Confusion with cuticle remover before applying enhancements?

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kbenson01535

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Hi guys, I am new so please be gentle. I’ve found this forum so extremely helpful but feeling confused with those who use cuticle remover before l&p or gel polish. I was taught to do dry cuticle work as using anything else will make the nail plate oily and will cause lifting. However first few set of l&p I have done have only lasted a few days. I’ve trawled the forum for advice to prevent lifting and a lot mention the prep work. When I trained we didn’t go into losds of detail about the prep so feeling lost! We were taught dry cuticle work, pushing back and using scraper, roughing the nail plate using a white block and then using acid free primer. Nothing about dehydrator or using cuticle remover and wondering if this is where I’m going wrong? Also we were taught to use a sanitizer spray to remove dust and debris, am I better using acetone? Thanks in advance if you got this far, I’ve spent a ton of money and now second guessing myself.
 
Hi, i must say it’s strange your training didn’t go heavily into the prep work... I trained with nsi in acrylic enhancements and we had it drilled in to us the importance of prep work.... basically its REALLY important

Cuticles need to be pushed back, all dead tissue removed from the nail plate. I also trim the cuticles if they need it after applying a cuticle remover. I then go on to prep the nail plate further by buffing- was always told to aim for a chalky white nail. Then wipe over with nsi nail pure plus, which is a cleanser and dehydrator.
To answer your question, any cuticle remover will be long gone from the nail once the other prep work is done so I can’t see that being the problem x
 
Who did you train with?
 
Sorry I should have added as long as you are getting ALL dead tissue off the nail it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re using a cuticle remover or not. Some people use acetone to dehydrate but I’m one of them that prefers to use an entire system e.g. the whole nsi attraction range (even the products which others find unnecessary lol!) and it’s always seen me right so far.
Are you giving aftercare advice and the like to ur clients? Another thing which i have just come across which divides opinion is medication the client is taking. I have two clients who take hormones (one for HRT and the other is trying to get pregnant) and the nails haven’t adhered AT ALL to them! Literally popped off after two days. Nails can be frustrating, all u can do is ensure you are doing each step meticulously xx
 
I’m just doing family and friends atm I’m not confident enough in the products I’m using or technique as of yet. My sisters came off within two days, she’s insulin dependent. My other sister came off within 3/4 but her nails were extremely short. She’s a nail biter. My mother in laws nails and mine are still on, I did some gel polish for sister in law and that’s still on fine with no chipping etc. I trained with future in beauty who are fully accredited, it was a complete nail technician course so did nail prep for manicures but with acrylic and gel extension it was said to do dry cuticle work only but since doing own research I’m seeing a reoccurring theme where people use cuticle remover. I also wasn’t really advised about brands so kind of just winging it. I know NSI and CJP are likely the ones I will use in future but spent a fortune at salon services getting the ASP l&p. Could I use their monomer whilst I still have it with say.. cjp powder? I’m just so confused the more I’ve delved the more I’m getting conflicting answers thanks for your reply it’s greatly appreciated
 
Just looked up ‘future in beauty’ courses and they offer a full Nail Tech certificate course in 3 days! :eek:
Day 1 manicure & pedicure
Day 2 Gel extensions/gel polish & Nail Art
Day 3 Acrylic Extensions & Sculpting.

Sorry, but that’s never going to be anywhere near enough hands-on training for a newbie so I’m not surprised you’re having problems.

In your shoes, I’d look at getting some additional training with a reputable brand.
 
Thank you. I’ve spend close to £900 with my course and products etc to get me started. I just don’t think I can afford another course just yet. Is there anything I can do to further my knowledge which isn’t going to cost so much? I have the very basics it seems...
 
In regards to your first reply... the nail biter- try using a fuller welled tip.

But gosh there could could be a million reasons they are coming off, please don’t take this the wrong way but at your level it IS far more likely to be issues with yr application than the medication yr client is on. If your course was 3 days in my opinion that is nowhere near long enough. Probably not what you want to hear but you would have been better spending that £900 on some longer and in-depth training.
Saying that, you can’t go back in time so whilst saving up for further training just practice practice practice. Try not to be disheartened, even with the in-depth courses you don’t leave at the end of the course an expert in nail enhancements.... that comes with the time and practice.
I can’t eecom the nsi YouTube channel enough- even now I still go back to it. Of course it doesn’t take the place of doing an actual course but it will help in the short term.
As I said previously, I don’t mix my products up. They are designed to work as a whole system and mixing up will only cause you problems.
Sorry I can’t tell you a magic solution to your problem, but don’t give up hun. It take YEARS to eat good at this xxx
 
Hi there, The Nail Hub videos on u-tube are definitely worth a watch, I found them very clear and informative. I was like you... did a short course, and have had a pretty stressful time building my knowledge and skill, which I’m still doing. Perhaps just concentrate on one thing at a time..I only offer gel manicures and will do a conversion course in two weeks time with the brand I use to help perfect my technique. I’ve already got a lot better but there is a lot to take in, everyone’s nails are so different and there are so many products out there. I use the whole system from the same brand as it makes it a lot easier to identify the problem source if things go wrong! Good luck, keep going xx
 
Please don't take this the wrong way but £900 is quite cheap for a course.
Here in Australia it costs thousands.

My course was part time 3 hours per week for 12 months OR full time one day per week for 6 months.
We would have spent 75% of that time doing acrylic and gel application.
3 days is not going to teach you what you need to know especially when it comes to problems like you are experiencing.

This is an expensive, ever changing industry and its going to cost you money so be prepared for that.
In this industry education & products are not cheap if you want professional outcomes.

My course taught me the fundamentals but I have invested money in further courses to gain better knowledge.
Good luck in your venture.
 
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Thank you all for your honest answers, I am not offended by any means I am glad for your honesty. I want to become professional and if that means further training so be it. I want it so bad it’s literally a passion of mine. I just wish I’d have found this forum beforehand. However I have some steps to take and go from there. Frustrating but that’s okay! Thank you all so much for taking time to reply. It means a lot x
 
I agree with the comments above, but don't be disheartened, you're right at the start of your nail career and you're obviously keen to do it properly.

As mentioned before, although £900 is obviously a lot of money, it isn't when it comes to the nail industry! Unfortunately there seems to be a great misconception, due to so many academies offering 1,2,3 day courses, that you can be fully trained/qualified after this period, but it really isn't the case. It's ongoing learning - and spending!

This is just a suggestion to get you on the right track. You're using ASP now? Cuccio make ASP products for Sally's/Salon Services. Is there a Cuccio educator near you that might be able to offer you a 1-2-1 day of troubleshooting/running through your procedure with you? I mention this because when I went back to college and retrained my tutor was also an educator for Cuccio and also used to do the training courses through Sally's/Salon Services. A days 1-2-1 training could really help you out if done through a reputable educator.
 
I’d get watching vids. See about gateway courses or can you get college courses funded? My college mani is 4 weeks pedi 4 weeks so you see half a day is extreme. This includes after that 3 practicle, 1 final, an exam or assignment plus exam /assignment in a&p.

Cheers Lou
 
Beautiful-you, I’m thinking of stepping away from ASP products. After doing some research I can see there are far better products on the market. I was thinking of looking into NSI next as some kind person recommended their products and after some digging I can see a lot of people think the same about that brand. I’ve had a look for training through NSI and think that’s the avenue I’m going to take. :)

Lou I am watching as many videos as I can to try full in knowledge gaps for the time being. I am quite a fast learner so even if I can learn as much now whilst I am practising, when I come to do another course I will be better equipped and should have the very basics in concrete. I guess you never stop learning in this industry so whatever material I can get I will. Ordered a book too to read which I saw someone reccomend so hopefully that will help too! :oops:
 
Oh and I can’t get funded training, I’m doing a degree at the moment within education so I’m using funds already from a student loan for that. I must add I work full time too and decided I wanted to learn nails more because it’s a passion, it won’t be for main source of income or anything so I have plenty of time to perfect.
 
Beautiful-you, I’m thinking of stepping away from ASP products. After doing some research I can see there are far better products on the market. I was thinking of looking into NSI next as some kind person recommended their products and after some digging I can see a lot of people think the same about that brand. I’ve had a look for training through NSI and think that’s the avenue I’m going to take. :)

Lou I am watching as many videos as I can to try full in knowledge gaps for the time being. I am quite a fast learner so even if I can learn as much now whilst I am practising, when I come to do another course I will be better equipped and should have the very basics in concrete. I guess you never stop learning in this industry so whatever material I can get I will. Ordered a book too to read which I saw someone reccomend so hopefully that will help too! :oops:
That's fair enough
Oh just to answer one of your initial questions, no, don't mix monomers and powders from different brands. They are formulated to work together as a complete system x
 
I never use a cuticle remover lotion. I always work dry for gel polish and acrylic.

Nsi is a great brand, I trained with their products. CJP is also great and I eventually converted over to them as application is easier (therefore quicker for me) and it’s much easier to file.

The lifting/nails coming off will probably be down to application and prep. This is a learning curve we’ve all been through. The more you can practice the better you’ll be. Keep that product away from skin and ensure you’ve been thorough with your prep, don’t worry about it taking too long.

Nail biters are a challenge, try to avoid them until you’re more confident. There’s no guarantee they will stay on very short nails. I personally disagree with using a deeper welled tip as the tips hold no strength at all. You want max amount of acrylic on that teeny nail and the tip will be taking up some of that room.
 
I don’t use tips I’m just sculpting right now so that’s all good. I just did my own gel polish and used cuticle remover and I must admit I got a hell of a lot off the nail plate using it. I washed my hands after and dehydrated so I’m going to see how long they last me. My sisters coming to get hers re done at the weekend so I will try it with and try without on her and see if there’s a difference. She can be my guinea pig! I guess it is trial and error for now.
 
Beautiful-you, I’m thinking of stepping away from ASP products. After doing some research I can see there are far better products on the market. I was thinking of looking into NSI next as some kind person recommended their products and after some digging I can see a lot of people think the same about that brand. I’ve had a look for training through NSI and think that’s the avenue I’m going to take. :)

Lou I am watching as many videos as I can to try full in knowledge gaps for the time being. I am quite a fast learner so even if I can learn as much now whilst I am practising, when I come to do another course I will be better equipped and should have the very basics in concrete. I guess you never stop learning in this industry so whatever material I can get I will. Ordered a book too to read which I saw someone reccomend so hopefully that will help too! :oops:
Hi can I ask what book this is?
 
Hi there, The Nail Hub videos on u-tube are definitely worth a watch, I found them very clear and informative. I was like you... did a short course, and have had a pretty stressful time building my knowledge and skill, which I’m still doing. Perhaps just concentrate on one thing at a time..I only offer gel manicures and will do a conversion course in two weeks time with the brand I use to help perfect my technique. I’ve already got a lot better but there is a lot to take in, everyone’s nails are so different and there are so many products out there. I use the whole system from the same brand as it makes it a lot easier to identify the problem source if things go wrong! Good luck, keep going xx
I am really impressed with Nail Hub. I was hesistant at first thinking all these new big YT'ers are all about the moneyz but she really has some awesome and informative videos. I wish her videos were around when I was in school.
 

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