Hi, any experienced Nail Tech's? Advice please

[barbiegirl]

Hi
Wow, firstly I am SOOOOO excited I found this site. Its fab.
I am a newly trained/qualified Nail Tech. A real baby in the industry but enjoying it.

Any experienced Nail Tech's please please could you answer some queries I have. I have been taught to NVQ standards by my teacher, however I have been hearing and also reading from Nail Tech's on websites who have been doing nails for some time other techniques, which to be honest are better for me and which would save me time and money. Here goes:-- Please tell me your thoughts.

1. UV Gel. After the 2nd coat of Gel is cured, my teacher has taught me to buff using 240 gril file, then buff with arctic sanding block, then use 3 different other types of finishing buffers, then Cuticle Oil. This I find pretty long winded
Okay...... I have read from experience Nail Tech's that if the Gel is applied correctly and evenly you should not have to buff or file AT ALL, after 2nd layer is cured. This retains the glossyness of the Gel and obviously saves a lot of files and time.
Please can you shed any light on this. Would not buffing and filing afterwards cause lift? It would make sense that leaving the Gel a little thicker and not filing and buffing would actually prevent lift?

2. Fibreglass and Silk applications. I have been taught to do the same filing and buffing routine after Fibreglass and Silk. Yet again I have read that you can just buff them, then Cuticle Oil? Help

3. What systems do you use. I have been trained in Star Nails and have bought products from Nouveau Nails also. I live in Turkey now so would need a company that ships to Turkey.

4. Any other tips you can give to a newbie would be great. Your thoughts on Gel versus Acrylic etc.


Lorraine

 

[ValencianNails]

1. UV Gel. After the 2nd coat of Gel is cured, my teacher has taught me to buff using 240 gril file, then buff with arctic sanding block, then use 3 different other types of finishing buffers, then Cuticle Oil. This I find pretty long winded
Okay...... I have read from experience Nail Tech's that if the Gel is applied correctly and evenly you should not have to buff or file AT ALL, after 2nd layer is cured. This retains the glossyness of the Gel and obviously saves a lot of files and time.
Please can you shed any light on this. Would not buffing and filing afterwards cause lift? It would make sense that leaving the Gel a little thicker and not filing and buffing would actually prevent lift?
I'm wondering why you need to use finishing buffers with gel? Usually (although this can differ with different brands) you would apply your gel, get to the stage where you refine the nail shape ready for your finishing gloss, you will need to finish the nails with a 180 grit abrasive to ensure that the finishing gloss (or top gloss) can adhere to the cured gel on the nail. Gel doesn't like a smooth surface, it adheres better to either cured gel with the inhibition layer, a covalent bond on the natural nail or an enhancement finished with a 180 grit (or similar).
You shouldn't get any lifting from buffing/refining the nails, lifting will occur if the product isn't adhered to the nail properly.

2. Fibreglass and Silk applications. I have been taught to do the same filing and buffing routine after Fibreglass and Silk. Yet again I have read that you can just buff them, then Cuticle Oil? Help
With fibreglass, when you're finishing/refining you go down through the grits, getting finer all the time, this is to ensure a glass-like finish to the nails and removes any little scratches you've made with your abrasives.

3. What systems do you use. I have been trained in Star Nails and have bought products from Nouveau Nails also. I live in Turkey now so would need a company that ships to Turkey.
I use Brisa Gel by Creative Nail Design and a few different fibreglass systems. Do you not have nail suppliers in Turkey?

4. Any other tips you can give to a newbie would be great. Your thoughts on Gel versus Acrylic etc.
The strength and longevity of both gel and L+P will depend on which end of the quality scale you're going to choose, obviously the higher the quality the better the results. Assuming you're using a top end quality product there isn't really much difference between the two regarding service breakdown etc, preparation and application is the key.

Welcome to the site and hope that bit of info helps a bit.

 

[barbiegirl]

Thanks for the advice. I was just pretty confused as to how many different finishing versions I have heard. I seem to be filing,buffing and finishing for ages sometimes and am obviously getting more and more confident with the Gel application each set I do. I just wondered if the Gel application was near enough perfect is there any need to file or buff at all?

Believe it or not, that is why I have done the training. Where I live in Turkey there is literally nobody who does nail extensions. Tourists come out there, break a nail or the locals want them done and there is nothing.

 

[ValencianNails]

I just wondered if the Gel application was near enough perfect is there any need to file or buff at all?

You should be aiming for a perfectly finished nail every time, 'near enough' will mean that you might have dips or high points on the nail which don't show up until you've buffed them to refine the finish.
I've only ever not refined the nails on a client once and even then the finish wasn't as I'd like it to be.

You're new to nails (from your profile) so what you must be concentrating on at the moment is a perfect nail, concentrate on your timings after you've got your application and finishing sorted out.
It all takes time and won't happen overnight.

How long does it take you to do a full set at the moment?

 

[barbiegirl]

Hi, thanks Sandi,

It takes me around 2 and a quarter hours to put a full set on and finish them. I have found though that at the very beginning I was so to speak 'frightened' to work the Gel. Now I am finding that you can push and play with it to get it into the right shape before curing. I have been taught to put the bead on, pull it over the free edge and use the brush like a spatcular to push the Gel to nearly the cuticle around around. Is that generally how everybody applies it?

I see you have been in the business for quite some time, what advice would you give to a newbie such as myself. I am really loving my new career at the moment, total contrast to what I have always done, office recruitment, its like a breath of fresh air.

Thanks
x

 

[ValencianNails]

It takes me around 2 and a quarter hours to put a full set on and finish them.
That's a really good time considering you've not been doing nails for very long.

I have found though that at the very beginning I was so to speak 'frightened' to work the Gel. Now I am finding that you can push and play with it to get it into the right shape before curing. I have been taught to put the bead on, pull it over the free edge and use the brush like a spatcular to push the Gel to nearly the cuticle around around. Is that generally how everybody applies it?
I apply my gel making sure I still have some gel on my brush, it's easier to move gel with gel than to move gel with a dry brush.
You might find it easier to 'float' your brush on top of your bead of gel to move it to the correct placement and remember to keep your brush handle upright in the air, it makes it easier to move apply and to move about.

I see you have been in the business for quite some time, what advice would you give to a newbie such as myself.
I've not been in the business as long as a lot of our members, but my one piece of advice would be to practice your heart out until you can see a definite improvement with your finished nails, making sure you're practicing with the right techniques.

Hope that helps a bit

 

[barbiegirl]

Hi
Thanks thats great.

I read a fab tutorial on Gel earlier and my teacher told me to hold my Gel brush flat all the time and use it like a spatculor! This has been causing the bead to squash a little too much. I read that if you place the bead in zone 2, then tip the brush upright then you can distribute the Gel to the free edge and towards the cuticle. Brilliant. This makes sense.

One question I do have is when the bead is in zone 2 and you have brushed a thin layer over zone 1, how best is it moved to zone 3 with brush upright. Pushing or brushing?

Thanks Sandi you've been a great help.

 

[ValencianNails]

One question I do have is when the bead is in zone 2 and you have brushed a thin layer over zone 1, how best is it moved to zone 3 with brush upright. Pushing or brushing?
Kind of neither lol... try to float your brush with the gel, don't apply too much pressure, remember you want to leave the majority of your gel in zone 2 for your apex, use a light movement and you should be able to do zone 1 and zone 3 in about three movements for each zone, let it settle then check it for high or low points before freeze curing in your lamp for 10 seconds, then move on to the next nail.
Don't worry if it takes 4 or 5 movements to get the gel where you want it to be, at this stage correct placement of the gel is more important than how long it takes you.
You can do 2 nails at a time if you feel more comfortable doing more than one nail at a time.

Thanks Sandi you've been a great help.

You're very welcome x