Working with Gel nails can be fun, challenging, and rewarding all at once, here are 8 basic tips (in no particular order) to help you on your way to mastering the art of Gels.
1) Warm, and Cozy. When removing Gel nails and acrylics, warming the solvent (which makes the cross links expand till they break) can cut removal , time in half.
2) Fun to with finger bowls. Put Pretty marbles, clear stones, or glass beads (whatever fits your decore tastefully) into your fingerbowls to give your client something to “Play with” while their fingers soak. You would be amazed at how such a little thing can add to client comfort and to a better experience.
3) Give a good rub down. Take a reflexology class. A little bit of a hand or foot massage at the beginning of a great nail treatment can do wonders for client referrals, and if you get good at it, that may be another service you can offer as well.
4) Master your tools. Learn to use multistep as well as single step gel nail kits. by practicing with both, you will be able to see the difference in your finished nails and you will get better at working with different gels and different consitencies.
5) Damp, not wet. Place a damp towel under your gel product container. This is a speed item for when you need to clean your brush in between layers of gel. you can quickly use the towel right at hand to give yourself a nice clean gel brush to work with.
6) Let There Be Light. Get a good uv lamp. If there is one thing that could add to your professionalism as a nail technician it would be to have a quality lamp that adds comfort and more importantly adds speed to your service. A low power lamp can tend to leave gel nails uncured fully which can be a real problem for clients down the road.
7) Dry, like Arizona in the summer. One of the best ways to make sure a new set of gel nails stick well and last a long time without lifting or chipping is to make sure that the natural nail is a dry and free of natural oils as possible. using acetone on a swab is good for removing the oils and a light fanning will ensure that the acetone is fully evaporated leaving you a clean dry canvas to do your fabulous gel nails on.
8) Get a bit rough with it. Another great tip for making sure that a set of uv gel nails adhere and stay on for a long period of time is to remove the shine from the natural nail with a 240 grit nail file. be very gentle (i know i said rough) with this, because you don’t want to over do it, by removing the shine from the nail, you have roughed up the surface just enough to give a better hold from the gel once it has cured.
Got any tips of your own you want to add to this list? let me know in the comments!
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I think after going on a gel nail course I know all of this already! This is a great article though.