Newbie help & advice regarding clients

[DollyMollys]

Hi girlies,

I have been doing my own gels for years (about 5) & started with shellac & got the CND lamp. Now I'm more experienced I settled with gelish & I use that- with my CND lamp.

I passed my gel nails qualification in February (gellux) as I already new the prep techniques, had all the right equipment & just needed a qualification to allow me to practice. I was fully assessed and was complimented on my competency- compared to newbies.

I have a mobile gel nail business & its booming. However, some things are effecting my confidence and I'm wondering if you could help.

My technique to soak off is to buff the top coat, acetone and wrap in foil & use an orange stick to scrape the crinkles off.

After this, for nails & toes I buff the shine of the top layer of the nail bed. I use the blue prep liquid and rub this until squeaky onto each nail.
I used Gelish prep liquid, thin layer of base & cap, two thin layers of colour (capping) & I give two thin layers of top coat (capping). I advice ladies to keep their nails quite short & use structure gel thinly if they insist on keeping them longer or if they say they have weak nails.

Question 1:
So why do some ladies nails last for 2/3 weeks & others don't get as long?
Is there something I should say to clients before I do the nails so they understand it's a bit hit & miss with how long they last? You might catch your nail on a cheese grater & the next time you may not?
Is it even hit and miss? Or is it me?

I feel like some ladies expect too much sometimes & it's recently upsetting me.

I live in a quite snobby affluent area.
I charge £15 for nails & I'm mobile and offer appointments 6-9pm.
I try and explain to ladies that if your nails are longer, you're more likely to catch & chip.
I advise to wear gloves when washing up, cleaning, to use cuticle oil & this should prolong their service.
Am I just being sensitive?
I do my own nails & they never chip or lift after 2 weeks- but I keep mine super short.
I hate negative feedback- which is occasional.
Ladies have gone away on holiday & had perfect nails for 2 weeks. Some ladies say my nails are indestructible & others have chipped within a week?


Question 2:
Should I be advising ladies to have breaks every 3-4 services or so? Will this help their nails to stay healthy & stop chipping?

Question 3:
One lady contacted me and said she literally can't have acrylics or gels as they just peel off. Must have really oily nail plates?
She left her nails ages since her last service & I did her nails & she was so happy.
We did them again & they peeled within a few days. Is there any solution for this?

I hope in advance you can help me.

Danielle x

 

[DollyMollys]

Bit disappointed in the support being offered from everyone to be honest.
As a newbie looking for support, my confidence hasn't been boosted.

 

[BuffedBronze]

Same Hun I posted a question and no replies what so ever ! Seems a bit hit and miss on here or just help out the ones who post loads !

 

[Charlie87]

Hope you get some answers soon,I can't help with advice as I only qualified on Friday in acrylics only! Xx

 

[Makeupandbeauty]

To be fair, a lot of people have been on here for years and there is a wealth of knowledge and information and the same questions repeatedly asked. Have you used the search function at all? I tend to do that first and you can spend hours finding the answers to your questions xx

 

[DollyMollys]

I tried that but couldn't find much advice for me to give to clients on having breaks etc x

 

[mandy1985]

Hi Hun I use Gelish. I have some clients who have it every 2 weeks, some every 3 and some inbetween. Then the odd one where they only just make 2 weeks. It depends on what they do job wise, if they follow aftercare, if they oil them daily. When I am finishing at appointment ask them if they need to buy any cuticle oil or if they have some and advise they will last longer using this. I also let them know I expect 2 weeks out of them at least (assuming aftercare of followed) then that a lot also get 3 weeks.
I have clients who haven't had a break from them since they started, some up to 3 years every 3 weeks. Their nails are still in great condition, they look after them. I have a couple clients who no matter how much I nag at them about it, they pick me peel their Gelish off sometimes then wonder why their nails are messed up. In this case I've warned them if they have Gelish straight on after doing that they might not last as well as their nails are in a poor condition.

I use a layer of foundation over colour on every client I've had hardly any chips since doing this. Xx hope that helps Hun xx

 

[DollyMollys]

Thanks for the advice Mandy. I encourage my ladies with the cuticle oil too.

What do you mean you use foundation over the colour?
You do:
Foundation
Colour
Colour
Foundation
Top?? X

 

[JayM]

Following x

 

[DollyMollys]

Hi Hun I use Gelish. I have some clients who have it every 2 weeks, some every 3 and some inbetween. Then the odd one where they only just make 2 weeks. It depends on what they do job wise, if they follow aftercare, if they oil them daily. When I am finishing at appointment ask them if they need to buy any cuticle oil or if they have some and advise they will last longer using this. I also let them know I expect 2 weeks out of them at least (assuming aftercare of followed) then that a lot also get 3 weeks.
I have clients who haven't had a break from them since they started, some up to 3 years every 3 weeks. Their nails are still in great condition, they look after them. I have a couple clients who no matter how much I nag at them about it, they pick me peel their Gelish off sometimes then wonder why their nails are messed up. In this case I've warned them if they have Gelish straight on after doing that they might not last as well as their nails are in a poor condition.

I use a layer of foundation over colour on every client I've had hardly any chips since doing this. Xx hope that helps Hun xx

Thanks for the advice Mandy. I encourage my ladies with the cuticle oil too.

What do you mean you use foundation over the colour?
You do:
Foundation
Colour
Colour
Foundation
Top?? X

 

[Beauty by Roo]

Foundation over colour??? Never heard of anyone doing that before!!!

 

[cheeka]

INK's fortify can be used over the base coat, and again after colour coats... so I can sort of see the sense in it.

Edited - oops, just realised I got Structure and Foundation mixed up. How embarrassing!

 

[blossom]

How long your product lasts on their nails is directly related to two things
1) The strength and condition of their nails (strong nails hold product easily, weak and bendy nails are more likely to chip etc)
and
2) how they treat their nails and which chemicals they expose their nails to ie mr muscle, Cillit bang, bleach etc are killers and will cause service breakdown

 

[A.J]

Hey Dolly Molly's

I use cnd shellac, artistic colour gloss and madam glam.
When doing gel polish on clients the main thing to tell them is that their treatment MAY LAST UPTO 2-3 weeks, not they will, as you are not guaranteeing them. You do not know how they are going to look after their nails when they leave you! There are a lot of factors to take into account: type of job they do, are they on any medication, length of nails etc. Aftercare: wear rubber gloves when cleaning dishes etc as all products can cause lifting, no picking things as nails are not tools, no pulling gel off the nail plate make sure topcoat is filed to then soak in acetone for removal etc.
Believe me once you realise the reason for certain things happening to your clients nails you can say have you had these in you mouth jokingly or have you been on holiday using suncreams or do you use a keyboard in work (please can you use the pads of your fingers instead of the tips of your nails) etc.
If they follow your aftercare then they shouldn't need a break between nails unless there is an issue with their own nails. Occasionally the same person can have different issues especially when it's the time of the month and we are feeling delicate or unwell, maybe this time they couldn't be bothered using gloves when cleaning etc.

You are doing a good job so don't doubt yourself as you are doing the same sequence to all clients and some get longer than others. You can't please everyone so don't even try. £15 is also cheap if you mobile as you need your travel adding on. If they had a manicure with regular polish it wouldn't last 7 days at it would cost £15!
Ensure you cap the free edge and remove all cuticle, do not let the gel polish touch the cuticle or surrounding skin to avoid lifting, if some clients have oily nails use a dehydrator and a primer. If that doesn't work tell them they will only get a week out of them if thats how long they are lasting. Clients are all different.

I find it better to go through all the current listing than doing a search sometimes on here as people call the same treatments different things, God help us, lol.

Hope this helps! Xx

 

[Bronstar]

Which lamp are you using and which gel polish system?

This could be another problem with regard to wear as your lamp may not be fully curing your gel polish, leading to service breakdown

 

[DollyMollys]

Which lamp are you using and which gel polish system?

This could be another problem with regard to wear as your lamp may not be fully curing your gel polish, leading to service breakdown

I use a CND Shellac lamp & cure for 120 seconds.
My bulb life is fine. I recently flipped my bulbs (as advised by CND) and will order new bulbs once my hours start to reduce below 10 hours.

 

[Bronstar]

I use a CND Shellac lamp & cure for 120 seconds.
My bulb life is fine. I recently flipped my bulbs (as advised by CND) and will order new bulbs once my hours start to reduce below 10 hours.

Are you using your CND lamp with Shellac, Gelish or Gellux?

Sorry perhaps I misread what you had written, it seems perhaps you are using Gelish? Are you using the PH bond at all, and ensuring that all the the nail plate is thoroughly cleansed.

Do you perhaps have any pictures to show us of your application and the nails that have lifted

 

[DollyMollys]

Hi Bronstar, sorry for the delayed reply.

I'm using my CND lamp with Gelish and shellac depending on which colour the client wants.

I use scrub fresh and then PH bond, after buffing off the shiny layer of the plate- not too much though.

Below is the set that lifted. She said before I started doing her that even acrylics lift off. So does she have a super oily nail plate?

 

[SiennaKate]

When you say you started with CND for years prior to doing your qualification, can I ask where you purchased your CND lamp and products you are using? Where you purchased is important.

It's also recommended that you use the Gelish lamp with Gelish products.

Are you using different brands throughout your service? Could be a result of service breakdown.

 

[DollyMollys]

I had bought it from a salon who were buying alternative lamps. I saw all the relevant paperwork. My bulbs I replaced with bulbs from sweet squared.

I use Gelish top and base with Gelish or shellac colours. Ladies are actually asking for this as other salons around the area do this.

The lifting and pealing has only happened with one lady. She said she's never had acrylics last either.