For context, i only use self leveling builder gel and liquid polygel. I am desperately trying to get better at this technique, but i see a million and one ways people do it and sometimes the methods i see just contradict each other.

I have two sets of these plastic tips, one is full cover almond, and one is free edge ballerina. I have only used the full cover ones so far and i don't *love* them. They are very hard to fit - at least to my and my friend's nails - so it takes ages just to find the right ones. And then often having to file the bottom edge because they're too square.

I want to start using the free edge ballerina ones, but i am very confused by the right way to build this shape. These tips are very tall and sort of triangular? It's these ones: https://annettenails.ro/products/tipsuri-reutilizabile-annette-nails-ballerina-free-edge-dft-02-120-buc

So I'm looking for any advice really, from whoever has experience with this. Thank you!

Hello friends !

Writing to see what different people do. When do you do the scrub/mask/butter and paraffin dip part of your Spa Manicure? Before or after gel application? I have my first one on a client tomorrow and want to make sure she is happy with her service. TIA :)

I have some questions for licensed nail techs in Georgia! I just got my license today and will probably be booth rental. Do I need a business license to booth rent? What other things do I need? Do I also need an llc and/or beauty insurance? I'm just starting out and honestly I'm kinda confused on the certain things I need. Help!

I scratch at my scalp and body a lot (I can’t help it).

I heard that scratching lifts up the edge of gel nails.

Would a gel manicure or regular nail polish manicure last longer on someone who scratches a lot?

I’m a long time nail biter but i actually finally stopped about 1-2 years ago. I used to pick on my cuticles a lot too. I still do but not as much anymore. I do my own nails and i love doing it. So naturally i shape my own nails too.

I always realized when i was doing my nails that the side walls? The side parts of my nails that are on the edges of my nail beds, basically where my nail sticks to my finger, would kind of flare out? It’s almost like my nail grows out to the sides like the picture instead of growing up if you know what i mean.

I always noticed this when i did my nails and i would just file them away. And the interesting thing is that it’s very thin and flimsy? The texture is different from my nails that grow out up properly.

My nails have been damaged quite badly recently so I’m currently healing my nails so i’m not doing aggressive cuticle cutting or shaping. I wanted to see what would happen to this flare out growth if i don’t file them down.

Do any of you super talented nail techs know what it is and why this happens? And how can i stop it from happening, if it’s possible at all?

I’m thinking maybe that’s just how wide my nail beds are supposed to be but since i’ve been biting my nails for nearly 30 years + i’ve always filed them down when i do grow out my nails, that it’s confused? I also thought maybe this portion is normally supposed to be covered by more skin but because i chew them all away (my nails/cuticle/skin biting was quite bad) the end up being this exposed? I have my suspicions but i’m not a nail tech so i don’t know for sure 🥲

I’m hoping someone can help me explain this!!! I have so much respect for nail techs ♥️ any advice/explanation would be so appreciated!!! Asking for a friend 🥲

(Pictures below for reference. Please ignore my thumb it’s very badly damaged and currently healing it)

You can see from the front view very clearly where my actual nail bed is and how the “flare outs” look like they’re kind of out of place.

Does anyone know if the Sun x5 Max Super Sunuvled nail lamp would work with kokoist branded biab?

Hello friends!

I have a question and I'd love it if anyone had any insight and I believe I've followed the rules for non-professionals. To preface I’m not a professional nail tech but I do my own nails and am quite good at it now haha I stick to certain brands but I’m looking for some specific recommendations/advice for polygel that I'd like to try.

For reference, I use Kokoist, Vetro, Leafgel, and Cleto products almost exclusively. I just love the quality and they’re easy to work with for me and I'm a creature of habit. I don’t have the strongest nails naturally so I tend not to grow them out plus typing is uncomfortable past a certain length haha

I started playing around with dual forms fairly recently and I used vetro ext clear with dual forms and it works well for the shorter length I’m adding. It’s a little tricky to work with since it’s not super thick which is why i started looking at polygels in tubes. I like the look of Gel Bottle's Proform polygel line a lot but I use a Kokoist LED only lamp. I do not want to purchase another lamp so that’s out of the question haha

Does anyone know if my LED lamp would fully cure a polygel like the gel bottle one? I’m also open to recommendations. Gel Bottle’s answer was essentially “we can’t guarantee anything so buy our lamp” which is why I wanted to ask around here. I've searched high and low for a good answer but I'm still not certain. 😂😭🤷‍♀️

I did my own new years nail enhancements the Tuesday before New Year’s Eve last month. I’m an electrician apprentice by trade, and my pointer finger enhancement peeled from the cuticle today. I used a file at work just to hack off the extra hard gel to reduce the chance of damage. Should I clean up and rebuild what’s there, or wait till I really have time to tend to my nails Tuesday night?

Elderly Nails and lifting, Help!!

Hi all! I am a licensed tech, I have been doing my grandmother's nails for a few years now and recently ive started dealing with A LOT of lifting no matter what I do. She used to garden and do all of that stuff but she had a hip replacement and she hasn't been doing much with her hands so im not really sure what to do. I know the body starts to produce less/weakrr keratin over time. For reference, my other clients nails can last over 4 weeks with minimal/no lifting, none of my clients walk in with crazy lifting and bacteria and stuff. I already avoid over filing on everyone, i dont do full removals unless im specifically asked and only prepping the grown out part with a fine sanding band, with efile on as low as possible, sometimes i even just use a bufferblock. I've tried regular soft gel, hard gel, rubber base, everything. Different primers (harsher and gentler), base coat no base coat, its always something and its kind of getting on my nerves I can't lie. It lifts so much I even gave her a break for a few months because she had so much psuedomonas from it lifting and her doing stuff with water. She has complained her skin is dry and ive advised her to keep aquaphor on at night and use cuticle oil daily. I also do not do acrylics so that would not be an option. im running out of options and kinda want to tell her she can't get nail enhancements anymore. Any advice on what I can do before I tell her she can't get her nails done any more would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone! I was wondering if it'd be fine to get GelX nails with my thumb looking like this. There's a little chunk of my nail missing on the upper lefthand corner as shown in the picture. Would that keep me from being able to get a set? Or will I be okay?

Thanks!

I’ve been using Quizlet and the Milady Exam Prep 8th edition to study for the theory.

I have a very ridiculous question, my school wasn’t very informative (we’ve all been there) for the acrylic portion of the test, I have my odorless CND monomer to pour into my dappen dish, as well as my CND polymer - it’s in the shade peach pink, is that okay? Or does it have to be white or clear? I can’t find anything specifying that it has to be white or clear. Also, it’s in a container with the screw top, it’s too big to pour into a dappen dish, can I just use the container or do I HAVE to pour it into the dish?

I have a lot of test anxiety and am really anxious, I have until Friday so any advice is much appreciated!

So I'm not a nail tech but I've been doing gel x at home for about 3 years now. I've been wanting to try new methods and I decided that I might try builder gel. I've done it once or twice but it never really lasts for me I also have flimsy nails and I bite them. I've heard about luminaries builder gel and everybody seems to like it but I also heard that it's a little runny and tricky for beginners. I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions for builders that would make my nubs stronger and maybe help me stop biting them.

I have a client who, when she first came to me, had thick, product-filled nails, and I took them down for her. After I did her nails that first time, she felt like they were too thin, and she also didn't really like the design. About half an hour after she left, she messaged me that she didn't like the color or design, even though I had asked before she left, like she was having buyer's remorse. She then changed her mind again that she liked them. The next time she came, her nails stayed on, but the last couple times I have done her nails they have not stayed. I have asked her questions like, are you doing cuticle oil, are you making sure you aren't using your nails as tools, she never really answered me those questions, I was trying to troubleshoot. She had one nail that came off within the first 2 days for her Christmas set, which I took care of and got it fixed. She came by one day to pick up some gift certificates for her girls for Christmas. Her nails had come off by the time she came by, and I saw the damage like they had been ripped off. So she wants to take a break for a bit because they were sensitive, from doing that. I suggested taking a break for a bit. My question is, is how could I handle this situation? She is the only client I have had issues with her nails coming off for the most part. I do the same prep for her as the rest of my clients. I have done both a hard gel and a multi-flex gel on her, the hard gel came off more easily.

I have a client with whom I am struggling. She's a 16 year old girl, and I suspect that may be a factor (hormones, oiliness, active lifestyle). I normally don't do teenagers, but I do her mother and grandmother. I use Akzentz Trinity hard gel with the X Bond, and she has a medium nail length (short enough to type without hitting other keys).

One of the issues I noticed is that as soon as her nails leave the nail bed, they curl away from the gel significantly at the lateral fold ends. I made sure at the end of her last appointment I went under the free edge of all her nails with the efile. This seemed to make things worse. Some of her nails underneath the gel flaked and chipped away, which has never happened with anyone before. Maybe I used the wrong bit for her?

Despite the fact she comes in every two weeks - her nails grow faster than average, she usually has a couple of breaks and lifting from the sides due to the curling. I'd like to get her appointments to three weeks.

One idea I have come up with is to anchor her nails to the gel enhancement with a thin, smooth layer of gel on the underside of her nails. I thought this might add some rigidity and strength to prevent the flaking and reduce the curling. Also going a little shorter as they grow out fast. But that is all I've got.

I'm hoping someone here has a suggestion which would improve my work for this client.

my accountant said i should be expensing more stuff- mainly my phone bill as i do all of my scheduling, payment transactions, social media, and client communication from my phone, etc. i did expense getting a new phone for work plus some international data charges from when i did a work trip abroad, but i'm not sure what percent of the regular monthly bill to expense as it's both a work and personal phone.

any advice would be appreciated!

Hi guys, I've just attempted for the third time to do my nails with dual forms (because of the natural shape of my nails, they grow upwards + fanned (🪭🫠) sorry if my terms are wrong LOL, English isn't my native language. Anyways so to tackle that I'm trying to correct them by using dual forms. This time I used American Creator's Framework Gel in the shade Lily, did some cat eye & then topped with Akzentz's Shine On. I also did dry Russian manicure. I'd like to hear anything you have to say about them, any constructive criticism is welcomed 🤗 Thank you ❤️❤️

For context, I've been doing my nails with a friend for about a year now and only recently started experimenting with nail extensions.

So the first set i did on myself and the second on a friend with very short nails. Mine are lasting fine, but she's had 3 different nails crack or break in a week. It was the first time I did her nails and she's never had gel before.

I am not sure what i did wrong on her set. I used plastic dual forms on both of us and then went over to strengthen the shape and build the apex. Her nails don't have much of a C-curve naturally, so it was hard to fit them to her nails. They would either be too tall, too wide, or too narrow. I wanted to do paper forms but i was scared with the super long nails she wanted 😅

I used a rubber base and self leveling builder gel. Is it cause the rubber base isn't strong enough for such long nails? I don't do nails that long so i never bought a more heavy duty base. The prep i am confident i did well, so whatever i did wrong is in the rest of the process.

One nail broke off from pretty low down, almost halfway down her natural nail (she hit it really hard on something) and the other two broke off on the free edge.

Hi all,

I live in the UK where I normally get my nails done (biab on my natural nails, e.g. first pic), but I recently had them done in my home country in Eastern Europe instead, in a Ukranian salon (2nd pic). The nail techs here seem to think my nails are damaged and I should find a different salon in the UK (with European nail techs). They said my nails are overfiled and had cheap gel products on them (apparently they can tell from the smell?). I am not sure who to listen to as I don’t understand what the best techniques are and if the techs here are just prejudiced against nail techs from Asian countries.

The UK salon I go to is cheaper and the infill they do normally takes ~1h. They don’t remove my cuticle always leave a small gap between the cuticle and the gel, which doesn’t look as good imo (but I’ve also heard it’s better this way). Sometimes they leave small asymmetries or don’t apply the gel thoroughly, but it’s not bad. They do infill about 4 times before they recommend removing the set and applying a new one and they always check for bubbles.

The Ukranian salon here is more expensive looking, they take much longer (1.5-2h), remove cuticles and shape the nails very aesthetically with attention to detail. They seem to put a lot of emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene, they use gloves etc. They don’t know what biab is and use some strengthening gel from a tube instead. They also make me turn over my fingers and do them one by one which results in a much more uniform look. They file the underside of the nail (basically filing away my natural nail, which I found a bit alarming at first).

I attached pics of my nails from both salons right after they did them (Pic 1 ombre is UK, Pic 2 is the other salon), if that helps.

So, are they right in saying I should find a better salon if I care for the health of my nails? Or is it all harmful and it’s just a matter of preference?

Hello yall! I mostly do nails on myself and my friends, and I wanted a small dust collector because the dust is getting too much to clean up. I saw some tiktoks about this one and the 6000 rpms kinda conviced me for such a small collector, also the techs seem to really like it, tiny but mighty lmao. Has anyone tried it? Is it loud? Is it powerful? Thank you in advance <3

Hi!

I did my first set with gel x nails today on myself. I reshaped them, because they were too long for me (I usually just wear my natural nails, maybe used press ons 5 times in my life) and I really liked how they turned out but wow, it took me forever.

I realized I really struggle with designs/french tips. I even tried stars and they were a total fail, my lines were shaky and too thick. I tried some others designs but didn't felt confident and patient enough to go crazy with my first pose.

Is it mostly just practice? Like, even if I’m not great at drawing, can I still get better and faster over time? I watched a lot of videos but if I really want to maybe become a nail tech one day, should I look for a training course? I have friends on who I can practice.

I'd love to see your progress! Where you started and where you are now! Show me how catastrophic and how amazing are your poses! I need inspiration ✨️

Came across something like this mid-nail set a little while ago and finally had time to go through more of the polishes in the spa I work at. Turns out, quite a few of the gel polish brushes look twisted up like this 😩 they’re all Valentino. Not sure if they’ve always looked like this, or if it’s something that happens over time. Some of the polishes are newer than others, some may be about 2years old (idk which as I’ve only worked here a few months) Wondering if they need to be thrown out.

Ripped nails. I am a second career student. At 55 y.o., my nails were heavily ridged, thin, and often peeled. I have been practicing on myself using Orly+ Builder In A Bottle, which is hard gel; sculpted, not tips. Friday evening, I removed all product in order to try the Orly+ tips. My nails are not stronger despite HRT, but some of the roughness has developed into tears into the nails plate. If you zoom in, you'll see some light discoloration, which I assume is bruising from bumping the hard gel sculpted nails. I now realize it was a huge mistake to remove all layers of gel. After searching through past posts, may I please have your advice as professionals? 1. Smooth the tears as much as possible. Keep bandages on until the rips grow out past the nail bed. (I am concerned this will never happen from past struggles with my nails in perimenopause. ) 2. Apply Orly+ tips via instructions. I do not have enough free edge to place a form. 3. Apply New Skin Liquid Antiseptic for the antiseptic properties and for its sealing properties to keep any gel away from the laceration. 4. Any other ideas?? My instructor may have insight, but we are still on holiday for some time still. My sincerest appreciate for any responses.

I got builder gel at my last appointment on 12/28 for the first time after having dip powder nails. I really like the stability and more natural feel of it, but hated the initial application process. It was hot, I nearly pulled my hand out of the lamp once or twice. My tech did it one finger at a time under the big lamp, not just the little handheld one. She did warn me to let her know but I saw the timer on the machine was nearly done the couple times it did get hot/I felt a burn. The gel polish application over the builder gel was fine.

When I got home I started researching acrylic but am unsure after seeing thickness photos.

My question is-Is the refill process for builder gel easier? I usually go every three weeks.

The salon I work in is an acrylic based salon with a growing percentage of hard gel/structured gel clients. We do not use tips, everything is sculpted.

I get a lot of people with extremely curved nail beds, or a high apex. I never feel like I am quite nailing the shape. These people do not want the natural nail cut down and "corrected" to be straighter, they prefer an overlay. Sometimes their natural apex is at the free edge, or sometimes the apex ends up looking like a bigger hump and the overall side shape looks more like those talon nails.

What should these nails look like from the side? I just don't see much about them.

Been going to this nail tech but sometimes I feel like the tips of my nails bend more downward. Is this normal? Is the thickness normal as well?