Do we really 'cap' the free edge when using the new thin-coloured-gel/polishes?

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

geeg

Judge Gigi-Honorary Geek
Joined
Jan 12, 2003
Messages
32,641
Reaction score
1,037
Location
Benissa, Costa Blanca, Spain
We need to find a new word for new technology. When we are using the vast array of new thin coloured gels on the market, whichever one you choose, we need to cover the free edge with the colour ... is this really 'capping'? I don't think so and I think calling it capping is confusing and misleading and in fact if you truly try to 'cap' with these products it is only going to lead to problems both esthetically and performance-wise.

With enhancement gels and L&P we 'cap'/slightly extend the product, to protect the free edge from damage and to minimize the effects of shrinkage in some cases. Is this why we coat the free edge with colour? NO.

With polish we 'cap'/coat when we paint so that the free edge looks pleasing to the eye. We don't do it to stop polish from peeling, shrinking or peeling, we do it cause it looks good and gives a flawless finish.

We who are using the new coloured gels and hybrids need to stop treating them as if they were enhancements, and realize that we cover the free edge ('cap' is really the wrong word to use and we need a new one) because it is a colour coat that goes on like polish and it just plain looks better at the finish of the manicure. It doesn't matter a damn if you file it off as the natural nails are growing .. the colour should not peel or chip or flake if the product is worth a reputation.

The way to cover the free edge when applying colour is NOT to polish and then add the colour on the edge at the end (as so many do when doing enhancements) as this just builds up a 'fatty' edge which because of being thicker than the rest will be prone to chipping when infact there should be NO chipping of the colour for a full 2 weeks or more. A 'fatty' edge also looks ugly and the client will have to live with it for 2 weeks or more.

Here is how to apply every coat of your colour system efficiently, quickly and flawlessly.

SHAKE the bottle to blend

Remove the brush from the bottle using circular movements around the inside of the neck of the bottle as you pull it out (away from you), so as to remove any excess product from the shaft of the brush which might flood it as you are working.

Place the brush in the centre of the nail, keeping the hairs of the brush as parallel to the nail as possible, and gently push the brush toward the eponychium and then glide down one side to the free edge. As you reach the free edge, twist the brush slightly and flick the hairs along the first half of the edge toward the centre which will 'cap'/cover it. Lift the brush and repeat on the opposite side of the nail, flicking the brush again along the first half of the edge toward the centre which will 'cap'/cover it. Make your final stroke of the brush down the centre of the nail. In the manner described apply ONE THIN LAYER of each coat to each nail and free edge of all 5 nails of one hand.

OK ... some large nails require maybe another stroke and some weeny nails may require less ... ADAPT. :lol:

I haven't ask a question in this thread but I hope it has helped some and maybe we can get our heads together and think of a new word so people will stop 'capping' or confusing covering or coating the free edge with 'capping', which really means adding a slight extension to the free edge which we are not trying to do with colour coats. Discuss.
 
Last edited:
how about masking? or coating? or disguising? or covering?
 
I have often heard of it being referred to as "sealing" the free edge from reps at CND.
 
Oh ... I lke that ... sealing!! That goes to the top of the list for now.:hug: Thank you.
 
I think it's just 'covering' or 'applying' the product to the free edge. I have always done this when applying polish to fingers or toes, because as Geeg says it just looks better.:) I like 'sealing' as well or 'finishing'
 
I vote for sealing the free edge... :)
 
Locking or enclosing the free edge......
 
Enveloping......
 
I do like "sealing" i have to say .. its simple and explanative (i think i spelt that right lol )
 
Sealing gets my vote as it describes really what we do. So sealing it is.

How many have used the technique I describe and find it works well for them?
 
I tried this technique yesterday ... when I got my Shellac first, I must admit, I tried to "cap" but found it left a lip, so I did what I do for a normal french, which isn't capping as such, swiping?, flicking?, capping?.... LOL... now I know it's called sealing :)
 
'swipe the free edge to complete colour coverage' works for me :) x
 
hi

i am a cretive trained tech, trained by you gigi. I have been in the industry for 15 years and am a little confused about uv curing lamps. I have been desparately triing to get hold of shellac base but cannot. For the time being i have been using another brand gelac by ibd which im not happy with at all. Can you shed any light on uv lamps and do they have different strengths and different outputs? and can you shed any light on what makes sweet squred uv lamps different from the rest as i have asked at leeds but the girl i spoke with could not tell me what was different?

Thanks nicki
 
hi

i am a cretive trained tech, trained by you gigi. I have been in the industry for 15 years and am a little confused about uv curing lamps. I have been desparately triing to get hold of shellac base but cannot. For the time being i have been using another brand gelac by ibd which im not happy with at all. Can you shed any light on uv lamps and do they have different strengths and different outputs? and can you shed any light on what makes sweet squred uv lamps different from the rest as i have asked at leeds but the girl i spoke with could not tell me what was different?

Thanks nicki

CND gels contain less photo initiators than other gels ( that is why you dont get a heat spike with them).:green:

Because they contain less PI's it makes sense that the gel needs to be used with bulbs that have a higher output of UV so that they cure in the 2 minute normal time.

CND lamps and bulbs provide the right amount of uv output for CND gels and other lamps do not. That is as simple as I can make it. HTH
 
Hi

Sometimes I am finding with some clients who have a very thin natural nail sealing on all 4 coats is too much. In these cases I seal with just the second coat of colour especially if there is a very short free edge too.
With flat egg-shell nails this is almost a must but definately agree that being adaptable and individual with each 10 digits we see is the key!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top