Gel toes: hard gels vs soak off gels

[Mieke]

I have been thinking on starting to offer gel overlays on toenails since many of my customers have been asking about it.
I have a few questions on which i hope you guys can help me:
I am using hard gels and haven´t used them on toenails before. Reading trough some threads here i read that many use soak off gels since they are more flexible. Is it possible to do overlays with the hard gel on the toenails or would it crack or lift since it isn´t as flexible??
Any help appreciated :hug:

 

[Urban Geek]

I have used Brisa on toes with great success as well as L&P. However, I apply it a lot thinner than I would for finger nails and I only apply the white and then finishing gloss.

I also use soft gels for colour on toes and they are fab too.

So long as they are applied with a thinner coating of hard gel you shouldn't experience any problems.

 

[adelekeegan1]

I agree, I do a lot of gel toes using Brisa.

I apply a thin layer of sheer pink, a white free edge and then top gloss. If I am doing colour I use a bonder layer of clear, 2 thin coats of colour and then the top gloss.

 

[bellabeautie]

I got told at college to apply it the same as you would on the fingers but just not to build an apex... would it be better to do it the way you both have descirbed? Would you not get a "lip" where the white smile line would be? xx

 

[Mieke]

Thanks allready for the help
But i was wondering if you need to be extra carefull while sealing the free edge since it is on toenails and they bump in to the inner wall of the shoe? how long does it take you to do a french overlay on both feet?

 

[VHunter]

I have used buff-off gels on toes (my own) and soakables on clients...
Now, I just stick with soakables.

I didn't have any problems EXCEPT when it came time to remove them or refill them. Toes are a hard thing to get a good grip on to file off gel :lol:
Now I don't have to suffer so many wrestling matches.

As long as the gel is thin, you should be ok. Toes don't need apex's, they're not supposed to be 'long' and they don't get used for much except walking :wink2: (or the odd stubbing into something hehehe)

 

[Mieke]

I have used buff-off gels on toes (my own) and soakables on clients...
Now, I just stick with soakables.

I didn't have any problems EXCEPT when it came time to remove them or refill them. Toes are a hard thing to get a good grip on to file off gel :lol:
Now I don't have to suffer so many wrestling matches.

As long as the gel is thin, you should be ok. Toes don't need apex's, they're not supposed to be 'long' and they don't get used for much except walking :wink2: (or the odd stubbing into something hehehe)

Which soakable system do you use victoria? I will defenitly not make their toenails longer...i think it is one of the moste creepy things in the world toenails that are enhanced :lol:.

 

[VHunter]

I use Nailite's "Gentle Gel" which is a soakable, one-step, self-levelling gel.
As easy as applying polish, honestly.
VERY affordable! They also have soak off colours.
And with toes... honestly.. I prefer to soak off and start over again. Much easier than infilling, I find (back to wrestling with toes to file them LOL).
Honestly... I'm not a fan of feet at all, so the less time I spend touching them and hunched over them, killing my back, the happier I am LOL

Just an opinion.

I understand Brisa is good for this too, but haven't used it myself.


hth's

 

[Wee Fee]

I much prefer a non-soakable gel for toes.

I'd choose not to soak my client's toes in remover when instead, I could spend 15 minutes gently buffing with a 240 grit abrasive, causing absolutly no damage if and when it came time to remove the product.
My preference is Brisa Gel and I apply it exactly the way Adele has already explained.
With Brisa Bolds and Shimmers it's so easy to create hand painted nail art styles that are dry instantly and buff off in a cinch with a gentel 240 grit abrasive.

I can understanctd why someone who isn't all that keen on feet would preffer to soak off rather than struggle with abrasives, as Vicky has said.
But Brisa is SO FAR AND AWAY different from other traditional gels that maintenance appointments and removals are much quicker and easier than I've experianced with ANY other product for toes, whether that's soakable or non-soakable gel, or L&P.

Good luck,
happy summer toe-nailing!

 

[Bagpuss]

I do gel overlays on toes and use a buff off gel...(hard) and have no problems...they are very quick to do...(40 mins max) you don't need to build any strength/apex as there shouldn't be any length to the nails...so re-doing them is easy...i never infill/rebalance...just file it off and start again. I prep, bonder gel, 1 thin pink gel, POW, gloss.

 

[sian1979]

i have a quick Q on the subject....i have had a few trys on my self with the gel toes as i want to offer them in the salon this year but i have had a few probs where the odd one just peels off...at what stage do you have to make sure that the free edge is capped to stop this from happening??? (from what i have read this is most likely the cause of this happening...correct????)

 

[VHunter]

When you do the overlay, and 'cap' them be sure NOT to file off the capping when you finish them, just before glossing. Or apply the capping thick enough to allow for your filing the free edge a tad more.

Then cap again with the gloss.

hth's:hug:


PS: to other geeks..... I have done toes many times for clients.. and 8wks later.. they are still there, no lifting, no chipping.. etc...
and yet.. 2 clients have gone on holiday to cuba or florida or whatever, and came back without their toes that apparently peeled away (not the appendages, but the gels LOL)

What did I do wrong?
Or does gel simply not like salt water?

 

[Mieke]

I use Nailite's "Gentle Gel" which is a soakable, one-step, self-levelling gel.
As easy as applying polish, honestly.
VERY affordable! They also have soak off colours.
I will check them out, thanks
And with toes... honestly.. I prefer to soak off and start over again. Much easier than infilling, I find (back to wrestling with toes to file them LOL).
Honestly... I'm not a fan of feet at all, so the less time I spend touching them and hunched over them, killing my back, the happier I am LOL
=> hahaha ditto :green: especially in summer, closed shoes... very dangerous LOL

Just an opinion.

I understand Brisa is good for this too, but haven't used it myself.
Yes, many use brisa but it would be a bit too costly since you need to purchase the lamp aswell then

 

[nailspirit]

I prefer a soak off. I use Young Nails ManiQ for toes. If i want french look then i just use thin paint on white gel (buff off). I find that with soak off i can apply more thinly than with a buff off. If i would use a buff off as thin as i put ManiQ it would chip.
Just the feel on a soak off works for me so much better. With a buff off i always got some pressure feeling (after couple of weeks) on my toes. With soak off, no prob.
Soak off is also so much better and easier for the client to shorten (when there is a need). There hasn´t been any lifting with ManiQ. (I did my toes during Xmas and i removed them qouple of weeks ago. Of corse i had to shorten them in between
Im actually not soaking it off, i file. There is no need to soak it off if you dont want to, file works great as well. Its so thin layer and files off quick!
Im not offering toes to everybody yet (in the summer i will). Now I have done mine and freinds and family.
This was just my opinion but hope it helped at least a little:hug:

 

[Nco London Gina]

I always use a hard gel on toes and I also use an efile to remove it (most of it that's left anyway!) because yes, it can be fiddly to remove from some peoples toenails by hand I guess.

Soak off gel is just as good on toes, but I personally would never use a soak off white for the french because it almost always discolours.
Clear soak off gel is also more prone to discolouration over a hard gel too because it is porous.
You can use a non soak off white with soak off clear & soak off pink gels (incase you didn't know that)

I can speak honestly because we have both types of gel.

A lot of people who use soak off gels seal over with a hard gel too.

So...
hard gels - look good and last well for around 6-8 weeks (would be longer, but by then they have sooooo grown out)
quick & easy to apply
will not discolour
can be fiddly to remove by hand

soak off gels - look good and can last well for around 6-8 weeks
quick & easy to apply
prone to discolouration & peeling off if you don't prep properly
easier to remove in soak off solution (but equally if not more fiddly and time consuming in my opinion)

depends how you prefer to work

Gina xx

 

[RedAdmiral]

I have both in the salon but havent used a soak off on toes in yrs. As mentioned above peeling is an issue with a soft gel so I prefer a buff off gel - I use Youngs gel for toes but the Brisa lamp is a great size so this summer I'll be using Brisa instead.
I cant think how I'd soak off toes - what kind of bowl would you use? Seems like a bigger bowl would be needed and more acetone so it would be a bit of a waste and time consuming when you could e-file to break the seal and buff smooth with a spongy buffer.

 

[Nco London Gina]

I think soaking off gels is easier when you soak a cotton ball in acetone, place it on to the nail and then wrap each finger (or toe in this case!!) in tin foil

Soaking feet in a dish would be a bit odd I think?? and the tin foil method is more tricky than filing it down (for me anyway - and I have tried!!)

Gina xx

 

[RedAdmiral]

A-ha! that would be better. Still prefer to file off as usually there is so little to file anyway