Hello everyone.

I have been having UV gels done on my nails intermittently for about 18 months or so and have not had any problems to date. Until now.
Last week, I had the french gel treatment done. The technician used mainly IBD gels although I noticed that she used some BioSculpture white first where some of the white tips were uneven on my natural nail (odd shape). She then topped it off with IBD after curing. The UV lamp she used was unbranded.
Anyway, within two days some of the gels started lifting and peeling off, but only across the white tip area.
I contacted the salon who insist that is not their fault and maintain that my nails are "just not compatible", which sounds like a huge cop-out to me. The attitude of the manageress was so off-hand that they have definitely lost themselves a customer!


I have thought of a few elements that might have contributed towards the lifting and offer them up for your esteemed opinions:

• The weather here in Cyprus was very hot (top 30s) and humid
• I was in the 2nd half of my menstrual cycle (this does affect treatments on my hair so could it be the same with my nails?)
• Two days after the treatment I painted over the gels with a whiter french manicure normal nail polish (for an evening out). I've done this many times before on previous treatments as I was told it was OK to do so, and had no adverse effects.

Any views would be appreciated beforeI risk wasting my money elsewhere.

Thanks

If I were you I would go back to the salon and speak to the manager/owner and explain the problems you've had, it's better if they can see your nails before they make any assumption as to who/what is to blame.

hth's a bit

Thanks very much for taking the time for such a comprehensive reply. Will definitely be going back to the salon again!

Hi,

Just to clarify, did your tech apply white gel over white tips? Does she/he do this normally? White gel takes longer to cure, and white gel over white tips would take even longer. If it wasnt cured correctly it would have 'peeled' off.

on the other questions,

Yes heat can affect the consistency of gel, however as you say you normally dont have a problem, your tech probably knows this and keeps her gel in a cool dry area(just a guess)

As for your menstrual cycle, Iv never heard of this affecting enhancement application or lifting, and if it was due to an over active supply of oils created by the natural nails due to hormones, I would imagine they would begin lifting from other end, not the tips.

Painting your nails after gels is perfectly ok, provided it is removed with non acetone nail varnish, so as not to 'melt' the tips.

Im sorry that you have had that bad experience with gel's

From what you describe I believe

it could be a combination of undercuring(, the heat and nail prep and tec skill, all of those and probably more contributed to you having the trouble with your nails.

I would def not treat a customer like this....had you been there before?

If you can go back and ask for them to be soaked off (at their cost) and to rectify the problem, I would.

I presume you can take off the nail varnish over the white?

Please dont be put off having gels again, they should give you at least 4 weeks trouble free, looked after right.
I love using gels and it is very rare indeed I get a complaint and I have never had one like that...hope you get it sorted out real soon.

Gels and White tips
Only thing I can think of would be that the tips were not matted (lightly etched ) before applying the gel.. this would definitely make them seperate as Gel doesnt stick to shiny surfaces..
me thinks it could be as simple as that

its the technique and perhaps not the tools

Cait

Thank you everyone!
Will be marching back into the salon tomorrow, wish me luck!

I find this a bit misleading as with my rate of nail growth and most of my clients they need rebalancing every two weeks.