you don’t follow them already, I highly recommend the channels *Nail Career Education* and *Long Hair Pretty Nails!* They are who I learned from on RU-vid, really good information and tutorials. Good luck with your nail journey!😊❤
I'm so glad you talk about how long it takes you! I'm Not a Nail Tech but I've been doing my nails for 5+ years and it takes me 3 hours to just remove previous and do the structure! :)
When you said Non-nail techs not understanding it was the most underrated statement ever😂 I literally walk around with my left hand, looking glamorous any given moment, and I’ve gotten so used to it now, but I don’t even care if my dominant hand has no false nails
I've been doing my own nails for years now (not a licensed tech), and it still takes me anywhere from 3 to 6 hours 😭 I'm so glad it's not just me, lol.
i dont do very detailed nail art but i do find a lot of peace painting my nails, its very much soulful self-care for me. i recently got builder-in-a-bottle too to help support my long nails with short nail beds and its a very peaceful time
As a non-nail tec but still a nail girlie boy do I get it. I've been in love with the semi-cured gel stickers that are available just for that reason. So if you need your non-dominant hand looking cute fast that is my advice.
As a person who does my own nails because I got tired of crowded salons, high prices, not getting what I want and just plain rude nail techs. Doing my own nails was definitely a struggle at first but now with practice it is now a self care process 😊
As a nail tech, girl I so get it. Another nail tech said try doing your dominant hand first bc it will always take less time to do your less dominant hand.
By the 5th hour I’m done and wait to do the nail art for the next day. I’ll also start by sculpting on my dominant hand so the last two hours are easier. Anyone who thinks doing their own nails (as in legit sculpting, not just tossing on full cover tips) is easy needs to actually try it. 5-6 hours for a set is normal!
It’s also VERY important to remember that these products can be dangerous if misused. Allergies and causing them using the products wrong/messily, exposure to IV lights, breathing the fumes, use of solvents, over filing your nails, too long and/or poorly done nails that can damage your natural nails, nail beds, can snap off etc. It’s not talked about enough, and even seeing all these videos there’s no mention of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) clean up, what happens if you get the gel all over your skin, etc.
That’s a whole different topic on its own. I actually have a video where I help “fix” a DIY-ers nails. It was recently posted you can take a look😊 this video was just to showcase my experience as a professional, doing my dominant hand
I follow and learned mostly everything iknow from watching and studying professional RU-vid and I’m very sanitary with everything and make sure to cure products completely and always wipe away any gel products with 70-99% rubbing alcohol very carefully to avoid allergies and love using hema free products just to help be on the safe side also. I care for and disinfect my hands, nails and everything I use and work with before and after using them. I’m very cautious about that especially because I want to be able to keep doing my nails for a long time in the future until I’m too old to do them anymore. I’m 41 right now so hopefully for a very long time. 😊
I started at 6pm and it’s now 8:07pm. I have completed (from sanding off the old to putting on the new) 3 nails 😆😭 But in saying that, it’s been on and off while I do other things as well!
I’ve gotten mine down to two hours. I don’t hand paint much. I’m also ambidextrous and use gel x extensions. In turn I hate how decorated nails look on me. Neutrals it is! 💀
There have been too many times that I spent days with only one hand finished 😂 it's an all day affair and I appreciate you saying I'm not the only one! Seriously, I didn't want to admit it took me 5+ hours lol ❤
Thank you for making this video. I thought I was so bad at doing my nails because it would take hours to do just one hand. Sometimes it would take days because I would get frustrated and have to stop for the rest of the day and then try again the next day.
It’s a lot of work and time consuming 😂. I just wanted to learn how to do it as a way to protect my natural nails since they were growing so long on their own. I found out gel builder on my natural nails would be like a hard protective layer on top. Granted months later and me not keeping up the refill as quickly as I should have, led to some nails breaking in the sides nails of the nail bed. But I found solutions. So the maintenance and upkeep is just as important as the initial design. There’s a lot to learn about doing your own nails. Dealing with chemicals, how to refrain from getting nail infections, how to deal with them, when to give your nails a break, peel off gels, led wattage, etc. I practiced my first full set with acrylic nail tips and gel polish on my mom and it took 5hrs. Just doing gel builder on natural nails is shorter time of course but still time consuming. I’ve learned to split it between 2days when working on myself. I did a full acrylic set ( acrylic already came shaped, nude tone, and buffed) looked natural. The next day I added gel builder and floral sticker designs and it was really pretty. I received a lot of compliments on them! (Video on my RU-vid channel). I’m learning to speed up my process and take care of my natural nails. Right now I’m taking a break & cut my natural nails really short and I like it a lot surprisingly 😂. Like anything else it’s about making sure your natural nails are healthy, so it can be strong enough to withstand getting them done frequently and then proper maintenance for that. Best of luck to everyone having fun doing their nails themselves 😊🧡
It takes me about 2 weeks to get both hands done (I’m slow and I fit the time in wherever I can). I usually finish the final nail, heave a sigh of relief, assess/admire what I do/don’t like-and then immediately start working on the very first nail again…because it’s already been 2 weeks.😂
Yesssssss!! THANK you for sharing that even though we are licensed pros, this is often a peace-free, 4 hour, (sometimes spread over a few days) process to do our own nails! I turn into an ULTRA detailed obsessed maniac. Not fun. 😬😵💫🤡
I've been doing my nails for the last 4 years but I'm not professionaly trained (learned everything I know on youtube). Last time it took me 9 hours to remove old acrylic set and create everything from scratch with extensions (while taking breaks to eat, entertaining my dog and watching youtube). I thought I was crazy for taking that long but I'm a perfectionist and can't stand any flaws, so if a professional takes these many hours, then I'm ok.
I genuinely don't understand why you guys from the US spend hours doing these acrylic nails if you have natural nails! just paint them, it takes me 30 minutes to do it and my nails looks great. No acrylic, no plastic, no uv stuff, no tons of money and hours
This is so true but I started doing my own nails 3 years ago and will never go back. I can have exactly the design I want all the time. It's amazing but it took so ..long..
Oh my goodness! I'm so glad you said how long it takes you because I'm not a licensed tech but I do my own nails and it takes hours!! I thought it was just me. Your nails look gorgeous by the way.
So you confirm my belief. Gel nail art is great, but it's better not to attempt doing it myself, and stick to my monochrome gel nail style 🤔 If it's that difficult for a nail technician, I can't imagine how long would it take me to decorate 10 nails. The other option would be to decorate nail tips, then glue them to my nails, but I think it doesn't last that long 🤔
Thank you for sharing this! It’s honestly a toss up. Getting your nails done by Asian ladies that are rushing you in and out of the chair pulling tugging hurting and cutting you due to rushing speaking in a language you don’t understand in front of you being distracted and sometimes rude and aggressive regardless of the price or place it seems to be the same theme with nails techs is not fun nor relaxing. So I opt for doing it myself I have all the tools gel & normal polish and nail products more on the natural side, rhinestones stickers decorations ect. And it’s not a walk in the park. By the time I’m done doing my toes I don’t feel like doing my hands sometimes they don’t look right and most of the time they don’t look professionally done because like you said we have a non dominant hand so diy nails is hard and can be very stressful. So it’s a toss up. I’ve opted for doing my nails when I feel like it and when I don’t just wearing them short and clean. No more nail salons for me.
Not certified but a favorite hobby of mine. Sooooo glad to know its normal to take hours doing my own nails. I thought all certified techs could do theirs in less than 2.
I’m not even lying, I stopped doing my nails while my bf and I have been renovating a house and it’s been so much easier to maintain bare nails than painted. I’ll go back to doing my own nails when I’m ready, but it’s not as fun and peaceful as it looks
Doing my nails is definitely ✨ me ✨ time. I make sure the family is fed, and all housework is done because my husband knows once I sit down to do my nails, he won’t see me for the next 5-6hrs. The best part is he respects this and I can go do my nails in peace while binge watching my favorite show uninterrupted. It takes me that long but the nails last me 1 month without breakage or lifting so it’s only once a month.
O love that you are honest and tell us you hate doing ya dominant hand. I do my prep the night b4 and then do my nails the nxt day & I spend 1.5 has doing my nails 💅 on my dominant hand and that's only dip 🙃 but then I spend 45 mins doing my non dominant hand ugh I can so relate 2 the effort yoy/we put in doing our nails
Thank you for your honesty. I stopped being a nail tech because of the pressure from clients and shop owners but the peace I get at home doing my own nails was worth going to school and gaining the knowledge for. I love doing a set for my self and it really helped me regain confidence in myself and my work.
