Client’s gel polish peeling after 1 week & 3 days, why?

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J.csglitzandglam

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My clients messaged me and told me 3 nails are peeling from the free edge of her nail.
They have lasted for a week & 3 days.
I’ve also had it happen with one other client.
I’m not sure if it’s something in the prep method that I’m doing wrong or if she is just heavy handed?
What advice do I give to prevent this from happening, or to make sure they are doing all the right things for the gel polish to last as long as possible?

What are your gel polish prep methods? What buffer do you use before application?

This has really stressed me out [emoji31]
 
When you do your prep, you need to cleanse the free edge, apply the dehydrator product (or binder or whatever you use) to the free edge, then apply base, colours and top coat to the free edge aswell.

It can be difficult if the nails are very short (most cases!) so if that’s how it is I explain and use the ‘jewels not tools’ quote. They might be stronger and tougher than regular polish but if the free edge isn’t capped water can get in when washing up etc. Anything that can damage regular polish is still off the table. Tapping keyboards, drumming fingers, washing up without gloves.. Lifting, then nibbling and before you know it the whole thing is bitten or peeled off.

This is also a problem when filing at the end. I was taught to include a file at the end of the service to neaten up but if nails are short and it’s quite tidy already I don’t, because it just takes off what is applied to the free edge. Totally the opposite of what we want to achieve. So unless there is a big lump of gel hanging off try not doing that as it begins the separation.
 
That is exacly what I have been doing with some people’s gel manicures. I have filed at the end. Especially with glitter colours. Clients nails at the end seems to be really rough and they ask for it to be slightly filed down to remove that so I use a cnd buffer .. probably could be the cause of lifting as you said.

So with the prep and cleanse, you must clean the free edge and use the primer on the free edge also? I tend to focus only on the nail bed. I’ll bear that in mind.

I use gelish base and topcoat as they can be mixed with all sorts of brands and I use a mixture of gellux,ibd and very few gelish. Mainly gellux I am using. So far touch wood I’ve had no lifting. I’ve only just started using gellux.

I was using a brand called lavender violets and gel lab.. really cheap branded could be why?

Hopefuly now with gellux I won’t have that issue. I do cap the free edge ever so slightly.

I also wonder if my curing times are too long. I do every coat of colour for 60seconds instead of 30. And when I do the gelish topcoat I like to do it for about 60/90 seconds to make sure it’s cured. I’ve read a lot about over curing and undercuring. Apparently you can’t over cure but I could imagine you can ..

What is your step by step routine of application? And what sort of buffer do you use to cleanse the entire nail plate?
 
When you do your prep, you need to cleanse the free edge, apply the dehydrator product (or binder or whatever you use) to the free edge, then apply base, colours and top coat to the free edge aswell.

It can be difficult if the nails are very short (most cases!) so if that’s how it is I explain and use the ‘jewels not tools’ quote. They might be stronger and tougher than regular polish but if the free edge isn’t capped water can get in when washing up etc. Anything that can damage regular polish is still off the table. Tapping keyboards, drumming fingers, washing up without gloves.. Lifting, then nibbling and before you know it the whole thing is bitten or peeled off.

This is also a problem when filing at the end. I was taught to include a file at the end of the service to neaten up but if nails are short and it’s quite tidy already I don’t, because it just takes off what is applied to the free edge. Totally the opposite of what we want to achieve. So unless there is a big lump of gel hanging off try not doing that as it begins the separation.

I replied below in the other comment
 
As well as looking at your prep, as mentioned above, I think it's also very likely that mixing brands could be the problem. Use matching base and top coats to the gel polish and make sure you're using the correct lamp to cure them.
 
As well as looking at your prep, as mentioned above, I think it's also very likely that mixing brands could be the problem. Use matching base and top coats to the gel polish and make sure you're using the correct lamp to cure them.

Yeah definitely. It’s one of those things you can never be sure of, we’ve all tried it out to see what happens and sometimes it’s fine and other times with the same exact method and mix of products it’s a total mess and doesn’t cure. Just not worth it for risk of safety and results.
 
Try capping the edge of the nails. Brush backwards towards the cuticle to fully cap those pesky ones!
 
Try capping the edge of the nails. Brush backwards towards the cuticle to fully cap those pesky ones!

I find that doing it that way, you end up with gel polish under the nail. It’s really frustrating. I don’t know where I’m going wrong for it to peel from the tip of the nail. Unless I’m not buffing enough? And making the nail bed rough enough as I’m using cnd koala buffer
 
Yeah definitely. It’s one of those things you can never be sure of, we’ve all tried it out to see what happens and sometimes it’s fine and other times with the same exact method and mix of products it’s a total mess and doesn’t cure. Just not worth it for risk of safety and results.

I love the gelish top and base coat! I’ve used it with other brands on most clients and the nails have stayed perfect.. on others, not so great. So I’m not sure. I’m thinking to do client aftercare forms. Not sure where to find a good one though
 

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