Wedding nails: a timeline that works
When to book the trial, when to do the final set, and what to tell your mehendi artist.
How to make a gel manicure last
Small habits in the first 48 hours make the biggest difference.
A gel set is fully cured when you leave the table, but the first two days still matter. Avoid long hot showers, swimming pools and hot dishwater for 48 hours; heat and soaking make the natural nail swell and can lift the edges.
Use gloves for housework. Detergent and floor cleaner are harder on gel than anything else in your day. Do not use your nails as tools for opening cans, scraping labels or peeling stickers. The free edge is where chips start.
Rub a drop of cuticle oil around each nail every night. Hydrated cuticles stay soft and stop the nail around the gel from drying and cracking. Any oil works; almond and jojoba are what we use at the studio.
If a corner lifts, do not pick it. Water gets under the lifted gel and pulling it off takes layers of your nail with it. Message us a photo: within five days we fix it free, and after that a single-nail repair costs ₹100.
Finally, plan your next visit at three weeks. Leaving gel on for six weeks lets the nail grow out unevenly and makes breakage more likely.
