View Full Version : Why can't I get a perfectly smooth shellac?? Please help.
Hi all, I am CND trained and therefore know the importance of proper prep. I think in fact I may be a little too obsessed with it as it takes me 40 mins to prep the nails. I never have problems with lifting. :D However, I wonder if I am a little too obsessed with prepping when it comes to shellac. I know that you are not supposed to buff the natural nail plate at all for shellac, and I have been on the shellac training course, but when I apply my base coat there are always slight marks/bumps. (Not quite sure how to describe them best). Almost as though there could be small bits of fluff/hairs on the nail. It happened on my training course and I just presumed I hadn't prepped properly, and I have been telling myself this all along. However, now I am beginning to think I could be scratching some of the natural nail plate with the cutilcle pusher and curette because I am taking so long doing it, and getting so obsessed over it?? All I want is to do a perfect shellac, with the line of light to be perfectly straight on each coating I do. Please help. I have searched this site for similar problems but can't find anything.
My stages of prep are:
Cleanse hands,
Apply cool blue,
Apply cuticle away, then use cuticle pusher and curette,
Wash hands to neatralize the cuticle away,
File free edge,
Apply scrub fresh for at least 5 secs per nail,
Apply base coat.
Thanks in advance! x
eskimonailtech
02-09-11, 10:46 PM
40 minutes? Jesus, Mary and Joseph!!!! Girlfriend, way too obsessive. Sounds to me like you are scratching the nail plate. Lighten up on the pressure. Don't "scrape" the nail plate. l did the same thing my first set. Looked like little teeny bumps all over underneath. I stopped scraping and just lightly worked and it was much better.
My shellac services are 30-40 mins in total. Any longer and I'm losing $$$
Susie H
02-09-11, 11:06 PM
40 minutes? Jesus, Mary and Joseph!!!! Girlfriend, way too obsessive. Sounds to me like you are scratching the nail plate. Lighten up on the pressure. Don't "scrape" the nail plate. l did the same thing my first set. Looked like little teeny bumps all over underneath. I stopped scraping and just lightly worked and it was much better.
My shellac services are 30-40 mins in total. Any longer and I'm losing $$$
I agree, remember your cuticle away does the work all you need to do is remove the now soft cuticle. No scrubbing needed.:)
I know, I know!! I am definitely wasting time and being far too obsessed. So how long would you take doing your prep? I obviously need to cut down on my time. I'm just paranoid! Need to make sure all of the cuticle is gone!! Haha! Thanks for your reply. x
Thank you. I will try and chill out a bit! x
Susie H
02-09-11, 11:12 PM
I'm with esci total time for service is 40 minutes.
I agree, remember your cuticle away does the work all you need to do is remove the now soft cuticle. No scrubbing needed.:)
Thank you very much. I knew it softened it but I didn't realise that it did all the work. I thought I had to scrub away too! Thanks guys. Can't wait to try it out tomorrow now! x
mizzy_dizzy
02-09-11, 11:18 PM
CND recomend a dry pep with Shellac now !
mizzy_dizzy
02-09-11, 11:22 PM
My stages of prep are:
Cleanse hands,
Apply cool blue,
Apply cuticle away, then use cuticle pusher and curette,
Wash hands to neatralize the cuticle away,
File free edge,
Apply scrub fresh for at least 5 secs per nail,
Apply base coat.
Thanks in advance! x
Clense hands (how? )
Cool blue is a waterless hand sanitizer it dose the job with out the water x
Was hands again after , ( try a spray bottle with a little soap and water & kitchen roll,
Or a damp flannel.
CND recomend a dry pep with Shellac now !
I noticed this yesterday when I watched a CND shellac video on youtube. I felt weird not using cuticle away though! x
eskimonailtech
03-09-11, 01:14 AM
I personally prefer to use cuticle away, especially on brand new clients who have never had enhancements. They have A LOT of cuticle.
This is my process, beginning to end.
1. CoolBlue
2. Consult and inspect
3. File natural nail with 240 grit file
4. Do cuticle work using cuticle away and cuticle pusher, then soap and water (if you get what I mean)
5. ScrubFresh extremely thoroughly, including under free edge!!!!
6. apply base coat and cure for 10 seconds
7. apply two colour coats, curing for 120 seconds each
8. apply top coat, curing for 120 seconds each
9. remove dispersion layer with isopropyl alcohol
10. apply solar oil!!!!!!!!!!!
voila. cuticle work is much less on clients who have either gel enhancements under their shellac, have already had shellac, or have had a recent manicure.
honestly, once i started using cuticle away thoroughly, and realized i needed to use it all over the entire nail (thanks holly!), all of my chipping problems went away.
Ambur30
03-09-11, 03:57 AM
You will get those little bumpies or whatever they are when the Shellac isn't shaken well enough! Shake the crap out of it for a good 20-30 seconds. Base coat, color and top coat. It will go on smooth. :)
I noticed this yesterday when I watched a CND shellac video on youtube. I felt weird not using cuticle away though! x
They do say you can do a dry prep. But, they also said, if you choose to use cuticle away, just make sure the client washes with soap and water thoroughly, and you use Scrub Fresh very well afterwards to make sure all of the cuticle away is removed. I always use cuticle away. :)
mizzy_dizzy
03-09-11, 08:10 AM
I know , I Normaly do cuticles every other appointment , starting at the first one,
I was making a suggestion in cutting her time though as 40 minutes is WAY to long to be sat with cuticle away on the nails ,
Cuticle away containes sodium hydroxide , and it needs to be deactivated , after 40 minutes it probably is having an adverse effect on the Natral nail , and that could well be what is causing the bumps as the poster said her self she fears she is scratching them and making the bumps.
Or
Could be using your cuticle tools at the wrong angle .
It could also be left over base coat from removal on repeat clients , or other desk derbies such as dust or lint,
The wrong light or one that needs new bulbs ,or maybe one is not lighting check they are pushed into there housings .
Bubbles from "scrubbing " the base and color in,
As said yiu need to be shaking shellac base , color and top ,
Applying to thick or to thin ,
Not scrubfreshing enough , especially after washing hands 40 muinites of cuticle away and washing them again ,
You could even have a base coat that has become part cured and has "bits" of cured shellac floating about in it.
As the poster thinks it might be her scratching the nail and she's the only one who can see and knows what she's doing it quite possibly could be the pep.
It reallly is impossible to say but the cuticle removing professes taking so much longer than needed will not help. And is something you need to work on so you can turn over more clients per day :)
Shellac dose not need the sticky layer , if you do
Base
Cure
Thin 1st color
Cure
Go to do 2nd and see bumps
You can cleanse with your D-sprse give a very light buff with koala buffer or white bock ,
Cleanse to remove dust
Let it dry while inspect / repeat if needed on the next 9 fingers ,
Then go back to first apply next coat on all 10
Cure
Repeat if needed
Or top coat .
essentia
03-09-11, 08:25 AM
Yes it is a long time but I do empathise as I too am OCD over cuticle and some do have very bad cuticles. LOL:D I find that using the CND chisel gently is very good for getting the excess off and I prefer it to the curette. I never find just using the pusher enough. Why not sit down with a mate and use a timer to get the timing under control.
I would like to see however tutorials with a model with less than perfect hands. All companies use a hand model that looks competition ready and I feel it would be more realistic to see them tackling excess cuticle, hangnails and manky nails.
mizzy_dizzy
03-09-11, 08:32 AM
Less than competition ready ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZBZvjQhuFQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
essentia
03-09-11, 08:48 AM
Thanks for that - a refreshing change. :)
shuntersue
03-09-11, 12:00 PM
I know, I know!! I am definitely wasting time and being far too obsessed. So how long would you take doing your prep? I obviously need to cut down on my time. I'm just paranoid! Need to make sure all of the cuticle is gone!! Haha! Thanks for your reply. x
Ten mins max!
eskimonailtech
03-09-11, 07:00 PM
I would bet my life on the fact that if the OP just let up on the pressure and length of her cuticle work, she would not get bumps.
I did the exact same thing, as I said, when I first started. It looked like stucco underneath the colour.
I let my cuticle away sit for 60 seconds before I begin working, and it's lifted off and softened so much cuticle. If you're finding it hard ti remove cuticle after you've applied it, you're removing the NAIL plate.
Why don't you ask a friend to have a free shellac, and try doing her cuticles for like 60 seconds per nail. See how it wears. You'd be surprised.
Thank you so much everyone for spending the time to reply to my message. I am going to do all the things you have suggested so hopefully will get a smooth shellac tomorrow! xxx