Hi all! I got a full set of Gel-X at the salon just before NYE and loved them so much. They were perfect length for my girls' trip to NYC for New Years….not so much for my office job tomorrow 😞
I did quite a bit of searching about how/whether Gel -X nails could be trimmed at home with mixed results. I decided to take a stab at it with the backup plan to just remove them early if it got too messy.
That said, I'm pretty pleased with the results! They are significantly shorter but still maintained a good portion of the design, with no chipping or cracking of the Gel-X plate or gel polish.
Here's what I did:
1) Traced where I wanted the shape to be with a dry erase marker – saw this tip on this sub!
2) Gently trimmed with regular clippers – I went slow and cut very small pieces, and in from the sides rather than down the tip. Took quite a bit of trimming to get them reasonably straight! Made sure to compare the fingers of each hand were roughly even. I also went from an almond shape to more round. There is NO WAY I have the skills to do almond lol
3) Filed the remainder with a metal file – this was the hardest part, I'm not great at filing/shaping. Took my time and checked often, with fingers bent and fingers straight. They aren't perfect but they aren't noticeably wonky until you look close. I can live with it for another few weeks!
4) Added another layer of gel top coat – I have gel top coat and a lamp at home. I did a very thin coat to seal in the new free edge and cover the design for extra protection. I don't know that this step was necessary, but I'm hoping it will make them last the full 4-6 weeks I usually get for a set.
Anyway, that's it! Happy to hear your feedback/experiences with this process – I'm hoping to not have to do this too often. Usually I ask for the length I want but it was just too tempting to go for full claws for New Years this year!!!
by lawpotato