Why am I having a few problems with Shellac?

[crystaltash]

Hi peoples. Could someone give me a bit of an insight as to why the shellac nails me and my work colleague do are chipping at the edges and we even had one client whose nails broke with the shellac on them and a few lifted!
Why would this be happening? I promise we are following PEP to a T and capping the edges. I love this system and have been bogging it up so much to clients. I even got us t shirts printed! Please help geeks. Thanks.

 

[busybee32]

Are you applying it in Thin even layers? And most importantly are you using the Shellac lamp or Brisa lamp? Or neither of these, If you answer is neither then that is where your problems are proably stemming from.
HTH
and remember Thin to win!
Jen xxx

 

[geeg]

You know I would not be looking at Shellac but looking at your clients who are trashing them.

Shellac is not indestructible if someone really has a go. But they really have to have a go. lol

Nail enhancements break although with normal wear and tear they shouldn't ... did you think no one would ever wear Shellac and not have a nail break?? I have broken a nail while wearing Shellac... **** happens sometimes .... Shellac is not a steel coating.

I actually have never seen Shellac chip. I've never seen it lift and I haven't even seen it wear on the ends. But I would never tell a client it was indestructible because there is always someone who will trash anything.

I would however have every faith in telling a client that with normal wear and tear Shellac will last beautifully for 14 days. Normal wear and tear. That doesn't include rock climbing but should include all the normal activities most ladies get up to in their every day lives.

I can't comment on your probs. other than that. You don't give any info. You don't say at what stage your clients are having the problems, you don't say what they do, we don't know if you are applying to thickly nothing. I think if you think you are dong everything right (and it really couldn't be easier), then you have to look to your clients just as I would do with nail enhancements if they were wrecking my work.

 

[Bettierae]

I've absolutely hammered mine this week. I've waxed, nailed, tanned, tinted, soaked off, pedi'd lol and then..... gardened... fixed the trampoline.... changed a gazillion nappies.....i know..... had a kids party...... cleaned my house from top to bottom for the inlaws visiting! Basically everything, and then some, to give the Shellac a proper pasting. I wanted to road test it myself. Its fine, no chipping, dullling or cracking or anything.

Slight wear on the edges if i'm honest, but not noticeable, especially to anyone else, only me when i'm scrutinising it with my beady eyes lol. Again, to be honest too, I think the slight wearing is own to me not capping the free edge properly, its shrunk ever so slightly thats all, i'm scared of getting that 'lump' on the end which can sometimes happen when i'm capping gel.

I adore shellac as it is Rachaelproof. Not indestructable, as Gigi said, but Rachaelproof!

Again, as said, you really do need to be looking at the clients you are putting it on hun x x

 

[Bettierae]

Oh, and as an extra little note. I take after my mum and have lovely oval nail beds. I've always struggled to grow my nails, I have a tendancy to 'practice' on my own nails. I don't know if Shellac can help your nails grow, or it is just an illusion (I have noticed a thread has appeared today on the science behind Shellac, I fully intend to give it some time tomorrow evening and learn!) but.... my nails are ace if I say so myself. They tend to naturally grow into a neat almond shape themselves. They are growing loads. They are longer from the three weeks of Shellac than they have ever been before. A wonderful by-product of a beautiful manicure system. Lush! x x

 

[geeg]

Oh, and as an extra little note. I take after my mum and have lovely oval nail beds. I've always struggled to grow my nails, I have a tendancy to 'practice' on my own nails. I don't know if Shellac can help your nails grow, or it is just an illusion (I have noticed a thread has appeared today on the science behind Shellac, I fully intend to give it some time tomorrow evening and learn!) but.... my nails are ace if I say so myself. They tend to naturally grow into a neat almond shape themselves. They are growing loads. They are longer from the three weeks of Shellac than they have ever been before. A wonderful by-product of a beautiful manicure system. Lush! x x

The same thing has happened to me ... after 25 years of wearing enhancements I have all my own lovely strong nails .... naturally. They have been totally natural for more than three months now. It has taught me something .... I don't think I ever needed anything as strong as enhancements ... I needed something in between and now I have it!! AND I love it.

I don't think I will ever go back to L&P or gel unless I have a bad break and need it for a few weeks while growing out because one thing I do know.. I can't stand it if my nails are not all the same length (enhanced nails spoiled me for that).

 

[*sarah*]

Well no ideas how its getting chipped, one of my clients had given it a real bang at it had split it and she picked the bit off! lol I my self am a nightmare with anything other than L & P, until now........ usually I get lifting at the front with a soak off gel but shellac has not done so until today but I had bashed the same finger quite hard a few time and it had lifted but it was my own falut. Going to get a pic taken 2mrw of my nails and see if any geeks can tell which one I have redone because I cant !
As Gigi says its not a steel coating!
I think it maybe down to trashing by the sounds of it! hth xx

 

[geeg]

Look at this
Well Polished (Vogue.com UK)

The vogue beauty editor loves it.. lol

Press like this does wonders for your salon business!!! Thanks to Marian Newman and her protégé David Barton.

And this is just the beginning.

 

[mum]

Well I have Shellac'd some of the most 'difficult' people and tried it out myself for a long time. If you follow the instructions then it does what it says it will do!!

It is not 'concrete' but truly amazing. Prepare the nail correctly, apply as per instructions and it will take a very determined client to make it fail!

 

[Bezza]

Look at this
Well Polished (Vogue.com UK)

The vogue beauty editor loves it.. lol

Press like this does wonders for your salon business!!! Thanks to Marian Newman and her protégé David Barton.

And this is just the beginning.

Excellent, another link to add to the website, thanks Geeg! And Marian!!

 

[mrs o]

I too am wearing Shellac for 3 months now,and today with the amount of physical work that has to be done I cracked one nail almost all the way across- it didnt crack as much as tore( tear?).
Any way with 9 other nice longish nails, something had to be done so I soaked the Shellac off that nail ,applied Brisa clear gel -no uv gel topcoat,re-applied Shellac and it looks good and feels strong.

I dont think it is possible for Shellac to..lift? Shellac wont lift.
Do you mean it peeled off?
If that is the case you must have put it on an oily surface.
Its actually so simple to do Shellac,that we are all beating ourselves up,thinking about the application too much.Make sure you have the correct lamp,or bulbs dont need to be changed,and apply product thinly.

 

[crystaltash]

Omg! Why am I having these probs with Shellac! It should be so flippin easy! I was doing my employees nails this morning with red baroness. I cured the top coat and wiped the inhibition layer off and the colour on the sides of the nail wiped off too! Why? The only thing I can think of is that I'm applying the base coat too thinly. I did put it on the whole nail right to the side Walls and Capped but was a VERY thin base coat. Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[marie111]

I would say if it wiped off, you didn't put the base coat on correctly. Are you using the new lamp and curing the base coat for 10 seconds?
I'm loving it, mydaughter who I am trying to get to break the habit of nail biting is loving shellac, she has had hers on for just under a week now and they look good as new, she has been decorating, cleaning, walking dogs.
I have shellac on my thumb to test it out this week and am about to put it on the rest as it has stood the test, I own three large dogs so a lot of cleaning etc. waxing, manicures, mucking out 30 kennels and its still like new.

 

[geeg]

Omg! Why am I having these probs with Shellac! It should be so flippin easy! I was doing my employees nails this morning with red baroness. I cured the top coat and wiped the inhibition layer off and the colour on the sides of the nail wiped off too! Why? The only thing I can think of is that I'm applying the base coat too thinly. I did put it on the whole nail right to the side Walls and Capped but was a VERY thin base coat. Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st. You know, thin means thin ... it doesn't mean EXTRA thin or non existent. Just thin. That's not so hard to grasp. Why do people go overboard? Thin coverage means thin but covering.

2nd. I don't think your top coat was encapsulating all of your colour either.

3rd. The biggest problem I see is that most nail techs do NOT know how to paint. They don't know how to paint polish and they don't know how to paint Shellac. Be PRECISE with every coat .. be THIN with every coat and paint meticulously with every coat ... Just like polish.

 

[geeg]

I would say if it wiped off, you didn't put the base coat on correctly. Are you using the new lamp and curing the base coat for 10 seconds?
I'm loving it, mydaughter who I am trying to get to break the habit of nail biting is loving shellac, she has had hers on for just under a week now and they look good as new, she has been decorating, cleaning, walking dogs.
I have shellac on my thumb to test it out this week and am about to put it on the rest as it has stood the test, I own three large dogs so a lot of cleaning etc. waxing, manicures, mucking out 30 kennels and its still like new.

Seen this???

Well Polished (Vogue.com UK)

Some people (The majority thank God) are not having problems.

I suggest everyone who is using Shellac and who does not know how to paint correctly, goes on a class to learn how asap.

 

[marie111]

Seen this???

Well Polished (Vogue.com UK)

Some people (The majority thank God) are not having problems.

I suggest everyone who is using Shellac and who does not know how to paint correctly, goes on a class to learn how asap.

Oh yes, its printed off and ready to be laminated.

 

[crystaltash]

Well geeks it looks like I may have to give up
on shellac. I have been doing EVERYTHING so meticulously. Pepping the nail, putting on a nice medium basecoat right to the side Walls, 2 thin coats of polish and the top coat covering the whole nail. I'm using the shellac lamp, capping as I go, scrubfresh and curing for the right amount of time. But STILL I have people phoning complaining that it's chipped after one day!
Please, please help me geeks. I'm so upset. I thought that this was the one, the product that I wouldn't have to worry about not working. But it's just bringing me more problems. Please geeks. I need ur help.

 

[geeg]

Well geeks it looks like I may have to give up
on shellac. I have been doing EVERYTHING so meticulously. Pepping the nail, putting on a nice medium basecoat right to the side Walls, 2 thin coats of polish and the top coat covering the whole nail. I'm using the shellac lamp, capping as I go, scrubfresh and curing for the right amount of time. But STILL I have people phoning complaining that it's chipped after one day!
Please, please help me geeks. I'm so upset. I thought that this was the one, the product that I wouldn't have to worry about not working. But it's just bringing me more problems. Please geeks. I need ur help.

No actually you don't .. you need to see your supplier/educator especially if more than one client is experiencing anything like what you say. Web site help obviously is not the solution for you.

Question?? Do you think if I did your clients' nails that this would be happening? I don't think so .. in fact I would guarantee it. So you will be giving up on yourself not on Shellac which is doing great for the huge majority of those using it ... do the smart thing and go and see an educator because something is fundamentally wrong with what you are doing. You must know that .... there are too many people doing fantastic business with Shellac, which is nothing short of brilliant in every way.

Are you using it on yourself?? Are you using it on natural nails or enhanced nails?

 

[An*Gel]

Well geeks it looks like I may have to give up
on shellac. I have been doing EVERYTHING so meticulously. Pepping the nail, putting on a nice medium basecoat right to the side Walls, 2 thin coats of polish and the top coat covering the whole nail. I'm using the shellac lamp, capping as I go, scrubfresh and curing for the right amount of time. But STILL I have people phoning complaining that it's chipped after one day!
Please, please help me geeks. I'm so upset. I thought that this was the one, the product that I wouldn't have to worry about not working. But it's just bringing me more problems. Please geeks. I need ur help.

Can you talk us through your application again step by step.... you say you're using the Shellac lamp, capping as you go , scrubfresh and then curing... are you doing it in that order?.... just wondering as this order is incorrect.

I've been using Shellac for a few months now and cannot understand how your clients would be having any problems, especially so soon after application..... It HAS to be something you are doing wrong... you just need to get to the bottom of it!

 

[Martigirl]

Really baffled as to why you are having these problems.

I have been meticulous in my PEP and application as you have and not got any problems with chipping (except if the clients nail has chipped underneath and is actually not the shellac but their nail chipping)

My new lady who works with me applied Shellac to me last week (her 1st ever time) and it's still fine and I am really harsh on my nails as well as using loads of Acetone removing clients Shellac last week.

sorry I can't be more helpful, Are you shaking the bottle really well before application?