Gelish and removal difficulty

[sophiegees]

Woooh is this getting hard! The last few gelish removals I have done have been a nightmare - seems to be stuck fast! Have broken the top coat with a nail file, and then put acetone on a cosmetic pad and wrapped in tin foil.

Things I am wondering is whether its because I am not using the foil wraps (magiwraps) as I ran out (am ordering more). Or maybe I am doing the base coat too think - or could it be anything to do with the cold?

Your thoughts would be appreciated, many thanks

xx

 

[Katechaos]

Have you tried warming the acetone?

 

[Sam81]

When you say cosmetic pad do you mean like cotton wool? I find these soak up too much of the acetone, you could try a lint free wipe instead? Also you need to really break that top coat. I usea 180 grit file and do a few swipes over the whole nail then gently over the free edge x

 

[izzidoll]

I think it will be to do with the cold.
I always use hair foil and cotton pads...I get a pack of oval shaped cotton wool pads and one cut up into 10 pieces and pre cut foil squares before the client arrives.
Break surface of topcoat with a buffer/file then soak pad apply and wrap. I then place hands in heated mitts for 10 mins and when I take foils off the Gelish curls up and off the nail, and stubborn bits scrape off easy too.

I have used the magis wraps but found the foil a bit thin and the pads on them didn't really hold enough remover in them, andthe amount that had pads missing astounded me!!

If you don't have heated mitts then you could wrap the hands in a heated towel or find some other way to keep the hands warm, it will make a difference. HTH

 

[Katechaos]

I usually put my clients hands under a heated hand dryer for 2/3 minutes, works wonderfully for me.

 

[lbissell86]

This is all SOOOOOOO helpful

This site is amazing!!!!!

 

[sophiegees]

Wow thank you so much for your help. I am using a 240 grit file to break the surface so will get a 160 grit one.

Yes the magiwraps are so thin arent they. That is why I did not re-order straight away. I am using the flat round cosmetic pads - and it is very cold where I am - our room is in a market - and I didnt heat the room up.

So will get some heat in there, and also will try the heated mitts. I do have some although never used them as yet. I heard stories of acetone catching fire as it was heated too much and got to hot and caught fire. Is it ok to put them in heated mitts? That is my only worry.....

Thank you so much

xx

 

[izzidoll]

I have not had any problems with heated mitts.
Using the stronger Hair foil I can wrap it nice and snug around the finger therefore no leakage, I have read some geeks on here have the mitts on prior to there removal service (to heat up) and switch them off once the clients hands are in and rely on the residual heat rather than having them on whilst the clients hands are in them.

 

[MissLB]

i love these little beauts!!
warm water in the bottom acetone in the little finger parts so not using loads of acetone but warms it up nicely!!

http://www.professionalnailsupplies.co.uk/user/products/large/manicure_bowl.jpg

 

[Missgiggles]

i love these little beauts!!
warm water in the bottom acetone in the little finger parts so not using loads of acetone but warms it up nicely!!

http://www.professionalnailsupplies.co.uk/user/products/large/manicure_bowl.jpg

Totally agree with this!!!! I can soak off in 10-15mins using these x

 

[sophiegees]

Thanks for that. I actually have one of those bowls, but thought that soaking fingers in acetone was a real no no. I actually have a client who wants me to do this but I refuse telling her it is not good for her nails or fingers.

Sorry if I have read it wrong.......

xx

 

[Debs001]

Totally agree with this!!!! I can soak off in 10-15mins using these x

Yeah that's what I meant I've never found them a problem, and you can just pop fingers back in if you need more time.

 

[MaisyMouse]

I too have a nightmare soaking off gelish, some colours seem to be worse than others, I could not get it off the big toes this morning and it was so stressful, I managed to get it off the smaller toes but couldnt shift it from the big ones. Does anyone know a reason for this?

I break the seal of the top coat and soak with cotton woll and tin foil then put in the heated mitts but it wouldnt budge this morning I have to buff it off :Scared:

Any ideas why?

 

[izzidoll]

I have these bowls too....but I only use them for soaking off acrylic (L&P), which is not often.

When soaking off Gelish, which I do on a client every 2-3 weeks I do not want their fingers soaking in acetone. I therefore use the foil method where the pad soaked in acetone is literally just on their nail plate.
It is also the method recommended by all the gel polish manufacturers.

As for toes...I also find it more difficult to get off, I think this is mainly because it has been on longer, usually 6 weeks and the longer it is on the longer it takes to come off
I too have gently buffed it off a big toenail, with no harm done

 

[kattyj]

My clients who have gelish on for 4 weeks are definitely harder to get off than the ones who have it done every 2 weeks, so as Izzidoll said im guessing it had been on the toes for quite a while.

 

[MissJulesBeauty]

I then place hands in heated mitts for 10 mins and when I take foils off the Gelish curls up and off the nail, and stubborn bits scrape off easy too.

Never thought of using my heated mitts when removing, thank you for the tip! I am going to try this tonight when I remove my own x

 

[MaisyMouse]

Thanks glad I am not the only one who struggles to get it off the toes, funny it is only the big toes though. It has been on for 6 weeks so that is probably why.

 

[JuicyLucy]

I can never understand when people say they have trouble removing Gelish. I wonder if some of you are leaving it too long before you try to remove it once its wrapped? If you remove shine and then wrap (one finger at a time), by the time you get to the last finger the first is ready for removal.

I remove the top shine, use a little piece of cotton wool from a ball so(one ball does five fingers) soaked in acetone or remover and a decent sized piece of hairdressing foil so that it wraps around the finger. On toes I use one piece of foil for the big toe, one for the middle two and another for the last two.

I remove and prep each nail as I go, and the first hand is under the light while I remove the wraps on the second hand. Occasionally, if I've been slow with the first hand, the last fingers on the second hand are slightly harder to remove. This is what makes me wonder if you are leaving the removal product on too long.

Removal and re-application on either fingers or toes never takes me more than 55 minutes, usually less.

 

[sophiegees]

Thanks for the tips juicy lucy (hey I seem to be following your postings around here tonight...). That is such a good idea about the filing the top layer and wrapping one finger at a time.

Thank you

xx

 

[izzidoll]

One finger at a time is the normal way lol
After I have wrapped 5 that hand goes in the mitts...then by time the other is done then the first comes out.

Surely no one thought you filed the topcoat on all 10 then went back and wrapped, then when all 10 were wrapped they went in the mitts? That would be far too much wasted time.