Help, at my wits end - Shellac/Gelish

[Julseybob13]

Hi. So i have been a nail tech for 20 years and have used the same method and products for years!!! With no problem. . I use shellac but i have always finished it off with a coat of Gelish topcoat( as its a super shiny finish)
So shellac base, 2 coats of colour,shellac topcoat then a coat of Gelish topcoat.
I have NEVER HAD A PROBLEM until now. What is happening is the topcoat (and just the topcoat) is peeling off. Almost looks like cellotape on the nail plate. Its not chipping but almost coming off in little miniscule pieces....... So over the space of 4 months i have tried trouble shooting.
I stopped using the GELISH topcoat and it still happened with just the shellac topcoat. I stopped using mu CND uv lamp and bought the CND LED lamp.... it still happened. I took my kit amd lamps to sweet squared academy. They checked my lamps,prep and application. They were happy.
After 4 weeks i invested in the latest CND LED lamp at another £200 and its still happening
So i turned my thoughts to the fact that it may be to do with the power supply in my shop perhaps not giving the lamps the right input..... BUT nope because even nails im doing at home it is happening.
Im at my WITS end and because this has been going on for months my clients are going to get fed up coming back all the time!
BUT HERE IS THE PART THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!!!........ Its not happening to every client just maybe 2/3 per week..... And its not every nail so if it was the lamps it would happen to every client....
I have used the same procedure and products for years and although yes i know some may say i do not need to use the GELISH topcoat over the shellac BUT i have done this for years with no problems!!!
This is hugely frustrating and since i have built my name up in the towm over 20 years its soul destroying....
Any ideas as i seem to have saturated them all and just cant fathom out what the hell is suddenly going wrong.
TIA .. a very fed up nail tech xxx

 

[AlanyaMackie]

Could be placement of the clients hands in the lamp. Check they’re placing them in right, not too deep or shallow xx

 

[Trinity]

Dodgy batch of topcoat?
You clearly know what you are doing so it's the only other thing I can think of

 

[Beautiful-you]

I'm sure you've already done this as you seem to have tried everything - but have you tried a new bottle of CND's top coat? It might be from a faulty batch or become contaminated?

 

[Beautiful-you]

Dodgy batch of topcoat?
You clearly know what you are doing so it's the only other thing I can think of

Snap! Posted at the same time too!

 

[House Beauty]

Hi. So i have been a nail tech for 20 years and have used the same method and products for years!!! With no problem. . I use shellac but i have always finished it off with a coat of Gelish topcoat( as its a super shiny finish)
So shellac base, 2 coats of colour,shellac topcoat then a coat of Gelish topcoat.
I have NEVER HAD A PROBLEM until now. What is happening is the topcoat (and just the topcoat) is peeling off. Almost looks like cellotape on the nail plate. Its not chipping but almost coming off in little miniscule pieces....... So over the space of 4 months i have tried trouble shooting.
I stopped using the GELISH topcoat and it still happened with just the shellac topcoat. I stopped using mu CND uv lamp and bought the CND LED lamp.... it still happened. I took my kit amd lamps to sweet squared academy. They checked my lamps,prep and application. They were happy.
After 4 weeks i invested in the latest CND LED lamp at another £200 and its still happening
So i turned my thoughts to the fact that it may be to do with the power supply in my shop perhaps not giving the lamps the right input..... BUT nope because even nails im doing at home it is happening.
Im at my WITS end and because this has been going on for months my clients are going to get fed up coming back all the time!
BUT HERE IS THE PART THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!!!........ Its not happening to every client just maybe 2/3 per week..... And its not every nail so if it was the lamps it would happen to every client....
I have used the same procedure and products for years and although yes i know some may say i do not need to use the GELISH topcoat over the shellac BUT i have done this for years with no problems!!!
This is hugely frustrating and since i have built my name up in the towm over 20 years its soul destroying....
Any ideas as i seem to have saturated them all and just cant fathom out what the hell is suddenly going wrong.
TIA .. a very fed up nail tech xxx

It’s got to be the shellac topcoat gone off or something or something has got in the bottle.

I have seen it once or twice before and I use gellux....and I couldn’t fathom it, I was having to do a couple of topcoats as they were like peeling at the sides. When I bought a new top and base it stopped. I must have had them for way too long. But I do also have a habit of wiping the brush if it gets a bit of colour on it so maybe I got some prep and wipe in the bottle.

 

[Julseybob13]

Hi. So i have been a nail tech for 20 years and have used the same method and products for years!!! With no problem. . I use shellac but i have always finished it off with a coat of Gelish topcoat( as its a super shiny finish)
So shellac base, 2 coats of colour,shellac topcoat then a coat of Gelish topcoat.
I have NEVER HAD A PROBLEM until now. What is happening is the topcoat (and just the topcoat) is peeling off. Almost looks like cellotape on the nail plate. Its not chipping but almost coming off in little miniscule pieces....... So over the space of 4 months i have tried trouble shooting.
I stopped using the GELISH topcoat and it still happened with just the shellac topcoat. I stopped using mu CND uv lamp and bought the CND LED lamp.... it still happened. I took my kit amd lamps to sweet squared academy. They checked my lamps,prep and application. They were happy.
After 4 weeks i invested in the latest CND LED lamp at another £200 and its still happening
So i turned my thoughts to the fact that it may be to do with the power supply in my shop perhaps not giving the lamps the right input..... BUT nope because even nails im doing at home it is happening.
Im at my WITS end and because this has been going on for months my clients are going to get fed up coming back all the time!
BUT HERE IS THE PART THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!!!........ Its not happening to every client just maybe 2/3 per week..... And its not every nail so if it was the lamps it would happen to every client....
I have used the same procedure and products for years and although yes i know some may say i do not need to use the GELISH topcoat over the shellac BUT i have done this for years with no problems!!!
This is hugely frustrating and since i have built my name up in the towm over 20 years its soul destroying....
Any ideas as i seem to have saturated them all and just cant fathom out what the hell is suddenly going wrong.
TIA .. a very fed up nail tech xxx

 

[Julseybob13]

THANK YOU. no those theories have been explored and i buy new topcoat weekly... however clients placement in the lamp might be a possiblility as like i said it's not happening to everyone.
X

 

[AlanyaMackie]

Fingers crossed it’s an easy fix! So frustrating when you can’t work it out xx

 

[Julseybob13]

Lets hope so Alanya. It has been consuming my mind for months... thanks for your feedback xx

 

[BobSweden]

To my knowledge, the CND LED UV lamps only produce UV with 365nm wavelength. Most gel polishes and gel polish top coats (exception Shellac) require UV with 405nm wavelength to cure.

Try either a 9W bulb style UV lamp that generates both 365nm and 405nm, or a dual band LED/UV lamp that has 365nm LEDs and 405nm LEDs.

Don't buy a Gelish LED UV lamp, as again to my knowledge this only produces 405nm UV and won't cure the Shellac.

This is the problem when systems are mixed .

 

[BobSweden]

The reason why this is only happening on some fingers, might be because the amount of UV light landing on different nails is often of different intensifies. Usually the manufacturer knows this and factors it into their cure times.

 

[tuan]

Im usually pretty good at troubleshooting CND products but youre on your own with this one.

 

[Julseybob13]

The reason why this is only happening on some fingers, might be because the amount of UV light landing on different nails is often of different intensifies. Usually the manufacturer knows this and factors it into their cure times.

 

[Julseybob13]

THANK YOU For this information.... Yes that would make perfect sense! After spending £500 since Jan on new lamps im loathe to spend anymore but i will invedtigate.

 

[BobSweden]

I hope it is the answer for you. xxx

 

[NancySyd]

To my knowledge, the CND LED UV lamps only produce UV with 365nm wavelength. Most gel polishes and gel polish top coats (exception Shellac) require UV with 405nm wavelength to cure.

Try either a 9W bulb style UV lamp that generates both 365nm and 405nm, or a dual band LED/UV lamp that has 365nm LEDs and 405nm LEDs.

Don't buy a Gelish LED UV lamp, as again to my knowledge this only produces 405nm UV and won't cure the Shellac.

This is the problem when systems are mixed .

Bob,
Is CND Shellac the only brand operating at 365?

 

[BobSweden]

I can't honestly say Nancy, but I am not aware of any others. As you will remember the early LED-UV lamps only used 405nm LEDs, so the die was cast from that point. CND were late to the LED-UV lamp game and only appeared when 365nm LED's became affordable, and may not have wanted to add a second PI to their historical products.