Free edge, gel nails

[hnap]

Hi- Very new here. First post.

First off I'd like to say that I did take a nail course recently, but it was a condensed private course . Though it was amazing and the instructor was great, the shorter training time did leave further questions. I have bought some textbooks to continue and strengthen my learning, but that will take some time.

At this point I have only done a couple sets of nails on people (practicing mainly on myself). I'm struggling with the free edge of my gel nail (I use Akzentz building gel-sculpted nail). I'm wondering if there are any pictures to show the ideal shape of the nail (specifically the free edge). I feel as though I leave it too thick and it looks "too" fake, but Im worried that thinning it out too much will weaken the tip. Ive been trying to look online but there isn't anything from the angle Im looking for.

Im also struggling majorly with painting the nail (especially from pot polishes), I cannot seem to get evenness. Could this be a brush issue?

I've been following the site for the last couple weeks and am excited to be getting information/knowledge from all the experienced members here. Any advice would be much appreciated

 

[Beautiful-you]

I think it would be a good idea to contact your instructor in the first instance to ask for advice as they should provide support after your training. Was it a complete nail tech course? How long was the course?

 

[hnap]

It was a gel nail course. Yes it would be ideal for any questions to be answered through an instructor, but that option is limited for me right now- which is why Im on this site. It seemed to be a great website/forum that offers troubleshooting, advice, etc. But perhaps not for "newbies".

 

[Cindy2021]

It’s easier to give advice once you’ve got the basics as this should be covered in your course. You should have had to do some form of practical exam before you passed.
If you can upload pics of your work giving a top, side view and down the barrel of the nail it would help

 

[Trinity]

It was a gel nail course. Yes it would be ideal for any questions to be answered through an instructor, but that option is limited for me right now- which is why Im on this site. It seemed to be a great website/forum that offers troubleshooting, advice, etc. But perhaps not for "newbies".

We absolutely help newbies, there are literally thousands of post with advice and support, however, we are not tutors, you've paid good money for a course that should have taught you these basic steps, any good course will offer ongoing support and troubleshooting, that's why we are referring you back to the original source of your training. It's what you paid for, so you should be getting it.

 

[hnap]

Okay- well I’m not sure how my questions are so different from others. Shouldn’t most people be forwarded to their instructor then?

Either way I’m not here to argue on a forum- I was simply asking questions as many others have. Unfortunately (education/nail wise) I live in a remote northern community and had to fly out specifically for the course. I have limited resources to continue learning/working but am trying. They do offer video support but I do not have sufficient internet to utilize those video class/chats. There is no one in my community who does nails-there are zero salons.

Not what I was looking for. I’m not gonna argue or try and justify why I’m asking a question I will continue to view the site as it is very informative and many people do get thorough responses that help my understanding to all of this. But I am done posting lol.

Thank you Cinderella for the offer to post my pics for advice. Much appreciated. Due to my distance they modified my final exam to July as that’s the next time I can leave my community- usually they have it sooner and provide more support during the time befor the exam. It’s not ideal and obviously it is not the preferred way and comes with WAY more struggles but I’m just thankful I still am able to work to certification.

The end. Lol

 

[7th-Heaven]

Hi- Very new here. First post.

First off I'd like to say that I did take a nail course recently, but it was a condensed private course . Though it was amazing and the instructor was great, the shorter training time did leave further questions. I have bought some textbooks to continue and strengthen my learning, but that will take some time.

At this point I have only done a couple sets of nails on people (practicing mainly on myself). I'm struggling with the free edge of my gel nail (I use Akzentz building gel-sculpted nail). I'm wondering if there are any pictures to show the ideal shape of the nail (specifically the free edge). I feel as though I leave it too thick and it looks "too" fake, but Im worried that thinning it out too much will weaken the tip. Ive been trying to look online but there isn't anything from the angle Im looking for.

Im also struggling majorly with painting the nail (especially from pot polishes), I cannot seem to get evenness. Could this be a brush issue?

I've been following the site for the last couple weeks and am excited to be getting information/knowledge from all the experienced members here. Any advice would be much appreciated

Hey, if you're looking for photos of ideal thickness of free edge or generally well sculpted nails, there are many educators on Instagram who post such photos. Chrystacle on Instagram is a beast at shaping and filing, she often posts photos from side angles, front etc. Nails By Bano is another one to follow for amazing shapes.

 

[7th-Heaven]

Hi- Very new here. First post.

First off I'd like to say that I did take a nail course recently, but it was a condensed private course . Though it was amazing and the instructor was great, the shorter training time did leave further questions. I have bought some textbooks to continue and strengthen my learning, but that will take some time.

At this point I have only done a couple sets of nails on people (practicing mainly on myself). I'm struggling with the free edge of my gel nail (I use Akzentz building gel-sculpted nail). I'm wondering if there are any pictures to show the ideal shape of the nail (specifically the free edge). I feel as though I leave it too thick and it looks "too" fake, but Im worried that thinning it out too much will weaken the tip. Ive been trying to look online but there isn't anything from the angle Im looking for.

Im also struggling majorly with painting the nail (especially from pot polishes), I cannot seem to get evenness. Could this be a brush issue?

I've been following the site for the last couple weeks and am excited to be getting information/knowledge from all the experienced members here. Any advice would be much appreciated

I found some photos on my phone that may show some of the angles you wanted. These photos are from various nail Techs on Instagram, among them the two I mentioned in my post above, and Kirsty Meakin (another one to follow/watch, and also has videos on filing routines etc). Hope it helps

 

[hnap]

Thanks!! I’ll make an instagram and check her out i never thought about that but I guess there would be some tutorials on there.

 

[hnap]

Perfect!!!! Thanks so much. Those are exactly what I was looking for. I’m on my way to Instagram- home sick so I’ll be able to binge for a good 5 hours. Thanks again

 

[Tanning_Beauty]

The girl lives in the Canadian artic ! Well done to those that helped her with practical advice. Good luck to you hnap x

 

[hnap]

Extreme thanks to you tanning beauty. much appreciated
I have successfully created an instagram ....Im in awe at how many amazing pics/videos there are. Especially specific to the brand I was trained in (akzentz). Exciting

 

[Beautiful-you]

Okay- well I’m not sure how my questions are so different from others. Shouldn’t most people be forwarded to their instructor then?

Either way I’m not here to argue on a forum- I was simply asking questions as many others have. Unfortunately (education/nail wise) I live in a remote northern community and had to fly out specifically for the course. I have limited resources to continue learning/working but am trying. They do offer video support but I do not have sufficient internet to utilize those video class/chats. There is no one in my community who does nails-there are zero salons.

Not what I was looking for. I’m not gonna argue or try and justify why I’m asking a question I will continue to view the site as it is very informative and many people do get thorough responses that help my understanding to all of this. But I am done posting lol.

Thank you Cinderella for the offer to post my pics for advice. Much appreciated. Due to my distance they modified my final exam to July as that’s the next time I can leave my community- usually they have it sooner and provide more support during the time befor the exam. It’s not ideal and obviously it is not the preferred way and comes with WAY more struggles but I’m just thankful I still am able to work to certification.

The end. Lol

I'm really sorry the replies you've received haven't been as helpful as you'd hoped and I really hope it doesn't put you off posting questions again. I promise you our advice was given with good intentions. Unfortunately there are a lot of poor quality Nail courses out there and often questions from newbies can be because they haven't received thorough training.
Having read your reply above I can now see that you are in a very unusual situation living in such an isolated area and that your course was condensed for a reason! You've obviously got even more of a challenge than most other new techs trying to grasp the whole concept and you have my full respect for trying your hardest to learn under these circumstances.

Hopefully @7th-Heaven's pictures and advice about Instagram has helped, I spend hours watching tutorials on Instagram and YouTube! Being a nail tech is a never ending learning curve - and it's very addictive!

When you say you are struggling to get a good even coverage with gel polish, do you mean the colour is patchy? I'm not familiar with the brand you are using, but streakyness can often be because the pigment in the polish has settled at the bottom and the Bottle needs a really good stir with a stirring stick or orangewood stick or similar, and some polishes need to be shaken really well too, to evenly distribute the pigment again. Give this a go and see if it helps.

Please don't be put off posting again! X

 

[Cindy2021]

I’m polished_to_purrfection on insta. If you have a look at who I’m following you might find lots of accounts for inspiration

 

[hnap]

Thanks a bunch everyone.

I can understand the hesitation. There are full thorough courses for a reason...and I do agree that anyone taking that type of course is more qualified than I am. I did attempt a long distance nail tech course years ago but I did not have sufficient internet to utilize the video's and SUCK at retaining things when I am not seeing it in person. So when there was a certified gel specific course I saved and saved and jumped at the opportunity.

I do understand that it leaves a lot of work....its overwhelming thinking how much there is to learn, but I am so eager and ready. I am not intending to utilize this site as a teacher replacement, but it does strengthen my understanding and guide me in my learning. I've been reviewing a lot of posts, especially akzentz specific threads. In the end, I did take a course and I am working towards certification. It is all sooooo addictive as you said BeautifulYou! My eyes have not left instagram and I am itching to try everything I am seeing, and so many products I want to try!

POLISH - After further inspection I THINK a few of my pots (1 glitter and 2 colors) were damaged through freezing. Which sucks. I have an order at the post office now and its my first online order and I'm so scared of what could be damaged due to the cold (we're still in winter/blizzard season here). I'm thinking to smarten up and call the companies first and learn which things I should wait to bulk order in our summer months....I also think I was having an issue with capping my gel properly and it pulling back/shrinking- but I've read some good tips on capping properly that Im going to try out this weekend.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Thanks a bunch everyone.

I can understand the hesitation. There are full thorough courses for a reason...and I do agree that anyone taking that type of course is more qualified than I am. I did attempt a long distance nail tech course years ago but I did not have sufficient internet to utilize the video's and SUCK at retaining things when I am not seeing it in person. So when there was a certified gel specific course I saved and saved and jumped at the opportunity.

I do understand that it leaves a lot of work....its overwhelming thinking how much there is to learn, but I am so eager and ready. I am not intending to utilize this site as a teacher replacement, but it does strengthen my understanding and guide me in my learning. I've been reviewing a lot of posts, especially akzentz specific threads. In the end, I did take a course and I am working towards certification. It is all sooooo addictive as you said BeautifulYou! My eyes have not left instagram and I am itching to try everything I am seeing, and so many products I want to try!

POLISH - After further inspection I THINK a few of my pots (1 glitter and 2 colors) were damaged through freezing. Which sucks. I have an order at the post office now and its my first online order and I'm so scared of what could be damaged due to the cold (we're still in winter/blizzard season here). I'm thinking to smarten up and call the companies first and learn which things I should wait to bulk order in our summer months....I also think I was having an issue with capping my gel properly and it pulling back/shrinking- but I've read some good tips on capping properly that Im going to try out this weekend.

I'm so pleased you've found some useful stuff on Instagram!

Have you tried to gently warm your gel polishes? Our winter isn't even remotely as cold as where you are but my salon is in my converted garage and even my gel polish gets quite cold overnight so I sit the ones Im using on a little coffee mug warming coaster (it's got a USB lead) and that really helps.

Keep us updated on how you get on and good luck with it all. I'm sure with your passion and determination you'll smash it! X

 

[justanailaddict]

Hi! I also have a ton of Akzentz products so here are my two cents:

I believe when you say jar colors you are referring to the Options gel colors; IMO these can be a little streaky and for its thickness, I just don't find them pigmented enough, meaning I sometimes do 3 coats of color to get it opaque, but at that point it can get bumpy/streaky/too thick . Having a good brush definitely helps, but I have personally moved on to using other brands of jarred products. The gel play paints however are great for art, but these would not make a good "cover" color as they are designed to be very thick and pigmented, so using them that way would cause alot of streaking.

Their Luxio line however, I have found to be much more enjoyable. just make sure you mix up the bottle well, as the pigments can settle to the bottom quite easily!

Their hard gel line (proformance), IMO, can be a bit brittle (?) I find that the product doesn't have much flex and can chip/lift easily from the free edge when doing overlays. I haven't had the same issues with extensions however, so that is all I use it for. I am also currently on the market for a better hard gel if anyone else has suggestions