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we send free sample boxes to businesses evaluating our strips.
No minimum. No obligation. Just try them on real nails.
How To
How to apply, cure and remove semi-cured gel nail strips: sizing, prep, 60-second cure, removal with oil, and the mistakes that make a set lift early.
A semi-cured gel strip is already 60% cured when it comes out of the box. You press it on, cure it once under a lamp, and it turns into a solid gel layer. Below is the whole method — sizing, prep, application, curing, removal — plus FAQ.
What you need
- A 6W UV/LED nail lamp — any small gel lamp works, the strip needs UV-A
- A nail file, a small scissors.
- Cuticle oil — for removal only, never while wearing
- A wooden cuticle pusher, for lifting the edge at removal
Pick the right width
Every box holds mixed widths. Match by eye: the strip should cover the nail wall to wall without touching the skin. If it overlaps the side walls, go one width down; if you can see bare nail on both sides, go one up.
Boxes come in four editions — 16, 18, 20 and 24 strips. The 24-strip box is the standard pack: a full set plus spares across the widest range of widths. The 16-strip editions are shorter size runs; the 18- and 20-strip editions are longer. The finish is identical; only the number of widths changes.
Five steps
1. Prep the nail
Wipe each nail with a lint-free pad to strip surface oil. Push the cuticles back. Do not soak your hands first: water swells the nail plate, and the strip lifts as it dries out.
2. Size before you stick
Choose the proper size and peel one strip from the side that you will cut off later.
3. Press from the cuticle outward
Place the rounded edge a hair above the cuticle, not on it. Press from the centre outward, then work left and right to push the air ahead of your finger. Any bubble left under the strip becomes a lift point within days.
4. Cut the tip
After one hand is well pressed, cut the excess roughly with another hand.
5. Cure for 60 seconds
Cure under a 6W UV/LED lamp for 60 seconds. The strip goes from soft and slightly tacky to hard and glossy. That is the finished layer. No need to add a base coat, a top coat, a gel top layer, or nail polish. File the nail edge to a perfect shape.
The part that surprises people
A semi-cured strip is a wear layer, not a treatment. It does not strengthen, repair or condition the natural nail, and it cannot act as a base for other products. What you see in the box is what ends up on your nail — colour, gloss and thickness are all pre-set. Once it is cured, there is nothing to add.
Taking them off
Method 1. Never pull a strip off dry. Run warm cuticle oil along the edge, wait five to ten minutes, then lift a corner with a wooden stick and peel back at a low angle, close to the nail. The oil works its way under the edge and breaks the seal; a slow, flat peel keeps the nail plate intact. If a strip resists, add more oil and wait — do not force it. Wipe the nail afterwards and put cuticle oil on the skin around it, not on the nail surface.
Method 2. Heat it with a hair dryer for about 1min until it gets soft, peel off directly.
Making a set last
- No need to keep oil, hand cream and cuticle balm away from the strip edges after cured— the key is you pressed well and no edge lift before UV cure.
- No need to wear gloves for washing up.
- Keep acetone, polish remover and alcohol-based sanitiser off the strip
- There won’t be edge lifts if you pressed well before UV cure, if oil got under it before UV cure, clean and replace with a new strip.
- 15min later, it becomes rock hard and you can treat it like your natural nail.
Questions we get every week
How long do they last?
Three weeks for most people, depending on how fast your nails grow and how well the strips are pressed before UV cure.
Do I need a base coat or a top coat?
No. The strip is the finished layer. It’s glossy and stays glossy all the lifetime. No need base coat, top coat, or builder gel and ordinary polish all sit on top of a surface.
Can I use cuticle oil while wearing them?
Not on or near the strip. Oil is for removal: it creeps under the edge and breaks the seal, which is exactly what you want at the end and exactly what you do not want during wear. Keep it on the skin around the nail only.
Can I shower, wash dishes or swim?
Yes. Cured gel is waterproof, and normal hand washing does no harm. Long hot soaks and repeated exposure to detergent are what shorten wear, so wear gloves for the dishes.
Can I reuse a strip?
No. Once peeled, the edge that seals against the cuticle is distorted and will not sit flat again. Reused strips lift within a day or two.
The strip is too wide for my nail. What now?
If none of the strips fit your last nail, cut down the strip with base film, and cut the side wall to your own size before curing — but keep the rounded cuticle edge untouched.
An edge lifted after two days. Can I fix it?
This won’t happen if you press well and make sure there is no edge lifted before UV cure. Once it happens, you can ignore it, usually it won’t be worse. You can also replace with a new one if you want. But make sure it’s well pressed before UV cure.
Do I really need a lamp?
If you don’t have a lamp, exposing it to sunlight for 2-5 min also works.
Can I wear them over builder gel or acrylics?
We do not recommend it. But if you want to do so, make sure the builder gel or acrylic surface has no oil.
Sensitive or damaged nails?
Test one strip on a single nail first. Do not apply over a broken nail plate, an active infection, or inflamed skin — see a doctor first. The strip is a cosmetic wear layer, not a treatment for the nail underneath.
For wholesale buyers
If you need the instruction card in your own language, contact us for the OEM service.