Removing IBD Intense Seal at home

[Hestia]

Hello geeks! I found your forum after much googling, and I'm hoping someone can give me advice.

A few days ago, I went to a nail salon and got a "gel manicure". This service was: two coats of IBD Intense Seal on my natural nails, cured under the UV light, then a coat of Chanel polish and a Seche Vite topcoat. Within a few hours, it was cracking like crazy.

I returned to the salon, they apologized profusely and, after buffing off the old gel, re-applied in the same way. They said the cracks had been caused by too thick an application.

So, now 2 days later and.... more cracks!

Googling tells me this is a common problem when using the Intense Seal on natural nails; they flex too much and the coat cracks, since it's really intended for on top of enhancements.

Problem is, I'm at work now and then leaving on a flight for a busy work week in a strange city. Stupid me, trying a new service at a time like this.

Can I:

• File them off at home, I'm thinking a fairly gentle file and then a 4-way buffer? Will this take forever?
• Put a coat of opaque polish on top and call it a day? The polish and seche layer is still intact and perfectly smooth, but I can see through the sheer polish to the cracking gel. Would this result in horrific nail fungus?

It will be a week before I can get to a salon, so I have to do something. I'm pretty handy with doing my nails at home, so I don't fear buffing-off if that's what it takes, but I'd love some pointers! Thanks so much!

 

[angel fingers]

it wasnt stupid of you at all to try the new service. it is totally the technicians fault for using the wrong product to carry out the service.

as you have found out for yourself, the cracking has been caused because the product is not flexible enough to use in this way.

you are in a corner now, i would totally not recomend you buffing it off yourself. buffing off gels is definately a pro job. the biggest problem is that its so easy to over buff because the damage and pain associated with this is rarely obvious at the time. its not until hours later that you will start to feel the effects. if you do over buff, its going to take months for the natural nail to replace the damaged nail plate with new growth. just not worth the risk.

there is a risk of infection [minimal however]as you rightly said with keeping on the cracked gel.
however from the 2 options you have i would say that covering with an opaque polish is the least likely to pose a risk.
when you do it, i would advise that your hands are absolutely dry so you are not sealing in any moisture. try to keep them dry until you can have them removed.

i advise you to have them buffed off as soon as you can and i personally think that the salon you had them done at should remove them f.o.c. since it was an inapropriate product to use in the first place.
i think you may find that before too much longer the gel will start to chip and crack away anyhow.

i wish you luck.