How different is Shellac & Gelish?

[louisenewell]

The technician has made a wrong choice and applied on crappy nails that need something stronger

No longer relevant as an excuse for shellac not lasting....as all you need for a client wanting shellac but presenting you with crap nails is....BRISA SMOOTHING GEL...Roll on January, poor old Anna Lee is gonna be bored to tears with me

 

[gems-gem's]

They are very different. Think the reason many people will say gelish has more reliable staying power is simply because as the top it off is less permeable than shellac top coat and for that reason will take just that little bit more "abuse" by clients. I know I've seen both last equally well but I have also had countless clients who expect everything to last with little care and gelish Does perform better on that score. But who wants clients who show little care for their own nails??? I use gelish as a relatively new technician I had better results with it than shellac myself but it can be a total PIG to remove!!! And it does cause the nails to become brittle in time- which was a big negative to me on my training day. If was starting again now I would go for shellac without a doubt as I really dislike the knowledge my product can cause these problems for my clients. I may even do It if it goes to led cure because my 18g lamp is without a doubt-amazing!

 

[Sam81]

I have been wearing Gelish for nearly 3 years almost non stop and my nails are in the same if not better condition as when I started. There's no reason if proper care is taken during application and removal and aftercare is followed why anyone should have any problems with brittleness or any other damage.

 

[lelu]

I have been wearing Gelish for nearly 3 years almost non stop and my nails are in the same if not better condition as when I started. There's no reason if proper care is taken during application and removal and aftercare is followed why anyone should have any problems with brittleness or any other damage.

I agree. I've seen loads of clients' nails improve after wearing gelish. Mine too. I think it's pretty much agreed now that no pre-buffing is required.

 

[geeg]

Many have seen their nail condition improve when wearing any kind of protection on their nails, so seeing nail improvement is not exclusive to gelis or Shellac. Many people have seen their nails improve when wearing liquid and powder enhancements too.

People have seen their nails deteriorate when using all these products too ... And the deterioration or the improvement is not down to the product but down to the conscientiousness of the person who used it and removes it.

My advice is to get the best education with the product you choose and that includes learning how to prep thoroughly with no natural nail buffing. At CND that is how you are taught from the start and no buffing is not optional, it is mandatory and taught on CND classes. In fact if it weren't for CND taking a stance on no nail buffing, everyone would still be happily doing it, and most are. Buffing of the nail is taught as part of protocol on 99% of gel classes.

 

[gems-gem's]

With regard the above comment- I was actually told on my gelish course with my harmony educator that the foundation may cause these problems due to the way it bonds with the natural nail. I have the utmost care for my clients nails and have not had this problem to date myself, I was simply giving the original op my opinion. The reason I didn't go with Cnd is this exact sort of comment!!! The shine is removed with gelish- big deal- it is with lots of nail products including I'm sure cnd's at some point and possibly still for brisa.

 

[geeg]

With regard the above comment- I was actually told on my gelish course with my harmony educator that the foundation may cause these problems due to the way it bonds with the natural nail. I have the utmost care for my clients nails and have not had this problem to date myself, I was simply giving the original op my opinion. The reason I didn't go with Cnd is this exact sort of comment!!! The shine is removed with gelish- big deal- it is with lots of nail products including I'm sure CND's at some point and possibly still for brisa.

So sorry you find my comment offensive and I really don't see why you should ... the fact is that CND take the stance of nurturing the natural nail as a first priority ... buffing may not be a 'big deal' to you, but ladies with nice natural nails do not want them buffed every few weeks and Shellac caters to just that sort of person. Ladies with natural nails is exactly the category for whom Shellac was created. Would you not agree yourself that it is better for nails not to buff them on a regular basis??

Ex- enhancement clients don't care particularly about their nails being buffed but natural nail ladies definitely do care that their nails are not buffed .. even lightly .. so it is wonderful to have a product that does not need to prepare the natural nails in this way.

Whether you like the comment or not .. it is absolutely true that Shellac is the first patented product of its type to be created that required no nail buffing and it is an important USP and we take great pride in using . Others did not jump on that band wagon until they felt they had to for marketing purposes ... I'm glad one or two have ... anything that improves the health of the nails while wearing it is a good thing for the whole industry, would not everyone agree with that?

 

[gems-gem's]

I agree this is a massive plus for shellac wearers. And as I say I actually would choose shellac if I was the op.

Perhaps you could refrain from making sweeping statements about others conscientiousness when engaging in these discussions. Harmony themselves told me this effect may be experienced and I was simply adding that to the discussion for the op, as it was not something I was aware of until my training- which would be too late for anyone making a decision.

I remove the shine for a gelish application If I feel it necessary, and I do for my hard gel and acrylic clients also of course. All my clients are surprised how great the condition of their nails are after removals so To the op, I wouldn't worry so much about this aspect of gelish as much as some people will say it is a problem or that they don't do it. You can manage this correctly with ease.

 

[lhannah]

We offer gelish and opi as you may find some clients still just want an ordinary polish we can match colours pretty well between the 2 ranges if someone wants gelish on fingers but ordinary polish on toes.
On gelish training I was told it contained more gel than shellac so hence makes it stronger but never done training or worked with shellac so can't comment, but what I would say is they are not the same if someone asked for shellac you wouldn't put gelish on without explaining the difference!!! trading standards i'm quite sure.x

 

[bluesmith5]

My pet peeve is people saying Shellac doesn't have the same staying power as gel. That is complete nonsense. It most certainly has got the same staying power of any gel on the market. You've only to look at posts on all the different websites of people complaining that their choice of gel doesn't last, including Gelish which is not noticeably different to any other gel. I wouldn't say Shellac lasts better than gel on equal types of nails but I would definitely say it lasts in a completey similar manner (which in fact, to be fair and truthful, I did say in my first post) and which I have always said.

There are only a few reasons why a UV polish would not last.
The technician has used the wrong lamp to try and cure it
The technician has made a wrong choice and applied on crappy nails that need something stronger
The technician doesn't know how to polish very well and has little experience
The technician has not used the whole system as recommended

True, true... but also...the wild card is always with the client. Some clients do better with Gelish than Shellac, others it's opposite. We are responsible for following manufacturer's instructions in application of their/our chosen product, but they are ultimately responsible for aftercare in making it last.

That being said, I like Gelish because of the colors and am able to remove it pretty quickly. It's a faster system with help from an LED lamp. Shellac can be tricky at times and I find using a UV lamp annoying. That's just a personal preference.

 

[sarahpoppy24]

I get fed up of clients asking if this or that damage the nails, when they won't oil! I had one girl try and give me my sample of oil back, as she said she wouldn't use it. I told her point blank that if she doesn't use it and look after her nails then the removal and reapplication of her shellac or gelish will cause her nails to become dehydrated. Simple as that. After care is 100% on the client. If we are all doing our job properly, then the nail condition will be fine. I am confident in my work as I've trained in all the products I work with, I use them in myself all the time. My nails are in good condition. It's on the client if they decide to not oil, pick off, leave it too long between appointments. Grrrrr!!! Xxx

 

[BarbaraC]

I have to say I don't use Shellac, I stick to OPI and now starting to get Essie for my gel clients. I find that many clients have gone to NSS for so-called Shellac and not only been disappointed but have had to endure weeks/months of poorly nails until they have recovered. Shellac has lost out 'by association' if you like...

I am not saying its a bad product (I've had it done myself so I know its good) BUT I'd rather stick to products without the fallout attached :sad:

 

[elmojo]

It's a tough call, but only you can decide on which products to use.

I started off with Shellac as I have a CND lamp for use with Brisa hard gel (Which you also HAVE to use for Shellac). I personally didn't get on with Shellac but I had no real complaints from my clients. I then bought Gelish colours to go alongside the Shellac and found them much easier to work with - and again no complaints from my clients. I still use Shellac if a clients wants a particular colour, but on the whole I converted because it suits me better. My clients aren't bothered which brand they have, they know that I will care for their nails and they know their nails will last. More recently I have bought the 18g LED lamp from Gelish and it is amazing, and I've been taught how to apply their foundation thin enough for it to compare to Shellac in removal times.

Of course you don't have to choose - if you have the CND UV lamp you can use both and get the best of both worlds

 

[geeg]

I have to say I don't use Shellac, I stick to OPI and now starting to get Essie for my gel clients. I find that many clients have gone to NSS for so-called Shellac and not only been disappointed but have had to endure weeks/months of poorly nails until they have recovered. Shellac has lost out 'by association' if you like...

I am not saying its a bad product (I've had it done myself so I know its good) BUT I'd rather stick to products without the fallout attached :sad:

You just couldn't be more wrong if you had tried to be!!
Genuine CND Shellac has not suffered one iota, because it has never been associated with fake copies, which by the way have also been made of the other more popular brands by the same people. Blue sky has suffered much more and it has cost them a bundle too.

 

[bluesmith5]

I use Gelish and have never had trouble like this with removal. I never buff before application or removal and it soaks off completely within 10-15 minutes. I have removed Shellac from other techs too and it is quicker yes but no difference in difficulty in my opinion. The only time I've ever had a problem is with a client whose previous tech openly admitted to getting her products from unauthorised distributors. It took an hour, was rubbery and stubborn and took careful buffing to get off. Obviously not the real deal.

I use Gelish now. I am certified in Gelish gel polish, hard gel, and acrylic. I am also certified in Shellac and OPI Gel Polish. There is definitely a difference among them all. I never, ever feel that Gelish gel polish takes too much effort to remove. The only time I notice it being difficult is when the room is cold, or my client's hands are cold. So, I wrap them in a hot towel. Within just a few minutes... 3-5 minutes... the gel pulls away from the nails, the same way Shellac does. I don't have to do any extra rough scraping or filing or buffing to get it off. So, maybe that will help you guys that seem to be having a rough time of removal. Use heat. Plus, even OPI sells plastic mitts to put clients' hands in while soaking off OPI Gel Polish, to use their own body heat to help speed up removal. Just FYI.

 

[bluesmith5]

I get fed up of clients asking if this or that damage the nails, when they won't oil! I had one girl try and give me my sample of oil back, as she said she wouldn't use it. I told her point blank that if she doesn't use it and look after her nails then the removal and reapplication of her shellac or gelish will cause her nails to become dehydrated. Simple as that. After care is 100% on the client. If we are all doing our job properly, then the nail condition will be fine. I am confident in my work as I've trained in all the products I work with, I use them in myself all the time. My nails are in good condition. It's on the client if they decide to not oil, pick off, leave it too long between appointments. Grrrrr!!! Xxx

I hear you! It puts me on edge when a client emails me a week after their appointment to tell me they are chipping. If you're not chipping within the first week, I did a good job. I know I do well, I am certified and follow the proper procedures. I know I cap the free edge and tell my clients how to care for their nails. Once I put it on and it stays on within the first week, now it's their job to keep it on. So, now I just email them tips on how to care for their nails. No free fixes anymore. I offer a fix for the price of a Polish Change. Usually they just email me back saying they will wait till their next appointment. How many clients are out there trying to get services for free? Do you go back to your dentist if you see your teeth getting stained and expect him to touch up your teeth whitening, for free, even though you're the one drinking a pot of coffee every day? No! So don't expect your nail tech to fix your nails when you know good and well you bite them, use them to open things, use them to scrape price tags off stuff, stick them in dirty dishwater, dig in the dirt, pick your nose (eww), etc.!!!!! Ok, thank you for letting me vent! :o