I tried to save some cash by doing my own gel manis at home – I now look at my fingers each day and live in regret

A MUM has issued a stark warning after her nails turned BLACK from doing them at home. 

Ally Minch’s nails peeled away from her skin and parts turned black from using thick gel at home. 

She had to cut all of her nails down, including the dry skin from where they had lifted from her skin.

She said: “I ruined my own nails. 

“After COVID kicked off and I couldn’t go to the nail tech anymore, I bought all of the kit and all the gel, everything.

“I was using builder gel to start.”

Builder gel is by popular nail care brand The Gel Bottle and is said to strengthen nails, with the company trademarking the name Builder In A Bottle (BIAB).

It has to be cured under a UV light and infilled regularly to keep the nails strong.

When her BIAB ran out, Ally switched to Mylee products.

She recalled: “I wasn’t bad at doing my own nails .

“You know, they’re not perfect – obviously I’m not trained – this is just me practicing at home.”

Ally admitted despite being able to make them look pretty, she “was not the best” at removing the thick gel safely.

She said: “If I saw a loose gel, I’d literally rip it off with my teeth – which I know is awful.

“You should not do that… but I did that.”

Ally started to feel a reaction in her nails around 18 months after doing them, as her nails were “constantly aching” and would throb whenever she reapplied gel. 

Despite knowing something was wrong, Ally “just couldn’t stop”. 

She continued: “I never actually knew what my nails looked like underneath because I really was so lazy.”

The amateur nail tech was horrified to discover what her talons looked like underneath. 

Her friend told her to seek antifungal treatment, which she did.

Ally has accepted she will never know what truly went wrong.

Skin experts have previously warned about a chemical found in gel, gel polish and acrylic nails can cause an allergic reaction.

Viewers of Ally’s video theorised she was allergic to methacrylate chemicals. 

The allergy commonly occurs when gels and polishes are applied at home or by untrained technicians. 

It can cause severe rashes, itches, burning pain and swollen fingers.