Doing my Own Nails as a DIYer During COVID

I have worn acrylic nails for almost thirty years. Throughout this time I have seen the nail industry change a lot. Especially when it comes down to the equipment that’s used to create fantastic artwork, just sitting on the edge of our fingertips. From basic hand files to these fancy new drills that boast multiple bits and are made more compact, things seem to have gotten easier and more accessible- even to us DIYers. Or so I thought…

I’m truly fortunate to have found Suzie as my tech years ago. She is very skilled and does a fantastic job. However, her one downfall is that she makes it look so easy!  Often while watching her work on my nails, I would think, “I could do this…” At least on my left hand anyways. Well, wouldn’t you know it, this year when COVID-19 hit and isolation protocol rolled in, I got my chance to give DIY-ing my own acrylic nails a try.

I reached out to Suzie and obtained a small sample of product and a drill so that I could attempt to do my own set. Let me just say that there was NO expectation that these would turn out to be ANYWHERE near as good as hers were. I simply wanted something at the end of my fingers that wouldn’t lift or catch in my hair! And wow, did I learn a lot. Luckily for those of us brave enough to attempt nail tech-ing, Suzie has a lot of tutorials online. So with that, I locked myself away in another room, set up my tablet and got to work.

The first thing I needed to do was figure out the drill. As a new user it was easy to identify how to turn it on, as well as the direction of the bit and how fast it could go. The drill that I borrowed also had a long enough cord that allowed me to move around easily. Of the next few steps, creating the perfect bead with the powder and preparing the nails with the drill were the hardest for me.

I am notorious for showing up to my appointments with glued, grown out and lifting nails, so I have heard it said over and over (not to mention on Suzie’s videos) that you must file down all of the lifting areas. Filing down anywhere it’s white is important so as not to create a bubble. Due to COVID and the amount of time that had elapsed since having them professionally done, my nails were a MESS. So this step took a really long time. Although my drill had slow speeds that I could work on delicate areas with, it was less stressful for me- and almost faster- to use a hand file to work off the last bit of lifting around my cuticles. The drill can be scary to maneuver around the tender parts of the nail bed. I’m sure with practice, this would change.

I was always curious about doing nails, so I’m happy that I gave it try. If not for anything else, just for something fun to experiment with while I had to stay at home. Going forward though, I will be leaving my nails in the hands of the professionals! I say this for a variety of reasons, including the companionship (you really get to know and love your nail tech), being able to have your nails done in a couple hours as opposed to the FOUR HOURS it took me, and of course, the artwork that my plain old nail polish was absolutely no match for. 

I now have even more appreciation for the nail tech pros out there who have spent their valuable time perfecting the creativity and quality of their craft. Because take it from me- it is not an easy job to jump into! 

Check out my video on Suzie’s IGTV to see both hands of my DIY set- the right hand was hard!