Shellac Peeling

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karenrose

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Apr 9, 2010
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Hiya
I done 2 sets of shellac on saturday for 2 friends. One has just text me to say a few of her nails are peeling and 2 are completly off. And she would send me a pic and the same has happened to her friend.
She said she was under the understanding they would last about 2 weeks and as this has been only 4 days she would like a refund as she has now wasted her time and money for a service that didnt last.
Now I can argue on the other case that it was my time and product I used so that means Im down on time and product by giving her a refund.
She is in on saturday for some waxing so she will be expecting her waxing to be cheaper due to the refund and she is still happy to come in on saturday for this.

What would you do? Or say?

I know I shouldnt give a refund and she has just sent me a pic and on one hand 2 are shellac-free and other 3 are peeling. I dont want to accus her of taking them off in order to get her money back. But I dont want to just refund her. I will obviously want to see the nails and possibly redo them but when she is in on saturday I dont have time to redo a set. And she is only off at weekends.

What would you do?

Thanks x
 
I should also add that I have had no other problems with shellac clients. I wear shellac constantly so I know it lasts when I do it as i never have any peeling etc. Only problem I had was with fedora but that was when I didnt know I had to apply in even thin layers than normal, but since knowing that my fedora has been fine also!
 
Hun not everyone is suitable for Shellac, if they have very weak nails that are prone to peeling then they will still peel with the Shellac on.

I have been using Shellac since it was launched and have only found 2 clients who only gets 4 days and this is nothing to do with the way I apply it its simply that their nails are peeling from the free edge and taking the shellac off.

As for a refund I personally wouldn't this time and in future try explaining to them that Shellac isnt indestructible it will peel under certain circumstances.
So if their nails do peel naturally explain that they might not get the full 2 wks but that it will last longer than a normal colour.
:hug:
 
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I wouldn't refund. I would do her a soak off for free on Saturday and then tell her that she is not a suitable candidate for Shellac or a redo ... Shellac would only peel completely off is she was peeling them off. If she has messed about with her first set of Shellac then she will do the same to other sets. If you are not experiencing the same with other clients then what YOU re doing is OK ... It is certainly is true that not everyone wears Shellac perfectly but darned nearly everyone can provided their nails are reasonably healthy. If there is an incompatibility issue (rare), then how are you to know that before you apply Shellac and how is it your fault?

I think you need to tell all clients BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE SALON that Shellac will last normally for 2 weeks on most people but there are exceptions AND there are no guarantees.

Funnily enough we only offer shellac to ladies who wear their nails naturally ... we rarely ever have a come back have from these clients. They are so used to polish not lasting for more than a week tops, that they are delighted with the lasting ability of Shellac. PLUS, for us they are NEW clients and NEW business for the salon.

Normally the ones I hear about that make a complaint are ex enhancement clients who expect Shellac to last like an enhancement, be as strong as an enhancement and require cheap maintenance (not sure why because we sure wouldn't say that but it is what they are used to with enhancements)!

I'm not sure to what group you are marketing your Shellac services, but I stay away from enhancement clients UNLESS they are made fully aware that to change from enhancements to Shellac also requires them to make a few changes in how they care for their nails, and I tell them BEFORE we apply and BEFORE they leave the nail desk.
 
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Ditto babe. The more u give away the more people expect. Learned that the hard way. Sometimes I just don't understand people. They expect things to be indestructible. When u are selling shellac, I've learned to always say, "and it's SUPPOSE to last for 14 days DEPENDING on the health of your natural nails." I've only had one client return and say she hated it (even tho it still lasted longer) but Gigi is right. She was an enhancement client and was expecting enhancement wear n tear. But she was a doll and never asked for a refund. Actually, she just put her gels back on and was happy as a lark. Some people just don't like to b at fault, tho. Keep your head up doll!!
 
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thanks girls for your help!
I am determined not to refund as I honestly dont think this has anything to do with me.
I have been sent a pic of both sets and I really dont think I have caused this to happen. Not in the space of 4 days. One set 2 nails are completly gone and every other one has peeled all the way down. Other set the thumb is off and one finger is like its been sliced straight across :idea:
I cant redo on the saturday when she is in as Im fully booked all day.
She wants to take the shellac off herself as says her nails look awful but I told her to wait till I see them to try figure out whats happened. Her friend cant make it in though which I thought was odd if she wasnt happy she would want to come in!

Will wait and see saturday :)
 
I'm so pleased to hear this thread. I have done between 20-30 shellac's now and had proper training with a CND ambassador. I am having brilliant success but one friend it will just not stay on. I tried twice but I now think it is down to her being used to enhancements reading this (you can't help panick it is you as shellac is so amazing). Both times she lasted about four days and then said it looks like shrinkage and her thumb was starting to peel. She is an out and out gel wearer but was enjoying being a natural nail girl for a bit so we though we would try it. I know I took massive care and did everything right, lamp, pep, capped the lot as taught.
She is very very hard on her hands and has got maybe a little too much length for her lifestyle on some but she wanted to keep it. I thought maybe just her nail chemistry won't do shellac but I now think maybe she is just so used to gel toughness and maybe not careful enough. For me shellac super hugs even if I am busy (as have other clients) and I am a faithfull solar oil gal.

It is a pity as she loves the colours, I did say when she is ready we can do a gel overlay and shellac combo as that seemed to stay on fine. I didn't refund as I did two lots of shellac and she got a good mini mani etc twice. I offered but she didn't take me up on it.

I have also had another friend pick her shellac off and blame it for damaging her nails (she might have even told others) arrrgghhh! I can't remember how many times we went over don't pick it off and I was going to take it off but she got there first :rolleyes:
 
I have a client who is a nurse. The first 2 times she had her nails shellacked they lasted fine. She only wanted a natural look so gave her 2 coats (thin) of negligee. When I did a french on her she says it peeled off after a few days. The following time we played safe and did the negligee again but she has told me that it also peeled? I would like to make it up to her and possibly offer her £10 off a new set if she wants to try once more. She is getting married next year and would love it to work for her.

I do realise that it can't be my fault as I do her mum's nails and they last well. I do want to keep her as a client though so thought the £10 off would be a nice gesture.

Do you think that as she is a nurse it could be the constant hand washing with gels that is too blame. I am unsure as the first 2 times it lasted well even though she was working at times.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
 
I do gel overlays and Shellac and I always include the magic word 'UP TO' when describing the product's time length. Some people are harder on their hands than others, myself included and I tell clients that while some people may get up to the full amount of time stated by the manufacturer, others may not.

I have a client who complained her nails chipped after doing the washing up, even though she didn't wear any rubber gloves. So rather than offering a free repair I offered her advice on after care.

When it comes down to it these products aren't free for us to buy, so why should we offer them free to a client.

Nail clients can complain a lot it seems, but I don't see that you have to do free treatments, say Shellac's not for you to the client and to try something different instead.

After all they wouldn't have a facial and then complain a few days later if they got a spot, or felt tension in the shoulders 24 hours after a massage and expect the salon to be at fault and do another one.

All the best and I hope that helps. :)
 
I have also had the same problem with a three clients....I have racked my brain thinking of what the problem can be. One of my clients had 14 days plus wear the first couple of times and then the third time they would peel up at the corners and then come off in a whole peice with very little effort...she even came in and showed me when one was peeling up at the corners....she didn't have to pull hard to take it off. The shellac peeled off one of her nails without her even noticing...the whole peice!

I do a very thorough PEP and I am extremely careful when applying - making sure the whole nail plate is covered with a thin layer of the base coat etc. I have had no problems on my own nails....I can wear it for 3 weeks plus....sometimes I get a little bit of lifting on my right hand but I know this is from using the accetone when removing shellac from clients nails. I also have many clients who are delighted with it.

I would appreciate any advice as I am slowly losing my confidence in Shellac.

Many Thanks....x
 
I think a refund depends on a whole host of things. Are these girls regular clients? Do you know them well? You say one of them is coming in for waxing, so is she a regular?

I would refund if they are regular clients. You need to see the problem yourself so the girl who won't come in won't get refunded for a start. The other one will have to be judged but I think I would refund her but not redo her again, telling her that she is not suitable for the treatment.

You just have to judge if it is genuine or not and if you are going to lose more money in the long run by losing a good paying client. :green:
 
Just posted this on another thread, but think it could belong here too!

Looks like I've had my first Shellac complaint today :( I'm mobile and Shellac'd a girl who I used to know vaguely from my school years on Sat. She's just texted to say it's "coming off". I said that that was strange and asked her to send me a pic - still waiting at the mo. Only yesterday I got a call from one of her friends that she had recommended me to!

Being the kind of person I am I'm already thinking the worst lol. She has a reputation for falling out with people in a school playground way and maybe I should've just kept my distance. I may be prejudging her but I'm way too old for that! Anyway! Even if I think she's responsible for her Shellac coming off I want to handle this in the most amicable way I can - even if she comes off better than me. She - and the damage to my reputation she'd do - really aren't worth the hassle.

I know that she would never admit to doing anything wrong to her nails. She wasn't on any meds and I'm tempted to go against all my usual beliefs and just give her her money back, say "Oh well, you must be one of the few people who aren't suited to Shellac, never mind" and stay well clear of her in future.
 
I had a mad panic last week as one of my regular shellac clients called in to say most of her nails have peeled off luckily as she is a regular and i've been doing her shellac since before xmas she was happy to pay for them to be redone (and to be nice i took a wee bit off the price as she's in every 2weeks without fail)
xxx
 
ive just had a text from a client in shellacked on sunday and she said a few are chipping already!!! I just dont know what i doing wrong, as I a doing everything and i mean everything by the book, soo frustrating!!!:cry:
 
If this issue isn't happening to all of your clients then I'd suggest it's something they're doing as opposed to you.

As has been said before, not all clients nails are suitable for Shellac, you as the technician should be advising them on what will work best for them and ensure they know what they can/can't do with their nails :wink2: :D
 
I am not saying you are all applying it badly but just to add a thought,as I do with troubleshooting, are you all using the CND UV Lamp????? still capping the free edge and taking the base,colour and top coat around the corners of the nail too?
Like said before some clients are not Shellacin' suitable, very thin nails will flex a lot under the Shellac and it will peel. Clients who have delaminated nails need to have the delamination removed or it will chip.
Every Shellac wearer should be using a good cuticle and nail oil like solar oil.. this will make a difference xxxxx

Just a thought to get to the bottom of it XXXXX
 
I have a client who is really starting to bug me she thinks she has beautiful nails cause they are long but they are ridged bendy and grow wonky ! Anyway she has oily nails and shellac isn't lasting on her I have explained that she isn't compatible but she still wants it Evan though it only last about a week so I said fine as long as she knows I have no guarantee for it , so we shellac , now she is becoming a bit of a pain cause every time it chips she wants the nail re done which I can't always get her in for but she comes in the shop to tell us and my other lady's are hearing and I'm worried it may put them off , but there is summit about her that I don't like anyway nut she is just not taking the hint ! Rant over !
 
if they are not shellac compatible, what treatment would you offer instead?
 
A couple of my shellac customers who did'nt get on with it, are doing well with mani g colour gel polish, but I would say 98% of my clients have no problem with shellac.
 
I would guess a regular manicure although she said polish doesn't last 5 mins on her so shellac is better cause she gets longer ware I just don't want her bad mouthing it to people because again 98/99%of my clients are great with it !!
 

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