Nail extensions lift/won't last! Please help, feel like a rubbish beautician!

[Nat<3]

Hi girls,
Long story short (if i can haha) I have been a beauty therapist and nail tech for almost 3 years now, i run my own business within a hair salon, and im currently feeling pretty low with my confidence when it comes to me as a nail technician!
At college i feel they didnt give us the best training they could with our nail extensions, was almost a rushed unit to be honest, i offer Gel and acrylic nail extensions for £22.50, infills £16. I use ASP products for both of these, and i have no idea why but some clients i have for nails, txt me or come back with missing tips, or lifting literally days after they were applied, and then i have some who are fantastic and last for up to 3 weeks and literally need infilling due to regrowth.
this is becoming a big problem for me, as i feel im having a few clients that are not returning to me simply beacause they wont last!!

I always push their cuticles back, i hand file all over their natural nail before application, i use a dehydrator and primer, and buff over tips to take shine away before applying product.
With my gel, i try many differnt things, such as the figure of 8 with my brush whilst applying gel, circluar motion, (these have been tips nail techs have given me before) I cure each nail separetly to avoid gel from dripping and some are fantastic weeks after and then some i have are returning 3 days later with gel lifting round edges, or chipped off the tip!

and with my acrylic... i tried all differnt beads, wet ones, semi wet, dryer ones, none seem to make huge difference. I really dont kmow where to turn anymore, its embarressing i dont get what im doing wrong, its confusing as some of my loyal clients return every 2-3 weeks and nails are fab, do u think my choice of products wont help? are they too cheap or not good?
please suggest some tips on products u use and the mthods u feel i miss out on or do wrong! Sorry for such an essay!! Just with xmas coming i have so many booked in and need sort this!! xxx

 

[Nat<3]

Please help me, so many people read this but dont reply xx

 

[Crystal colleen]

You need to do more than just push the cuticles back have a look on you tube finger nail fixer the one for cuticles Hun xx

 

[lucyboo]

heres the link to the fab tutorial from fingernail fixer x

Removing Cuticle....the real cuticle - YouTube

 

[Lola_Spa]

Hi hun! Sorry your having a hard time

First steps obviously Prep!!! It's so important, the only reason you get lifting Is due to improper prep or product in contact with the skin. (or a client with really really oily nails but I only Have two of these types in about 100 nail clients)

You MUST get your mix ratio correct - this could be part of it? You say your using wet/semi/dry beads, maybe they are too wet or dry?

And also, your 3 zones are important as this is what builds a correct balance in an enhancement.

Also....alot of poorly trained techs done realise that you should use a too higher grit on freshly cured product, as it causes micro cracking - which results in cracks/tips snapping off in a few days/week or so. This could actually be one of your problems Without you even realising.

I would go onto you tube and watch a few videos on zones,prepping ect... Just so you can check your doing it all ok.

I'm also a firm believer that product wise, you do get what you pay for so I'd maybe suggest doing a conversion course to a better product?

Let me know how you get on xxx

 

[Nat<3]

Hi hun! Sorry your having a hard time

First steps obviously Prep!!! It's so important, the only reason you get lifting Is due to improper prep or product in contact with the skin. (or a client with really really oily nails but I only Have two of these types in about 100 nail clients)

You MUST get your mix ratio correct - this could be part of it? You say your using wet/semi/dry beads, maybe they are too wet or dry?

And also, your 3 zones are important as this is what builds a correct balance in an enhancement.

Also....alot of poorly trained techs done realise that you should use a too higher grit on freshly cured product, as it causes micro cracking - which results in cracks/tips snapping off in a few days/week or so. This could actually be one of your problems Without you even realising.

I would go onto you tube and watch a few videos on zones,prepping ect... Just so you can check your doing it all ok.

I'm also a firm believer that product wise, you do get what you pay for so I'd maybe suggest doing a conversion course to a better product?

Let me know how you get on xxx

Thanks hunnie, i will take a look on you tube now, and when u say that 'you should use a too higher grit' do u mean you shouldnt? i always buff over with a fairly soft gritted buffer, any suggestions on which nail products to try? what do you use? thanks ever so much for your help! xxx

 

[Lola_Spa]

No!! Lol! Shouldn't* shouldn't* darn phone! Xx

 

[Lola_Spa]

I use CND and have done for about 7/8 years. Never tried anything else because IMO it really is excellent quality and they are also a really helpful company xx

 

[Nat<3]

Thanks hunnie and where do u get it from, online? for exaple if i was to switch to this approx how much would u say it would cost to start the system up with which main products would u need? and how do i go about a conversion course? xx

 

[Nat<3]

I use CND and have done for about 7/8 years. Never tried anything else because IMO it really is excellent quality and they are also a really helpful company xx

Ps you know your a muppet when u google CDN and click on the link saying 'Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament' haha i have now found the correct site and wil have a browse, Thanks again for your advice, got myself in a pickle over all this lately, its soul destrying when u feel like u are useless at somethin, i have so much pride in everythin i do n im such a perfectionist and this is a nightmare for me xx

 

[CK Beauty]

I agree with the prep, if you use a metal cuticle pusher then you can remove what you couldn't even see was there from the nail plate. I use Nsi products which are great. You can go on their website and look at their tutorials on how to use their products. It's called Nail Angels and features Gemma Lambert, a top nail tech. I found these a massive help.

 

[Lola_Spa]

Haha I'm always doing things like that. Doh!

Well they have recently revamped their training courses, so not too sure now as it used to just be a 1 day conversion. But your best bet is to call them (google sweet squared as that's the uk distributor)

The girls on the phones are all in the know about courses ect.....

as far as pricing goes that's your call, wether you buy a little or a lot. But trust me - if you actually go into the sweet shop, you will spend ALOT!! Lovely stuff in there ££££!!! Xxx

 

[kirsty14]

I use entity it's also a fab product and can be bought from the beauty partnership, I do believe that you get what you pay for as Lola said! if you have a local training companying beside you, contact them and ask if you could possibly come in and have a 1-1 with them x

 

[sammi010]

Agree that just pushing back the cuticle is not enough. The fingernail fixer video is great.

I have never used the product you are currently using so can't comment on the quality of it, but a lot of manufacturers offers sample kits, I know NSI do and I am sure CND via sweet squared do. If you order one of each it saves you having to fork out for a whole new system.

Talk to your regular clients that are having problems and say you are looking at changing product to prevent the issues they are having and ask if they are happy for you to trial the new system on them.

Some clients will always be harder on their nails than others, so the fact you have some coming back with no issues means you are dong something right. some people don't suit l&p but get on better with gel and vice versa. Some don't do any aftercare - do you give them aftercare instructions?

Ps you know your a muppet when u google CDN and click on the link saying 'Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament' haha i have now found the correct site and wil have a browse,

I once googled 'megaman' a manufacturer of a particular light bulb I needed, I did not get a site that specialised in electricals!

 

[MissLB]

get rid of the ASP! its awful stuff i had the same problem and it knocked my confidence just as i was starting training, i have completely been shown the light since using Harmony fusion acrylics, invest in better quality products and go for conversion there are so many better brands out there, just search but i couldnt imagine working with anything other then harmony now!! x

 

[Nat<3]

Thankyou ever so much ladies, i will get onto it tomorrow an try order some sample kits, and try them out really not happy with ASP, and it has def knocked my confidence, but i will keep watchin these videos, and be extra careful with my prep and see how it goes!! xxxx

 

[kerriequinton01]

am having this problem atm with ASP!. i have clients that last2/3 weeks and some that ast 2 days iv got someone coming back in tomorow that i did monday and all of her nails have fell of. i really get down when it comes down to prep, i do my best and do it probley. i take things very personaly and am feeling very down atm. i want to use gelish for enhancements but everyones saying you cant. i use it for polish and want to use it for tips aswell...any advice? wpuld like to use one brand product for everythnink rather then a mixture.
thanks

 

[waffle4]

I once googled 'megaman' a manufacturer of a particular light bulb I needed, I did not get a site that specialised in electricals!

Sorry, this is no help to the OP but I'm lying in bed recovering from bad asthma and this has just made me LOL!!!! Xxx

 

[Bo]

am having this problem atm with ASP!. i have clients that last2/3 weeks and some that ast 2 days iv got someone coming back in tomorow that i did monday and all of her nails have fell of. i really get down when it comes down to prep, i do my best and do it probley. i take things very personaly and am feeling very down atm. i want to use gelish for enhancements but everyones saying you cant. i use it for polish and want to use it for tips aswell...any advice? wpuld like to use one brand product for everythnink rather then a mixture.
thanks

Gelish gel polish and Gelish structure do not build enhancements. Gelish hard gel will.

 

[waffle4]

am having this problem atm with ASP!. i have clients that last2/3 weeks and some that ast 2 days iv got someone coming back in tomorow that i did monday and all of her nails have fell of. i really get down when it comes down to prep, i do my best and do it probley. i take things very personaly and am feeling very down atm. i want to use gelish for enhancements but everyones saying you cant. i use it for polish and want to use it for tips aswell...any advice? wpuld like to use one brand product for everythnink rather then a mixture.
thanks

I think the main problem is that ASP gel is a lower brand gel like for example the equivalent of Lidl whereas Cnd Brisa is like waitrose (not that there's anything wrong with those shops!)

I think to get higher end treatments you need to use higher end products with great training.

You can use Gelish over extensions but not on its own just straight over tips etc. have you looked into Gelish hard gel? I don't personally use it but I've heard some very good things about it. Why not give harmony a ring? Xx