Gelish, please help

[alyssa114]

I just started doing my own gels, used to do acrylics, I'm a little confused of why they're lifting so badly, i keep the gel off the cuticles and sides, even fingers that I get no get on the cuticle and leave a little space in between will lift.
These are the steps I take:
First push down cuticles, wipe nails with acetone, buff all shine off, apply tips, buff shine again, add "gelish ph bond", put thin layer of gel on each nail, cure for one minute, then put gel on each nail individually and hold finder upside down, cure 3 minutes, then move to the next nail.
If it gets on the sides I get it off as soon as I notice it, if a little is on the sides after I cure I file it off. I have a brand new "royal" 54 watt uv light, what am I doing wrong!? I'm starting school to be a nail tech in 2 weeks and I want to make sure I know the basics and don't go to school with bad nails haha. Help!!

 

[alyssa114]

Help I'm doing my nails right now!

 

[nubee]

Hi... are you doing Gels or Gelish?

 

[alyssa114]

Gels using gelish structure gel

 

[nubee]

Ah ok... i haven't used their structure gel but i do know you definitely don't use acetone at the prep stage...this is a removal product!!! you need to use a nail cleanser...

 

[alyssa114]

So that's my problem!!? Going to try cleanser then! I was getting really discouraged over this. I guess that would make sense, the left over acetone is probably making the bonder not work properly?

 

[nubee]

Yes... try that and see if it helps first xx

 

[alyssa114]

Will do I'll let you know the outcome thanks so much I'm doing forms for the first time, wish me luck!! Any tips lol?

 

[nubee]

another wee point i noticed... if you file the sides after curing you break the seal... that means water,air, dust particles can get in between the gel and the nail plate causing lifting!!! you can't file the sides or free edge at this stage... (this is why you 'cap' the free edge after each layer) . You must be satisfied with gel shape before curing as you can only smooth down the top!! HTH's xx

 

[nubee]

good luck!! i haven't done forms yet... that is the next course i wan't to do xx

 

[ch-ela]

I would wait until you start your course before using the gels. It's not a good idea to get into bad habits that you have to unlearn again. It's only a couple of weeks.

 

[mariehouse]

As far as I know u will need hard gel for structures tips and forms and with the hard gel you need to use pro bond hope that helps

 

[Perfecttennails]

I just started doing my own gels, used to do acrylics, I'm a little confused of why they're lifting so badly, i keep the gel off the cuticles and sides, even fingers that I get no get on the cuticle and leave a little space in between will lift.
These are the steps I take:
First push down cuticles, wipe nails with acetone, buff all shine off, apply tips, buff shine again, add "gelish ph bond", put thin layer of gel on each nail, cure for one minute, then put gel on each nail individually and hold finder upside down, cure 3 minutes, then move to the next nail.
If it gets on the sides I get it off as soon as I notice it, if a little is on the sides after I cure I file it off. I have a brand new "royal" 54 watt uv light, what am I doing wrong!? I'm starting school to be a nail tech in 2 weeks and I want to make sure I know the basics and don't go to school with bad nails haha. Help!!

I hate to say it but reading your process, there are a lot of inaccuracies if you're using Gelish.
For a start, you don't use structure gel to do enhancements, you use builder gel. Structure gel is put on underneath colour to strengthen natural nails or on top to protect the colour better or to smooth out any inaccuracies in the finished nail, such as the step you get when doing a French gel manicure.
The prep is to file and shape the nails, remove the cuticle, buff, dehydrate with pH bond, apply tip, cut it down, shape, buff off the shine, use pro bond on the natural nail only, thin layer of builder gel, Cure, builder gel, Cure, thin layer of LED clear gel, cure, cleanse, shape, then either dry armour or colour if you're going to apply it and then top it off coat.
It seems your process doesn't match the process you need to use Gelish, you're better to wait until college and learn how to apply properly, because you can end up stuffing your nails and you'll go to college with no nails whatsoever ! Most colleges don't expect you to turn up with a full set of enhancements on, they ask you to turn up with naked nails with nothing on them in good condition. it's best not to mess around with products until you know how to use them properly as all brands have different application processes, curing methods etc.
I learnt the hard way by buying all different products, not using correct curing times, not prepping correctly etc and I ruined my nail so badly, they used to break off halfway down the nail bed!


Since retraining with Gelish and learning to use their products correctly, my nails are now in the best condition they have ever been!


I would leave the enhancements you've done on now and as they come away, leave them. Don't do anything with them until you go to college and learn to do things correctly. It is very tempting when you have all the stuff there, to keep messing around with your nails. However, you do have to make sure you look after them and leave them be! Xxx

 

[alyssa114]

Oh wow thanks I never knew I was using the wrong kind! I picked this because it soaks off and I like to redo my nails almost every week sometimes 2x a week so buff off would have been horrible for me. That's why the forms I did yesterday felt a little weak huh?
Your nails look great now! When I was pregnant I was able to grow my nails out but after having my daughter my hair and nails are so bleh nails kept breaking and hair falling out! That's one of the reasons I started doing gels though I like having nice nails but didn't want to do acrillic because the smell is too strong to have a baby near. I'm enrolled in school though I was supposed to start today but had to postpone it until two weeks because of babysitting

 

[BeautyNerds]

Abforever - are you actually trained in beauty or nails?

Not meaning to sound rude by the way. Just looked at your profile and there is no information about any training.

 

[nailpod]

Abforever - are you actually trained in beauty or nails?

Not meaning to sound rude by the way. Just looked at your profile and there is no information about any training.

I think this was ment to be posted in consumer queries as she said she is going to do a course shortly.


Beauty at your finger tips!

 

[alyssa114]

I'm about to start school to become a nail tech, I went to cosmetology school though but didnt finish. I just made this I'm not sure how to edit that stuff?
Oh is there somewhere else I should have posted? Sorry I have the app all it has is nail geek, hair geek, skin geek, and biz geek.

 

[alyssa114]

Oh there are soak off builder gels ibd makes one lol I feel stupid I should have done more research but there's just so many different brands so I just bought the one I thought would be best

 

[ch-ela]

Abforever, we really shouldn't be giving you advice here as you are not yet trained and it's a shame to have to unlearn things again when you start your training. Some of the advice you have been given is just plain wrong.

Do your training and then choose your products. I don't know where you got the info from that you could use structure with tips but you cant. I know that you probably cant wait to get started, but in this case you would do better buying a good book from either Marian Newman, Gigi Rouse or Doug Schoon and do some reading and leave your nails alone. You would be doing yourself the biggest favour. Honest.

 

[izzidoll]

I completely agree with che-la, and I have moved this thread to Consumer.

abforever, you have enrolled in a course, wait and see what your educator shows you and take their advice on what you need to purchase, buying things now could be a waste of money if you won't need them and their use isn't covered in your training.

Also Geeks we really shouldn't be giving detailed advice on using pro products to anyone who is, as yet, untrained.