Help?? Bio-Sculpture Soak Off & Re-balances

[Zammo]

Hi,

I've being doing Bio gel for about twelve months now and only recently opened my little salon with a friend. We have always charged the same for a first overlay and a re-balance. I offer a soak off with every third set to prevent the gel getting too think.

What's your advice on pricing?? Should I charge the same or more for the first set and slightly less for re-balance? Also what files are you using for blending down before infill/re-balance? Are you using executive base??

Also, does anyone ever have problems with the white gel? I recently got a new pot and I think it's much thinner than my previous bio-sculpture white gel, has it changed??

Can't beleive I have so many questions after using the product for so long BUT I'm just curious.

Thanks
Dan x

 

[ADiva1]

Hi,

I've being doing Bio gel for about twelve months now and only recently opened my little salon with a friend. We have always charged the same for a first overlay and a re-balance. I offer a soak off with every third set to prevent the gel getting too think.

What's your advice on pricing?? Should I charge the same or more for the first set and slightly less for re-balance? Also what files are you using for blending down before infill/re-balance? Are you using executive base??

Also, does anyone ever have problems with the white gel? I recently got a new pot and I think it's much thinner than my previous bio-sculpture white gel, has it changed??

Can't beleive I have so many questions after using the product for so long BUT I'm just curious.

Thanks
Dan x

Hiya
I use biosculpture gel also. At present, I am charging the same for infills as I do for a new set of overlays. Thats soon to change as I will increase my price for the first set of overlays and charge a couple of pounds cheaper for my infills. I also charge a small amount for the gel to be soaked off.

I use the tear drop file for infills, then lower the grit as I go along. Biosculpture does not need alot of filing, so be careful. I dont use excutive base, I find that the it makes the gel lift. Thats personal experience however.

The white gel - do you mean French No 1? If so, it seems ok to me; no probs with it.

HTHs and goodluck with your salon!

 

[alisondenn]

Hi there, ive been using bio sculpture for 5yrs, my pricing for coloured overlays £18.00, french £25.00 - infills £13.00 /£15.00 french - but i know my pricing is too cheap - soak off i do not charge, but have taught most of my clients to soak off themselves. I never use exec base, found my clients nails lifted when used this - as for the white gel doesnt sound right - think u should phone your supplier. Hope this helps

 

[Zammo]

Hiya,

Thanks for your advice. I do think clients expect to pay less on their 2nd visit but I think it's pretty much the same amount of work, maybe more, then again I wonder if I remove too much of the gel before an infill. I might do the course again as a refresher as my clinets love gel and I want to hold on to them!

I haven't bothered with executive base, well that was the advice given when I did my training.
x

Hiya
I use biosculpture gel also. At present, I am charging the same for infills as I do for a new set of overlays. Thats soon to change as I will increase my price for the first set of overlays and charge a couple of pounds cheaper for my infills. I also charge a small amount for the gel to be soaked off.

I use the tear drop file for infills, then lower the grit as I go along. Biosculpture does not need alot of filing, so be careful. I dont use excutive base, I find that the it makes the gel lift. Thats personal experience however.

The white gel - do you mean French No 1? If so, it seems ok to me; no probs with it.

HTHs and goodluck with your salon!

 

[Zammo]

Hiya,

You really need to put your prices up. I'm quite new to this and obviously I don't know how fast you're working but Bio is fantastic and people are prepared to pay for such a great product.

Get your price list updated!!!


Thanks for all your advice, I reckon my white gel might be a bit dodgy.
x

Hi there, ive been using bio sculpture for 5yrs, my pricing for coloured overlays £18.00, french £25.00 - infills £13.00 /£15.00 french - but i know my pricing is too cheap - soak off i do not charge, but have taught most of my clients to soak off themselves. I never use exec base, found my clients nails lifted when used this - as for the white gel doesnt sound right - think u should phone your supplier. Hope this helps

 

[Bud]

re: your white gel, dunno if you've already tried it, but before you call em, give it a really good stir - the white (and other coloured) gels tend to separate and sometimes look a bit thin and runny?

Best to stir before you call anyway, cos i've phoned before when a pot of sculpting gel was really thin and runny - and they've told me to try stirring and then call back! Will just save you a phone call (and in my case a quick stir did the trick!!!!!!)

Soz if you've already tried this!!

laura x

 

[Zammo]

Thanks Laura,

I have tried a quick stir but might be worth giving it another go.

Danielle

re: your white gel, dunno if you've already tried it, but before you call em, give it a really good stir - the white (and other coloured) gels tend to separate and sometimes look a bit thin and runny?

Best to stir before you call anyway, cos i've phoned before when a pot of sculpting gel was really thin and runny - and they've told me to try stirring and then call back! Will just save you a phone call (and in my case a quick stir did the trick!!!!!!)

Soz if you've already tried this!!

laura x

 

[MINKUS]

Hi

I have used bio for coming up to a year now.

I dont use executive base - never have - was told not to as it makes it lift.

For rebalances i use black tear drop.....and a creative white file (cant remember its name).....and a mix of millenium files nice pink soft ones..also white blocks sometimes .

I am going to start to charge for soak offs as i dont at the moment.

A local salon nr me provides the gel remover for them to do it themselves.....not sure if i want to do this !!

the whites fine for me also, give it a stir or return it

amb x

 

[frenchy]

Im curious and dont want to offend as I dont use Bio sculpture (just tested it a couple of times) But why do you have to soak it off?

This seems just a waste of time! Why cant you backfill?

I have had gel clients for years who have never had their nails soaked off.

Each new client that walks through my door is worth 600.00 to me. That's one full set and a year of backfill and infills.

If the product is good enough you should easily be able to manage without soaking off. And if your really, really , really have to then certainly, absolutely you should charge.
It's all in your time. So charge your client your normal hourly rate.

 

[MINKUS]

BIO is not easy to buff down....like Brisa for instance. Therefore the more you infil the thicker it gets.


So most Bio teks will soak off every 3/4 infils tops.

If you have no working knowlege of the product it is hard to describe....but believe me i wouldnt be wasting time if i didnt have too!!!!

thanks

ambxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Bagpuss]

Im curious and dont want to offend as I dont use Bio sculpture (just tested it a couple of times) But why do you have to soak it off?

This seems just a waste of time! Why cant you backfill?

I have had gel clients for years who have never had their nails soaked off.

Each new client that walks through my door is worth 600.00 to me. That's one full set and a year of backfill and infills.

If the product is good enough you should easily be able to manage without soaking off. And if your really, really , really have to then certainly, absolutely you should charge.
It's all in your time. So charge your client your normal hourly rate.

amber is right...its like filing on a rubberband...this isn't a negative remark just trying as best i can to explain why its a soak off every 3-4 visits. If you go at it with a 180 grit it will tear and then look patchy...if you use a 240 grit it barely does anything. Its a very rubbery feel, and this is why it seems to work so well with natural nails, cos when pressure is applied it will flex and bend with the natural nail instead of cracking and snapping. It is strong but its a different kind of strength..a flexable strength.

If you keep the application very thin with each visit then you can sometimes go longer..but a soak off is necessary to keep the nails looking great. The soak off is very quick and the nails are strong after the gel has been removed.

xxxx

 

[frenchy]

Thanx Angie and Minkus

It makes more sense now

 

[~bec~]

What a great thread!!!

Im finding that the trick with Bio Sculpture is..........apply your gel very very very thin on a reballance, that way the gel does not get too thick. I rarely soak off.

In Australia, i charge $20 for a soak off on its own............$15 with another service................$50 for french overlay.................$40 for a regular client who is having a fresh overlay (usually when a client has come for her infill and she has picked them all off. Only charge her full overlay price if she picks them off constantly)

When buffing bio s.....kinda drag your file through it......kinda scrape the gel off with it. Slower, firmer movements. Always use a sharp file!! It can be very trickey to file. On a french reballance, thin the free edge and sides, remove the shine from the rest of the gel and very thinly, paint on the white and then the clear.

HHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMM.............regarding you finding your new white thiner, i know what you mean!!!!!!! I think what happens is...you have a jar of white gel, it slowly becomes thicker and then you get a new fresh jar and its thinner!!! What i do is.............use the one jar of white gel....and add only a little amount of the new white gel to my current jar, so im regularly topping up my current jar.

Bio sculpture is an excellent product for some clients. Its the closest thing to a natural nail coating i have found yet!!

 

[~bec~]

Im curious and dont want to offend as I dont use Bio sculpture (just tested it a couple of times) But why do you have to soak it off?

This seems just a waste of time! Why cant you backfill?

I have had gel clients for years who have never had their nails soaked off.

Each new client that walks through my door is worth 600.00 to me. That's one full set and a year of backfill and infills.

If the product is good enough you should easily be able to manage without soaking off. And if your really, really , really have to then certainly, absolutely you should charge.
It's all in your time. So charge your client your normal hourly rate.

Bio s usually soaks off VERY easily and the soak off process on an infill can be just as quick as what buffing all the nails for a reballance is.

 

[martinbambrough]

First of all you need to be charging for whatever you do!
did you ever go into marks and spencer and them say oh have this jumper it is free
your totaly under selling yourself by not charging for your work.
If you include a free soak off wiht a full set and it workes to your advantage then that is fine as it is sometimes a lot easier to start from scratch then back fill.

what I don't understand with your pricing is if it's the same for a full set as a rebalance if I was paying client I would expect a fresh new full set everytime that is where you need to create the diferentiation.
by soaking off and doing full sets you use more product you should encourage rebalances as they are quicker and easier should be done in 45 mins and charged accordingly.

the best guide is to charge for your time if you do a set of overlays and they take 60 mins and you do infils with repairs and broken nails and it takes you 60 mins then charge the same but a person who lokes after their nails and is an easy infill takes 30 mins should be rewarded against the nail biter who is a nightmare and takes 1hr and 15.

On a final note unless you are charging high prices charge for your additions , repairs, backfills ( different to infills no white) colour change, 2wk fills 3wk fills 4wk fills/ repairs and soak off nothing in life is for free! you never phone bio and them say oh you can have a free 10ml of clear you need to charge for it.

 

[Zammo]

I know you're right I really need to get my act together with the pricing. I will certainly change my prices ASAP.

Thanks for all your help.

Danielle

First of all you need to be charging for whatever you do!
did you ever go into marks and spencer and them say oh have this jumper it is free
your totaly under selling yourself by not charging for your work.
If you include a free soak off wiht a full set and it workes to your advantage then that is fine as it is sometimes a lot easier to start from scratch then back fill.

what I don't understand with your pricing is if it's the same for a full set as a rebalance if I was paying client I would expect a fresh new full set everytime that is where you need to create the diferentiation.
by soaking off and doing full sets you use more product you should encourage rebalances as they are quicker and easier should be done in 45 mins and charged accordingly.

the best guide is to charge for your time if you do a set of overlays and they take 60 mins and you do infils with repairs and broken nails and it takes you 60 mins then charge the same but a person who lokes after their nails and is an easy infill takes 30 mins should be rewarded against the nail biter who is a nightmare and takes 1hr and 15.

On a final note unless you are charging high prices charge for your additions , repairs, backfills ( different to infills no white) colour change, 2wk fills 3wk fills 4wk fills/ repairs and soak off nothing in life is for free! you never phone bio and them say oh you can have a free 10ml of clear you need to charge for it.

 

[Little Angel]

Hi

Thats some great advice there Martin. Great to have you on the board. I so totally agree, what you do you should charge for.

The products themselves arnt cheap so you really need to price accordingly. Most of our clients have colour at the moment so want them soaked off everytime as they like a different colour. Its no problem to us we just have them in 15 mins earlier and set them soaking while we carry on with our other clients. Their nails are fab underneath and as the gel is thin it soaks of really quickly. TBH as has been already said it can take longer to buff down than it does to remove and start again. (i am only referring to biosculpture)