Gel nails breaking constantly!

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sarah1992

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2012
Messages
961
Reaction score
-1
Location
Ireland
Ok so I am about about to lose my mind when it comes to gel nails, when someone asks for gel nails now my stomach literally turns! I trained with NSI and finished in September, but I have constant problems with clients nails breaking, they always just break off from where the tip is glued down. I have had no problems with lifting or anything they just seem to be breaking off at the same place every time, because of this I am doing constant free fix ups and its taking up my time and product!
I have read loads of tips about this but nothing works! this is what i usuallly do:

Sanitize
Cleanse
Cuticle work
etch nail, dust off and nail purex2 to make sure its chalky
size tips and brush on glue and glue on to nail
Cut down the tips, blend them and file to shape
Apply primer
Apply white at free edge and create smile line (cure)
Apply pink gel and build apex (cure)
Wipe off taxky layer with Nsi cleanse
File and buff till they are smooth
Dust off and then cure again,
Glaze n go and cure.
Apply cuticle oil.


Sorry for the essay! help would be much appreciated!
 
Also, I have done 2 sets of gel nails on myself, both which lasted almost 2 months with only one breakage (caught in a door!) and i have done a set on my mam as well, hers lasted almost 3 months! I cant say its just people being heavy handed because it seems to be everyone except us!
 
Ok I can see straight away what the problem is


After attaching tip, you need to do a thin clear base layer over all nail then cure, then do your white and pink, then do another layer of clear to build apex and give strength, without these 2 missing parts of the system you will always have problems.

Should be

Prep work etc

Glue tip, file etc
Primer
Clear layer, cure
White, cure
Pink, cure
Clear build over all nail and build apex, cure
Wipe sticky with cleanse
File
Wipe away dust etc
glaze n go, cure
Viola finished.
 
Also, no need to cure again after filing, just glaze n go
 
As Maz says.

When you're doing that base layer of gel, really kind of scrub it in to the nail with the brush using small circular motions.

Steady on with the etching too, if you thin the natural nail it won't be such a good base to build on. No coarser than a 240 grit file. (But you'll know this already)
 
Good thinking I should have said that :)

What I do is go over with thin layer of gel, then using a S motion down centre then either side pressing firmly being careful to not go on to skin and sidewalls, then go down centre and sides again in a putting polish on way, so it grips the nail

Gosh I'm so terrible at explaining lol hope it makes sense lol
 
Yes Maz has picked up where things are going wrong.

It's all in building a good apex, which is slightly harder with gel V's L&P but it's something we can not dodge cause this is what happens when there is not enough apex.

Glaze n' Go is not a product that is used for strength, it is a finishing high gloss gel and can not be relied upon on any level to help build an apex or towards an apex.

I don't know if you made a mistake or not when you listed your steps but I can not see why you would be curing again after filing and buffing into shape as I have never known NSI to teach this method. The product should already be cured, if it wasn't there would be no way you could buff and file into shape and you would end up with a big gloopy mess of uncured gel every time.
 
As said, structure is all important to the longevity of any type of enhancement. You may be adding structure but then removing it again with too much filing at the finish. These are the things you have to look at carefully and something has to change as the strength is not there for your clients, and the strength in in the structure along with choosing the correct length for the individual.

I have observed over the many years of teaching, that a good proportion of new nail technicians create nails that are far too long. It also takes a very long time to get the structure right ... Particularly with gel.

Try placing an extra 'log' of gel down the vertical centre of the nail and then tease a small amount of gel from that central reservoir out to the sidewalls and free edge leaving the bulk down the centre. Cure as normal and file into shape. Doing this will create a central-vertical apex, a beautiful C-curve, and lasting strength. Technique is everything both in application and filing to keep the strength where it needs to be.
 
So sorry Im just seeing this now, thank you all so much for your relpies! Sorry I didn't mean to write cure again after glaze n go, oops! Thanks again :)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top