How long should a full set take

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handsum

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I have not long started doing a gel nail college course. I have done quite a few sets of nails but my average time just now is about 3 hours.
I dont stop the whole way through, i go as fast as i can , but theres nothing i could cut back on to save time. How is it possible for people to do these nails in 1 and a half hours.
The nails i do always look nice when im finished but by that time im quite flustered because of the time my client has had to sit.
 
Hiya i dont think there is a set time for doing nails, As long as your doing nice nails, I wouldnt worry too much about the time taken. The more sets you do the time will get better. Remember its the quality of the nails you do not the quantity.
 
i think we have all been there and done that. RELAX!!!! i think it used to take me four hours to produce concrete lumps!!! There is no time limit, ok so clients may get a numb bum but they are pretty understanding when it comes to newbies!!! relax take your time and every thing will all slot in to place!! I think the more relaxed you are (not in a rush) helps to create a much better set, take your time with the prep and application which saves alot of work at the end (little filing)
i believe the saying is sculpt with your brush not a file!!
It all takes time , i'm still far from perfect!
Tickety Boo!!!
 
Hi There,
I agree with the other messages . When I first started I too took 3 hours for a full set but after doing nails for 7 years I now take 1 1/2 hrs .

The more sets you do the quicker you will become as you become more confident in each stage. Don't scrimp on quality for the sake of time . This WILL come naturally the more nails you do .Yours customers will be happier with a good set that takes longer as opposed to a bad set done quickly!!!!
Good luck with your course and remember PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE.

Karen
Light Elegance UK
 
I am also quite new to doing nails. I use the L&P system and it took me FIVE hours when i first started!! I use to just do one hand on a friend of mine then she use to come back the following day to do the other, that way you don't feel so pressured and against time.

I know not everyone will do that but i've only been doing professionally for about six months and already i've got my time down to about 2 1/2 hours. I do find though with my regular customers that they love a chat so you end up taking abit longer in the end.

Don't look at your watch or clock on the wall, just get on with it, relax and your client will be happier when their nails look great regardless of the time it took. As someone else said on here, QUALITY not QUANTITY.:D
 
handsum said:
I have not long started doing a gel nail college course. I have done quite a few sets of nails but my average time just now is about 3 hours.
I dont stop the whole way through, i go as fast as i can , but theres nothing i could cut back on to save time. How is it possible for people to do these nails in 1 and a half hours.
The nails i do always look nice when im finished but by that time im quite flustered because of the time my client has had to sit.

You may not think you are doing things that are stealing your time but believe me you will be!! :D You may think you are working every minute, but you will be doing thngs that beginners do that are not necessary to do later on as your skill level grows.

For instance: Common things beginners do that are not BAD things to do but that you won't be doing later on:

The biggest time stealer for beginners is constant checking!! Putting down your buffer, picking up something to dust the nail off, and checking how far you have gone with: tip blending/finishing to shape/finishing to shine etc. Putting down one abrasive and picking up another etc.

Another is not working in a perfect rota i.e. not working as efficiently as it is possible to work.

Another is dong your work with abrasives in stead of creating the perfect nail with your brush.

Trust me you will fall into one or all of these categories because you are a beginner!! :D As your skill level improves, you will KNOW how you do all these things and you will not have to check every 2 seconds if you have gone far enough etc. Don't 'push the river'!! Do a good job and improvement in time will follow.
 
geeg said:
Don't 'push the river'!! Do a good job and improvement in time will follow.
This is oooooh so true! Unfortunately its one of those things that you don't realise until you are at the stage where you are improving. You suddenly realise that as something clicks into place you're nails improve but then something else pops up to frustrate you.... it does take a long time and gallons of patience. Now I'm the most impatient person on the planet so it is frustrating but at the end of the day rushing will not work. I've talked to a few nail techs and it takes possibly years to get to the standard and time we all desire. Now thats not to depress you lol but to give encouragement to the fact that even the most talented had to work hard to get where they are now...

So all in all patience, practice, patience and more practice and one day it does start clicking into place.....
 
I find reading all these quite encouraging! I only recently qualified and am still using friends as guinea pigs coz i dont have the confidence to do L&P on clients. I'm terrified that they will be unhappy with any lifting and if i cant tell them why a nail lifts and others dont they'll go somewhere else :sad:

Do you think i should just go for it coz i'm not getting enough practice this way and i think my confidence is getting worse!

Caz xx
 
Carole Lindsay said:
I find reading all these quite encouraging! I only recently qualified and am still using friends as guinea pigs coz i dont have the confidence to do L&P on clients. I'm terrified that they will be unhappy with any lifting and if i cant tell them why a nail lifts and others dont they'll go somewhere else :sad:

Do you think i should just go for it coz i'm not getting enough practice this way and i think my confidence is getting worse!

Caz xx

We are all different ... I am one who likes to jump in with both feet into the 'deep end'.

You are going to have to take a few knocks, that is part of learning and gaining experience ... it is impossible to practice ... become pefect ... and then start working.

What is perfect anyway?? Most of us are striving for 'perfect' after years of practicing our art. All of us have the odd problem client. The key word here is 'odd'. As long as it is not most of your clients.

I have taught hundreds of very sucessful nail technicians ... the ones who did the best the fastest, were theones who jumped into the deep end and got going. You will win a few and loose a few. Just DO IT. No Fear!!
 
This is an interesting thread as in my current assigment at college we have to write a paper on the three systems and their pros and cons - which i am enjoying very much but under each system discuss the length of time it takes for each one.

Now I think this is a crazy question because it depends on the indvidual and not the system ......I am too minds to put this as my answer under each system, but I am sure this is not the answer the are looking ...as they have asked this i assume they have some kind of quantifiable timing for each one?
 
Fab Freak said:
This is an interesting thread as in my current assigment at college we have to write a paper on the three systems and their pros and cons - which i am enjoying very much but under each system discuss the length of time it takes for each one.

Now I think this is a crazy question because it depends on the indvidual and not the system ......I am too minds to put this as my answer under each system, but I am sure this is not the answer the are looking ...as they have asked this i assume they have some kind of quantifiable timing for each one?

Well it has been my experience that when one is experienced at all 3 systems, there is very little time difference if any between them. I could not give you the answer myself as they all take me 1.5 hours to complete a full set plus enamel. I wonder what they are looking for??

The industry standard is 1.5 hours for a full set and 1 hour for a standard problem free rebalance. And I don't think they differentiate between systems.
 
geeg said:
Well it has been my experience that when one is experienced at all 3 systems, there is very little time difference if any between them. I could not give you the answer myself as they all take me 1.5 hours to complete a full set plus enamel. I wonder what they are looking for??

The industry standard is 1.5 hours for a full set and 1 hour for a standard problem free rebalance. And I don't think they differentiate between systems.
Thanks for your thoughts - I have to hand this on Monday and will be asking my tutor the purpose of this question and what they hoped to learn from our answer...
 
Carole Lindsay said:
I find reading all these quite encouraging! I only recently qualified and am still using friends as guinea pigs coz i dont have the confidence to do L&P on clients. I'm terrified that they will be unhappy with any lifting and if i cant tell them why a nail lifts and others dont they'll go somewhere else :sad:

Do you think i should just go for it coz i'm not getting enough practice this way and i think my confidence is getting worse!

Caz xx
I am nearly at the end of my collage course and i also feel i need more pratice, so i spent today making leaflet advertising for models, stating that i am a student nearly qualified and what to build a portfolio. I will be charging but at a reduced rate.
I hope this will give me the practice i need and because my client won't be paying full price hopefully they won't be so unkind if thing take to long or any lifting occours.

sue
Elegant touch(i hope one day)
 
geeg said:
Well it has been my experience that when one is experienced at all 3 systems, there is very little time difference if any between them. I could not give you the answer myself as they all take me 1.5 hours to complete a full set plus enamel. I wonder what they are looking for??

The industry standard is 1.5 hours for a full set and 1 hour for a standard problem free rebalance. And I don't think they differentiate between systems.
hi geeg , i'm o.k on my timing for a full set, but i'd like to reduce my rebalance time because i often find they take me longer than a full set.most come back with minimal lifting,so i dont think remedial work is holding me back. my problem seems to be that i apply too much product and the have to file it off again[this only seems to happen on a forever french rebalance]
 
you and me both!!! at least it makes me feel better knowing it's not only me,i'd rather do a full set sometimes x
 
I'm also a beginner and whilst my training with gel starts tonight (If my educator isn't sick :eek: ) My times on l & p are about 3 hours for a full set.

I am now concentrating on absolutely perfecting what I do - Not relying on the brush and lowering my times.

I know I will get quicker at this but I am not going to substitute good nails for fast nails.

Good luck to you

Jadey :)
 
angel fingers said:
hi geeg , i'm o.k on my timing for a full set, but i'd like to reduce my rebalance time because i often find they take me longer than a full set.most come back with minimal lifting,so i dont think remedial work is holding me back. my problem seems to be that i apply too much product and the have to file it off again[this only seems to happen on a forever french rebalance]

I have covered this a few times before but ... after preparation and thinnning out ....

you have to use a smaller slightly drier white bead and ONLY place it where the regrowth area is .... the rest of the tip is already white right ... then just feather the bead into the rest of the white area. You work THIN with your other zones to pull everything together. Then minimal filing to finish.

If the clients are returning to you with minimal problems (well done!) then a French RB should be a doddle to do.
 
geeg said:
I have covered this a few times before but ... after preparation and thinnning out ....

you have to use a smaller slightly drier white bead and ONLY place it where the regrowth area is .... the rest of the tip is already white right ... then just feather the bead into the rest of the white area. You work THIN with your other zones to pull everything together. Then minimal filing to finish.

If the clients are returning to you with minimal problems (well done!) then a French RB should be a doddle to do.
ah ha ! the penny has dropped, i'm covering the whole tip. that makes total sense, the white only needs to grow a bit higher doesnt it . i'll bear this in mind next time. thankyou. :)
 
angel fingers said:
ah ha ! the penny has dropped, i'm covering the whole tip. that makes total sense, the white only needs to grow a bit higher doesnt it . i'll bear this in mind next time. thankyou. :)

Love it when that penny drops!!!! :lol:

Exactly!! There is no need to cover the whole tip ... nightmare of thickness and so much more work.

The crisp look of the white never deteriorates with Creative powders and liquids so all you have to do is to replace the regrowth area!! Voila!
 
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