Flattish enhancements, help!

[*sarah*]

As I only qualified about six weeks ago I'm still on a learning curve, overall I seem to be impoving but one thing that is bugging the life out of me is that my nails are quite flat, not totally but still its really irritating any advice or shold I go on a skill building course?

Thanks xxxx

 

[NtricateDesigns]

Work on making zone 2 a little thicker and try builing that area. There are several tutorials on laying acrylic and gel. Just don't give up it will come in time. Best wishes to you...

 

[huerta3]

Proper placement and thickness of the apex will help, also if you don't have a nice c curve you can always give it a slight pinch at the free edge.

 

[*sarah*]

C curve is ok, just lacking height on apex, pinkies seem to be the best lol ?

 

[huerta3]

My pinkies are always best too. I think it is cause they are so small. Just practice a bit with you apex, remember if you add to much you can always file it down, you don't really wan't to do alot of filing but while you learning (as I am) I think it is easier to start with too much and file down and then use your finished product to be the template for how to do it next time. Maybe try posting a critique to get some better advise as then people can see what your doing wrong. I worked for me, my nails were too thick and I didn;t even realize it. Next time I did them I used less and they look heaps better.

 

[HeatherDavis]

if you don't have a nice c curve you can always give it a slight pinch at the free edge.

I'm going to have to disagree here sweets- While ok for competing, pinching the C-curve can create vertical cracks in your enhancement- and in turn some serious product breakdown later! You can also seriously damage the nail itself.

Best to get good at fitting a form to create a good curve...

 

[HeatherDavis]

I also want to add- it's important to learn to sculpt with your BRUSH, not your file. If you are using a low grit file, the vibrations can cause instability in your finished product as well

Practice makes perfect!!

 

[*sarah*]

Righty ho thats what I'll do I'm doing a new set on my self next week sometime so i'll take some pics and post them for critique good plan. I hate filling so dont really want to add more lol!
Thanks for the imput ladies xxxx

 

[Envy]

Hi Sarah,

I do agree with Heather, pinching may look stunning, but can put a massive amount of upward force on the nail plate.

When you are starting out there are two major areas that will affect the appearance of a flat nail.
1) as Kristina said making sure your apex is designed into the nail during application see threads: Zone 2 - Making it last: and Brush angels


2) Finishing can give the visual impression of the nail. you need to be looking up the barrell and ensuring the nail tapers evenly down the sides. Many techs when starting work way to flat across for finsihing, this will always make a nail look flat. Have a read: Perfect finishing

 

[huerta3]

Wow I din't realize that pinching the free edge would do that, how comme so may techs do it? As for filing I know it causes the polymer chains to break, right? I just had to do it that way at first but now I sculpt with my brush. Sorry.

 

[*sarah*]

what is pinching? I've never heard of this term before ?

 

[Envy]

Wow I din't realize that pinching the free edge would do that, how comme so may techs do it?.

It's a technique that gained popularity for how it looks, rather than what it does..! It's used a lot at comps to get the dramatic 'c' curve look, but then they get taken off same day, so less harm.
If you learn how to fit a form, or size a tip properly there is no need to do it!

As for filing I know it causes the polymer chains to break, right? I just had to do it that way at first but now I sculpt with my brush. Sorry.

Filing fresh product with a grit of 100 or lower is going to 'micro fracture' your product. It won't be visible straight away as the cracks are far to small to see. But within a few days or so they micro cracks all join and can lead to service breakdown (broken nails, cracking, chipping etc)

At the end of the day, the better your product goes on, the easier and faster they are to finish perfectly. It saves you money on product, abrasives and time (the most valuable of all )

 

[izzidoll]

Good thread...
In that is has shown how invaluable the advice of an Educator can be here on site....compared to someone who has had no formal training!

We really need to be careful on here geeks....
Yes, we all want to help, but if we don't actually KNOW THE FACTS then we can be doing more harm than good.


Sarah doesn't know about pinching...as she was not taught how to do it!
She also hates filing...because she was taught to sculpt with the brush not the file.
I am quite sure going over her manual...and the brush control turorials on here will help her to tweak the problems she is having with these flattish nails....and of course the good factual advice given by Envy.

 

[becki x]

We really need to be careful on here geeks....
Yes, we all want to help, but if we don't actually KNOW THE FACTS then we can be doing more harm than good.

I couldn't agree more Izzi,you worded it so much better than i would have ! x

 

[huerta3]

Good thread...
In that is has shown how invaluable the advice of an Educator can be here on site....compared to someone who has had no formal training!

We really need to be careful on here geeks....
Yes, we all want to help, but if we don't actually KNOW THE FACTS then we can be doing more harm than good.


Sarah doesn't know about pinching...as she was not taught how to do it!
She also hates filing...because she was taught to sculpt with the brush not the file.
I am quite sure going over her manual...and the brush control turorials on here will help her to tweak the problems she is having with these flattish nails....and of course the good factual advice given by Envy.

Ok so this is aimed at me. Well I am sorry that I sopke when I have not been formally trained, however when in school and the teacher asks a question don't you try to answer it? By telling your opinion that is how you learn when you are wrong. Now maybe I should have just sat here and not said anything but then I wouldn't have learned anything. I try to participate because I don't want to be one of thoes that just takes and never gives, that everyone is always complaining about. Maybe I should?

 

[Vetty]

Ok so this is aimed at me. Well I am sorry that I sopke when I have not been formally trained, however when in school and the teacher asks a question don't you try to answer it? By telling your opinion that is how you learn when you are wrong. Now maybe I should have just sat here and not said anything but then I wouldn't have learned anything. I try to participate because I don't want to be one of thoes that just takes and never gives, that everyone is always complaining about. Maybe I should?

A lot of us have learned by being corrected, don't worry about it!! As long as you don't mind having your facts queried, you'll learn loads.....

Well done for participating and not being one of the takers......

 

[joe90]

I don't think Izzie was having a go at your Kristina just reinforcing how important it is to get the right advice and the right training as without it we can do untold damage to client's nails and thereby get a bad reputation. This then snowballs and peeps think that all nails are bad which as we know is not true.

 

[becki x]

I don't think Izzie was having a go at your Kristina just reinforcing how important it is to get the right advice

Exactly !

Of course everyone wants you to participate and learn :hug:

However,giving advise in regards to something in wich you have undergone no training,could have potentially done more harm than good,you see ?

Keep posting and asking those questions,we are all here to help prior to your training and when the time is right for you to start,we will still be here.

It's just frustrating when questions are not answered with facts as is when peeps answer technical questions when they have not undergone any training,i hope you understand :hug:

 

[izzidoll]

Ok so this is aimed at me. Well I am sorry that I sopke when I have not been formally trained, however when in school and the teacher asks a question don't you try to answer it? By telling your opinion that is how you learn when you are wrong. Now maybe I should have just sat here and not said anything but then I wouldn't have learned anything. I try to participate because I don't want to be one of thoes that just takes and never gives, that everyone is always complaining about. Maybe I should?

Yes, my comment was aimed at you...but in a constructive way (I hope)...You are keen and enthusiastic and obviously can't wait to start your official training.
However you do need to be careful not to give out wrong information on here.
Thankfully both Heather & Envy were here to give all the right facts....but what if they had not been here.........

You do give to the site on many other threads...but whilst you are still awaiting proper training and are new to the Industry..there is no shame in asking more questions then you answer......that is how we all started after all.:hug:

 

[ValencianNails]

Good thread...
In that is has shown how invaluable the advice of an Educator can be here on site....compared to someone who has had no formal training!

Ok so this is aimed at me. Well I am sorry that I sopke when I have not been formally trained, however when in school and the teacher asks a question don't you try to answer it?

This isn't a classroom situation though, so quite often we don't get replies to our queries/ideas straight away as we would if we had an educator in the room with us.
When we give advice we need to be sure that we are giving correct advice, otherwise members take it as 'gospel' when that isn't always the case.

If anyone isn't 100% sure of the advice they're offering then the best thing to do is to make it a question rather than a statement, so in this case it could have been worded like this...
"could you pinch the c curve?" rather than say "if you don't have a nice c curve you can always give it a pinch".

Hope you see what I mean :wink2: