I thought prep was important?

[SarahRose]

So I specialize in gel nails, I don't do acrylic nails at all. But like all nail techs I have been taught that prep is the most important part of any nail service.

WELL I had a wedding to go to recently and my nails were a mess, I had no time to do a full set and they looked horrible with just polish, so I decided to go see how these "non standard salons" operate. So I went to my local shopping mall and went in and asked for a full set of gel nails. Well after trying to convince me to get acrylic, with no success, she finally busts out a jar of IBD gel.

(Phew a sigh of relief, I actually know the product!) so this is where I get confused. And I was slightly horrified. So she takes my hands files my natural nails down to nothing which wasn't a lot as they were already stubs. So anyway then she grabs a box of tips and starts gluing them right over the dust!!
Then she files the tips into shape and then lightly went over the surface of the tips again with the drill.
Then she grabs the gel and starts slapping it on all four nails and tells me to go into the light. (Over the dust!!! No primer, no bondaid. ) well of course the gel ran into my sidewalls and burned like mad! So I pulled my hand out and she nipped away the gel that had ran and stuck me back in the light.
Long story short when it was all done they were long and thin and lumpy. Nothing was timed. I wasn't optimistic. It was so hard not to run out screaming! Haha. But I knew I could fix them! So I went home and filed them into a shape I liked and added gel to make them even and stronger.

Well.....even after all that horrible technique and lack of prep, they are still holding strong three weeks later. They definitely wouldn't have lasted with out me adding the gel but the base was theirs and I have no lifting at all. I'm stumped. I thought for sure these bad boys were gonna pop right off! What do you think ladies (and gents :lol: )???

 

[2012salon]

Lol
Wow! Maybe the pot was ibd but contents something else?? I dunno tbh, I had 2 walk ins yesterday for removals and fixes and it was exactly the same scenerio as yours except the gel was blobbed on with no shape!!! Ergggg took me forever!

 

[elmo]

Why did you go to a nss salon??

 

[Belllla]

I'm not shocked at that at all, the amount of women I know who go to NSS is unbelievable. I've never heard of most of the products, the talk me through their process and I completely cringe. But it's cheapens for them and the nails last but...... What I will say is...... Although they may be lasting the test will be when you remove them, I bet removal will be awful and that's when you might find/see the damage. Xxx

 

[char1112]

I went to an nss salon and my fingers hurt afterwards because of the prep she did so count yourself lucky! Be so careful when you soak them off, I had to keep rewrapping mine, it took me over an hour to remove and it was only a uv gel polish (they kept saying gelish and had a gelish top it off but the colour bottle they used was nothing I'd ever seen before and they didn't use a base coat). I can still feel a slight ridge in my nail where they used the e-file on my natural nail.

Hope yours are in far better condition than mine! Xx

 

[jennac]

I used IBD at college, you are ment to put a bonder on first, and all I can say is you must have good cuticles other wise it would of lifted.... Wouldn't it? I'm rather shocked they've stayed on :L
I did train 3yrs ago so unless IBD have changed and took the bonder away?

 

[ctonra]

I've questioned this over & over- they use a dusty brush & never scrub fresh or alcohol the dust away & the nails last weeks.....most NSS by me use IBD & / or Brisa - and mix up different brands together & they last!
Its crazy

 

[geeg]

It's really no big secret that roughing up the surface of the natural nail will allow the product to 'key' onto the surface, and it will rarely lift, but the nails are in a word, knackered!

The challenge of reputable nail companies is producing the product that will adhere without having to degrade the natural nail by roughening it up, and using only minimal preparation of the surface of the natural nails.

It is not worth it to you or the client to have natural nails that are ruined for months (and sometimes permanently scarred) for the sake of 4 and five weeks of no lifting. Well ... I guess it is to some women as they keep going for it, but to the discerning person, they want no lift and no damage and it can be achieved with excellent and careful prep and excellent products. Yes, it takes a bit longer and it costs a bit more. ... So what? It's worth it.

You can't have cheap quick and easy without accepting damage, lack of beauty and a bad experience.

To the OP Sarahrose, what did you get out of your foray to the NSS? You say you went because you didn't have time to do them? And then you ended up doing them anyway and will have lots of damage ... So in the end you found the time but are still the looser. Could have just done them yourself and had no damage.

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I wouldn't touch an NSS salon with a barge pole. Not in a million years. That's definitely one thing this site has brainwashed into me. Frightens me to death. Not only this site to be honest but clients nails that I've seen. Horrendous. A new girl rang me yesterday saying her nails were paper thin as she'd been to NSS up the road. Could I fix them tomorrow? I feel like crying when I see this sort of damage. Thankfully I don't work on a Sunday and no other day would do. I was spared. She'll no doubt go back to the NSS.

 

[Julie-Liz]

We have this "theory" that NSS nails last so long because they are embedded into the nail plate. I have stood outside our local one and cringed watching them e-file the natural nail.

My sister in law has permanent deep ridges in all of her nails and she visited that place once then resorted to forcing the enhancements off with her teeth! They would not come off for love nor money. Teenage girls for you eh?

Sent from my GT-S5830i using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[geeg]

We have this "theory" that NSS nails last so long because they are embedded into the nail plate. I have stood outside our local one and cringed watching them e-file the natural nail.

My sister in law has permanent deep ridges in all of her nails and she visited that place once then resorted to forcing the enhancements off with her teeth! They would not come off for love nor money. Teenage girls for you eh?

Sent from my GT-S5830i using SalonGeek mobile app

It's not really a theory, it's a fact, and exactly what I pointed out in my post above where I talk about creating a physical "key" that the product adheres to ... It also knackers the nail plate.

Fortunately, Your sisters ridges most likely will not be permanent, but they will take a long time to grow out.

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Hey are you not worried about infection under the nails from where all dust etc was left? Also there is a chance that it was not ibd gel at all it could of been some unclassified make and they put it in ibd pots to make it look more genuine. Xx

 

[Manda79]

won't catch me in a NSS ! I'd rather stay up til 2am doing my own nails thanks very much lol

although curious to see how they do things, I'd be way too scared of infections/permanent damage !!

 

[Julie-Liz]

It's not really a theory, it's a fact, and exactly what I pointed out in my post above where I talk about creating a physical "key" that the product adheres to ... It also knackers the nail plate.

Fortunately, Your sisters ridges most likely will not be permanent, but they will take a long time to grow out.

Ah apologies, I didnt read all comments before posting.

Its good to hear those ridges aren't permanent, it must feel that way to her as its been years. Her nails are so petite the ridge seems to take up a lot of the plate. She definitely learned the hard way that cheap quick enhancements aren't good.

Sent from my GT-S5830i using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[nailpod]

Shame that sounds too terrible. Same happened to me I was going on holiday and went to a chain store type beauty salon well know charge very high prices and she did most terrible gel polish toes and excuse of pedicure! Almost cried but what can you do. Curiosity killed the cat...


Beauty at your finger tips!

 

[jsugrue]

Sorry but can some one tell me what a NSS salon is? Or what NSS stands for??

 

[geeg]

Sorry but can some one tell me what a NSS salon is? Or what NSS stands for??

It stands for Non Standard Salon in other words a salon that lacks good hygiene and normal industry standards. Plenty of them about, and they are not all run by non- English by any means!