How to prevent gel polish from lifting by cuticle

[scherie88]

I have some clients whose gel polish starts to lift by the cuticle. One client was washing her hair, hair had got tangled in the lifted polish and when she brought her hand down the polish had torn off. Could this be happening bc of my application? Is there a way to prevent it? I use gelish or opi gel. Gelish foundation, structure gel and top coat. I would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[NZNailz]

Either application - ie; polish touching skin OR most likely, it's down to your prep. If dead cuticle is not thoroughly removed from the nail plate, your gel polish is not able to fully adhere to the natural nail. What are your prep steps?

 

[tuan]

Lifting could be due to alot of things.

Here are some examples of why they lift:
-bad prep technique
-bad application technique
-bad gel product
-bad curing light
-the way clients use their hands

But those are the least of your problems.
You should be worrying about protecting yourself from allergic reactions that will put you out of work.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Another possibility is if your gel application is a bit thick around the cuticle area, as the nail grows it can create a bit of a lip/ridge which might be what your clients are catching in their hair, which could then tear it away from the nail bed.

 

[Laura_elizabeth]

Wet nails are a big one for this, get clients to not touch water for a few hours before a gel appointment.
Can also be caused by flooding the cuticle when applying gel.
Mitigating strategies are: roughen the nail surface, apply methacrylic acid bonder

 

[NancySyd]

Also, make sure you have removed all trace of cuticle remover as well.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Wet nails are a big one for this, get clients to not touch water for a few hours before a gel appointment.
Can also be caused by flooding the cuticle when applying gel.
Mitigating strategies are: roughen the nail surface, apply methacrylic acid bonder

I have never had any problems with Lifting due to washing hands before their appointment. I always do so myself and a lot of my clients go to the loo before I start their nails so they don't need to interrupt the service so I definitely want them to wash their hands! As long as they dry their hands properly and you dehydrate the nail plate this should not cause any problems.

 

[scherie88]

Thank you everyone so much! I've been doing nails for almost 6 months now and I'm still learning and have a lot yet to learn. I dont think it's my prep, just because the only place the product lifts is near the cuticle area. I'm going to pay more attion to making sure I keep the product very thin around the cuticle and that I get no foundation or structure around the cuticle. I am very careful about the color not getting along the side walls and cuticle area, but not so much with the foundation or structure clear..that would make sense as to why the lifting. Thank you all for your answers and the help!

 

[Anna Ljungberg]

One of the best advices I got from my tutor was "prep, and then prep again". I.e once you've done your cuticle work, go back to the first nail and do it again to really make sure you get every little bit of skin cells off the nail plate.
To this day I still go do this, but normally nowadays I almost just check the nails on my second sweep.

The fact your product only lifts in the cuticle area really sounds like it could just be down to a simple prep issue.

 

[Laura_elizabeth]

I have never had any problems with Lifting due to washing hands before their appointment. I always do so myself and a lot of my clients go to the loo before I start their nails so they don't need to interrupt the service so I definitely want them to wash their hands! As long as they dry their hands properly and you dehydrate the nail plate this should not cause any problems.

Hand sanitizer or a good wipedown with isopropyl alcohol are just as good ways to get a client's hands clean and they don't waterlog the nails. I think it really depends on their natural nail thickness, shape and composition - some are fine having gel applied on just-washed hands. But for clients who really struggle with lifting, making sure nails have plenty of time to dry out is one more tactic to put in your toolbox.

If possible I love to book a wet manicure with cuticle work one day before, then see a client for a gel set/refill on the next day. Doesn't work with everyone's schedule but the clients who are able to book like this are super happy with their results.

 

[Dolly.Dimple]

I would agree with going over your cuticle work again. It can be easy to leave dead tissue on the nail plate. Make sure your really thorough and really scrub the nails clean with your cleanser.

 

[NancySyd]

I have never had any problems with Lifting due to washing hands before their appointment. I always do so myself and a lot of my clients go to the loo before I start their nails so they don't need to interrupt the service so I definitely want them to wash their hands! As long as they dry their hands properly and you dehydrate the nail plate this should not cause any problems.

I would agree with this. I think people often confuse soaking with washing. In the old days, a good 3-5 minute soak was an essential part of a manicure. That is no longer necessary and can easily compromise the manicure. But cleanliness is still a key factor in a good manicure, and washing and even a scrub under the nails is still the best way to accomplish this. Additionally, washing is the best way to completely remove cuticle remover that can compromise your manicure. The key is to just wash the hands not soak the nails. It takes a good 60 seconds of soaking before nails absorb a significant amount of water, so a 30-second wash and scrub and then dry should be fine for most people. Using a dehydrator prior to application can eliminate any small moisture left on the nail. There will always be clients whose nails are more porous so make the adjustment as necessary.