Acrylic nightmare

[LB-Becki]

Hello,

I'm pretty unconfident today with my acrylics, I've recently passed my course and am running an ad to get people in so I can practice and they can get there nails done for cheap.

I've been doing OK until last nights set. They just didn't work out well I really don't know why the consistency wasn't right I couldn't get a good bead to work with and the end result was a mess it was awful! the nails were lumpy and bumpy even tho I was filing loads. I have taken the ad down and was last night just practicing getting the bead and then applying to tips at home but it has really knocked my confidence. she's been nice about it and said she doesn't want her money back that if she can have the money knocked off her lashes when she gets them done but I'm mortified it's my own little beauty room and scared it will damage what I'm trying to build up.

I'm now just getting my friends to have them done and for free so I can just practice I just don't know why it went so wrong last night when my previous when training were really something to be proud of :-( ps I'm using millennium acrylic products

Please tell me it gets better and does everyone just practice on fake hands and nails till they know they are getting it right. I wont be accepting paying client for acrylics now until I have got through this.

 

[Trinity]

Bless your heart! it will be fine

Yes we've all had those days, it's part and parcel of the learning process, you will find you get worse before you get better...actually you don't get worse you just see the faults more as now you know what to look for But it will get better I promise.

Ask your model to come back early next week and have another look at the nails you've done and look again with less stressed eyes, I think you'll be surprised that they are not as bad as you remember/imagine. You can refine them if necessary which will help restore your confidence.

I often think I've turned out a bad set of nails, but when the client comes back I'm surprised that actually they're OK and I was being extra hard on myself.

With regard to what might have gone wrong last night have a little think through... was it colder in the room than normal? That can slow down your product setting time, or was it warmer?? That will speed it up giving you less time to work. We're you sitting at the wrong angle which threw you out?? Were you just tired? I can only turn out 4 good sets in a day...after that I start getting tired and I know my work suffers so I don't book late evening appointments, or too many in one day. Why should my last client of the day have bad nails because I'm tired, they deserve and are paying for the best I can turn out.

Don't be disheartened, put the advert back up, you can't improve if you don't actually do the work....as long as you pre-warn your models there is nothing to fear from practising.

Good luck

 

[LB-Becki]

Bless your heart! it will be fine

Yes we've all had those days, it's part and parcel of the learning process, you will find you get worse before you get better...actually you don't get worse you just see the faults more as now you know what to look for But it will get better I promise.

Ask your model to come back early next week and have another look at the nails you've done and look again with less stressed eyes, I think you'll be surprised that they are not as bad as you remember/imagine. You can refine them if necessary which will help restore your confidence.

I often think I've turned out a bad set of nails, but when the client comes back I'm surprised that actually they're OK and I was being extra hard on myself.

With regard to what might have gone wrong last night have a little think through... was it colder in the room than normal? That can slow down your product setting time, or was it warmer?? That will speed it up giving you less time to work. We're you sitting at the wrong angle which threw you out?? Were you just tired? I can only turn out 4 good sets in a day...after that I start getting tired and I know my work suffers so I don't book late evening appointments, or too many in one day. Why should my last client of the day have bad nails because I'm tired, they deserve and are paying for the best I can turn out.

Don't be disheartened, put the advert back up, you can't improve if you don't actually do the work....as long as you pre-warn your models there is nothing to fear from practising.

Good luck

Thank you so much for that, I needed to hear some reassurance..
The room was warmer, alot warmer. it was the first time doing someone's nails in the the salon where my beauty room is, it's my 3Rd set of nails I've done since finishing the course...
I have got someone in on Saturday too so yes i will just explain it's new and if she doesn't mind, (luckily this client I know personally) I will just keep practicing and hoping I get better I just think I jumped the gun a little maybe.

As to regards with the client she isn't wanting to come back for me to sort them she doesn't have the time (as my times are a bit slow) she said she doesn't want to disheartened me she just didn't have time and she does seem to be nice about this (I know it could of been so much worse) so I'm thankful she is being lovely about it but it just doesn't help my confidence.
I wont give up tho and it's nice to know I am not the only one to experience this so thank you for your reply xxx

 

[CocoAllure]

Fab advice trinity nail fairy [emoji92]
The late booking advice is spot on! Don't book too late appointments.. I produce the ugliest sets after 6pm it just doesn't work with me lol and the bad angle is correct too! It makes all of the difference these little things
I'm not familiar on your products but do it on yourself on your bad hand.. it's good to practice on

 

[pure]

You've had some fab advice so far but I would like to add that you will always be your own worst critic as well. Doing enhancements is my most favourite thing and I've been doing them for over 9 years now but I still sometimes do a set and decide they're rubbish. I did this once and actually bumped into the client a few days later in town, looked at her nails and thought they looked gorgeous and assumed she'd had them redone elsewhere! She hadn't....they were the nails I'd done but we do doubt ourselves and our work. So basically what I'm saying is don't be too hard on yourself. Keep practicing and don't give up

 

[Cindy2021]

If your room was much warmer it's likely that it was setting too quick.
We've all had appointments like that. I've just finished 2 gel polish appointments (first in ages) and they did NOT go to plan lol.
It's good to be critical but as you get more experienced hopefully it won't stress you as much.
Chin up x

 

[Kirsty969]

Hello,

I'm pretty unconfident today with my acrylics, I've recently passed my course and am running an ad to get people in so I can practice and they can get there nails done for cheap.

I've been doing OK until last nights set. They just didn't work out well I really don't know why the consistency wasn't right I couldn't get a good bead to work with and the end result was a mess it was awful! the nails were lumpy and bumpy even tho I was filing loads. I have taken the ad down and was last night just practicing getting the bead and then applying to tips at home but it has really knocked my confidence. she's been nice about it and said she doesn't want her money back that if she can have the money knocked off her lashes when she gets them done but I'm mortified it's my own little beauty room and scared it will damage what I'm trying to build up.

I'm now just getting my friends to have them done and for free so I can just practice I just don't know why it went so wrong last night when my previous when training were really something to be proud of :-( ps I'm using millennium acrylic products

Please tell me it gets better and does everyone just practice on fake hands and nails till they know they are getting it right. I wont be accepting paying client for acrylics now until I have got through this.

Oh no I have just done the same thing with a set of gel nails. My willing partners friends girlfriend let me use her nails as a practice set and I'm not happy with them at all! She wanted a bit of length adding so I decided to use forms instead of tips, it took my nearly 3 hours and I wasn't happy with the results. I've been doing my own gel nails for two years and usually feel very confident but now I'm not so sure.

I too have just qualified and this has totally knocked me in advertising to start up. The practice hand is coming back out and it's back to square one. Don't be so hard on yourself, you must keep going and I'm sure in time you'll get your confidence back. You're not alone on this one. Wish I was closer and I'd let you have a practice on me.

 

[sammi010]

I'd would put good money on the fact that we have all been there! I know I have.

Mine was right at the end of my course, all had gone really well, I had passed all my assessments, tutor was really pleased with me, I was doing sets outside my course. Last assessment was sculpted acrylics, I had done numerous sets before and been happy with them. This set just went from bad to worse, I was loosing the will to live and the harder I tried the worse they got. The set actually passed but I was nowhere near happy with them. The tutor said they were passable but nowhere near the sets she had seen me doing, but I was being overly critical.

It really knocked my confidence and took me a good few months before I felt confident enough to start taking proper paying Clients for acrylics. Stick with it, go right back to basics. If you have a practice hand get it back out and play around with different sized beads, different consistencies.

If nothing ever goes wrong we can't learn how and why things can go wrong and how to put them right.

 

[LB-Becki]

Thank you to you all that have messaged me so far, reading these have really helped me. I've literally sat reading these with tears in my eyes, how kind that youve taken the time to reassure someone you don't even know
I am just going to keep practicing at home and on close friends, I'm so glad you've shared your experiences and Im not alone. thank you all so much
In a funny turn of events even my boyfriend has offered his nails up for me haha (as long as I take them off hehe)
I will keep practicing thank you for your encouragement and support. xx

 

[LB-Becki]

Oh no I have just done the same thing with a set of gel nails. My willing partners friends girlfriend let me use her nails as a practice set and I'm not happy with them at all! She wanted a bit of length adding so I decided to use forms instead of tips, it took my nearly 3 hours and I wasn't happy with the results. I've been doing my own gel nails for two years and usually feel very confident but now I'm not so sure.

I too have just qualified and this has totally knocked me in advertising to start up. The practice hand is coming back out and it's back to square one. Don't be so hard on yourself, you must keep going and I'm sure in time you'll get your confidence back. You're not alone on this one. Wish I was closer and I'd let you have a practice on me.

Thank you for offering me your hands to practice on,I'd do the same if you needed to practice too. I guess this is all going to come with practice and time.

 

[Kirsty969]

Thank you for offering me your hands to practice on,I'd do the same if you needed to practice too. I guess this is all going to come with practice and time.

It sure will just don't give up and get them hands offered by your chap used

 

[LB-Becki]

Hello all I wanted to update you on my progress, so after Thursdays nightmare I was able to take note of everything that was said and revise my set up in the salon as I has someone booked in on the Saturday....

Instead of doing the nails at the uncomfortable and extremely warm downstairs nail bar area I set up in my beauty room.. heating off when it was a nice warm and window open.

It's was great! before starting I made sure I clearly stated I was new which is why the nails are at a reduced price and she just let me crack on... the nails turned out fab I was pleased! not a lumpy bumpy mess but a smooth lovely finish (I can't tell u how much you've all helped me) and how proud I was to of got Saturdays nails off to a great standard. I've tried to upload a pic but it isn't letting me doh!