Gel blotchiness mystery

[Layrex9]

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd share this annoying little incident. Yesterday I had someone in for a repair on L&P nails, which I did, no problem. She said she would like a new coat of Gel topcoat on again to make them look brand new. When I had done her nails first time round I had put a Young Nails Finish Gel on top as it looks wonderful however, this time I had roughed the acrylic with a 180/240 up ensuring I got all the old gel top coat off and to enable adhesion of the gel to the L&P. I had run out of my Young Nails Finish Gel so I used my Brisa UV Finish, which I have used many times before without a problemmo. The gel, when cured and scrubfreshed (to remove sticky inhibition layer) looked patchy - shiny on some parts of the nails and dull on others! Tended to look dull around the outside of the nails and shiny in the middle. The only thing I can think of is maybe I didn't remove the old gel - this has never happened to me before it is a mystery indeed! I was a bit embarrassed but the client wasn't bothered she said just stick a clear top coat on! Has this happened to any of you guys?

 

[Zingara]

Sounds uncured to me...although I'm not a Brisa expert.

Check your bulbs. Are they old?

 

[Layrex9]

Sounds uncured to me...although I'm not a Brisa expert.

Check your bulbs. Are they old?

No hon they are quite new, it is weird isn't it?

 

[magsham]

I use NSI Balance and was having probs with the finishing gel like you describe. What it turned out to be was that after i'd refined the surface and cleansed i was too quick in putting the gel on and didn't give the surface enough time to dry and it caused little spots all over the place. And not using a different wipe for each nail after curing - just took the sticky layer off one nail and the residue was coming off on another! Took me a while to figure out what i was doing wrong.

 

[CurlyQs]

I had a similar situation when I used Scrubfresh with a soak off gel. But you said your topcoat was Brisa - so that wouldn't matter. Do you think the enhancement underneath could have been affected by the acetone in Scrubfresh? Not familiar with Young Nails composition.

 

[oey]

Could your gel top coat have been applied too thinly?

 

[Classy Claws]

BRISA - Brisa only sticks to 3 surfaces

1. Liquid Bond
2. Inhibition Layer
3. 180 grit surface

so your probs there were either, your 180g file was worn out, or you still had oil on the nail, the best thing to do after 180ing your enhancement is to give a quick swipe over the nail with Scrubfresh... its important not to scrub over it but just a very quick swipe, otherwise the s/f will take off your 180 surface (slightly disolve the top layer of your acrylic) then allow to dry and apply your brisa top coat. cure and remove inhibition layer you shouldnt have any more probs, but do make sure you are using a semi-fresh or long life 180 grit when using any brisa product.

 

[Layrex9]

Aha! I wonder if I maybe did use too much scrubfresh, and perhaps did not let it dry thoroughly before applying the gel. And I also used the same wipe to take off the inhibition layer for each nail - not a seperate one. Maybe I should, like you said, have used the 180 with a very quick swipe of s/f - I think I may have saturated the wipe (I used one of the plastic backed ones) and they do tend to hold a lot of s/f. Everything you have all said makes a lot of sense! Thank you all - I shall know for next time - I guess you have to really mega rough up the surface - perhaps I didn't do that either, infact I am sure it looked rather smooth when I applied Finish. Thank you all very much

 

[Classy Claws]

Next time try a fresh 180 abrasive and that quick swipe with the scrubresh :o) and you should be fine.

 

[niks85]

hi layerx
I had a similar situation with gel toes once before. i use brisa also. it only happened with a couple of toes. found out off my tutor that it was because i didn't remove the shine properly... since then it hasn't happened to me so maybe......
hope it goes ok for ya!!

 

[beautynails]

One other thing that it could've been is how much top gloss you used. It needs to be applied fairly thickly.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I use NSI Balance and was having probs with the finishing gel like you describe. What it turned out to be was that after i'd refined the surface and cleansed i was too quick in putting the gel on and didn't give the surface enough time to dry and it caused little spots all over the place. And not using a different wipe for each nail after curing - just took the sticky layer off one nail and the residue was coming off on another! Took me a while to figure out what i was doing wrong.

This is one of the major causes of patchiness with UV Finishing gels. I have to say I have NEVER used Scrubfresh (or equivalent) between the final buff over and applying the Gloss. You've already scrubfreshed before applying your bonder layer anyway, so there isn't really any need for it IMO. But if you feel you need to then yes you must wait for it to dry fully before gloss application.

 

[Nicki-Marie]

This sometimes happens to me. Ive found I only need to swipe over the cured topgloss without putting pressure. If i apply pressure i get the dull patches you are describing.

 

[Classy Claws]

I have to say I have NEVER used Scrubfresh (or equivalent) between the final buff over and applying the Gloss. You've already scrubfreshed before applying your bonder layer anyway, so there isn't really any need for it IMO. .

If you have accidentally touched the surface of your enhancement during the final filing and shaping you will end up with oil from your fingers on the enhancement leading to patches in the top gloss, it is a wise back up (especially for students) to give a quick swipe just before application of top gloss - saves going back and filing it off so u can do it again - unless you know for sure you (or your client!) havent accidentally touched the nail then I recomend a quick swipe with S/F.

 

[Classy Claws]

This sometimes happens to me. Ive found I only need to swipe over the cured topgloss without putting pressure. If i apply pressure i get the dull patches you are describing.

This would only happen if your gel isnt cured fully hun, it shouldnt be soft enough for you to create any sort of mark in it, it should be its full hardness (cured) once it comes out of the lamp. perhaps u need to have your lamp checked

 

[Sassy Hassy]

If you have accidentally touched the surface of your enhancement during the final filing and shaping you will end up with oil from your fingers on the enhancement leading to patches in the top gloss, it is a wise back up (especially for students) to give a quick swipe just before application of top gloss - saves going back and filing it off so u can do it again - unless you know for sure you (or your client!) havent accidentally touched the nail then I recomend a quick swipe with S/F.

What I do is apply the gloss to the right hand once I've buffed BEFORE starting buffing on the other hand - cos otherwise you are right, as sure as eggs is aggs the client is gonna run her fingers through her hair, or something else as equally annoying, and then you get those patches!!! AND IT'S SO ANNOYING :lol::lol::lol:

 

[Classy Claws]

What I do is apply the gloss to the right hand once I've buffed BEFORE starting buffing on the other hand - cos otherwise you are right, as sure as eggs is aggs the client is gonna run her fingers through her hair, or something else as equally annoying, and then you get those patches!!! AND IT'S SO ANNOYING :lol::lol::lol:

yup thats the way luv, but I have found with students, especially those used to doing L&P most get in the bad habbit of wiping dust off the nail with their own fingers which wont affect the end result of hand buffing for shine, but they wonder what on earth has gone wrong when they move on to (or have to do a set of) gels and end up with patches due to oil....

on a funnyer yet slightly annoying note I have also had clients remove the hand I am working on so they can scratch their face, or move their hair .. u wonder WTF lol I always leave them with one hand free so they can scratch or use their cell, and some still pull away the hand I am working on without thinking lol

 

[Sassy Hassy]

on a funnyer yet slightly annoying note I have also had clients remove the hand I am working on so they can scratch their face, or move their hair .. u wonder WTF lol I always leave them with one hand free so they can scratch or use their cell, and some still pull away the hand I am working on without thinking lol

Or the ones that are talking to you animatedly and take their hand out of the UV Light and you're waving and yelling at them to PUT THEIR HAND BACK IN!!!! And they look at you and go, oops oh yeah!

 

[Layrex9]

What I do is apply the gloss to the right hand once I've buffed BEFORE starting buffing on the other hand - cos otherwise you are right, as sure as eggs is aggs the client is gonna run her fingers through her hair, or something else as equally annoying, and then you get those patches!!! AND IT'S SO ANNOYING :lol::lol::lol:

That's a good idea!

 

[Nicki-Marie]

This would only happen if your gel isnt cured fully hun, it shouldnt be soft enough for you to create any sort of mark in it, it should be its full hardness (cured) once it comes out of the lamp. perhaps u need to have your lamp checked

This has happened to me since day one of having my lamp .. odd. If i lightly swipe i have no problems.