Just a plug for Gel Nail polish

[Seraphine]

I loved my gel nails when I had them done. but having the polish taken off and afterward (about 3 weeks later) my nails were ruined. It took me 6 months before my nails were hard again. They got so brittle and weak, I was trimming and filing them constantly to try and keep them looking decent. I loved the gel look and feel, but the after effects are preventing me from doing it again. I normally have really hard nails and they grow very long on their own without any damage and splitting. I guess I'll just have to stick with the regular polish. I might do the Gel on my toes for my next cruise though.

 

 

Mrsfuzzmo, were you having gel, or gel polish? There's quite a difference between them, and that might have attributed to the problem you had.

 

Traditional gel enhancements, as well as some (but not all) brands of gel polish, need the nail tech to remove a thin layer of the nail plate with a file before applying the product. This, over time, can weaken the nail and cause the brittleness you describe. Care must be taken to avoid overfiling the nail, and if this brittleness continues, you might want to have your nail tech do a very thin gel overlay that will just grow off with the nail (no need for infilling... it's a very thin layer)

 

Shellac Gel Polish doesn't require any of this nail etching - the nail only needs to be shaped and cleaned, but not etched. The Shellac product is quite restorative normally - it's a protective cover and nails usually thrive and grow faster than they would with normal polish or by going bare. I see this every day in my clients, and I see it on myself.

 

So, if it was gel you were using before, try a gel polish this time. And if it was gel polish and you were still having trouble, keep up regular use of cuticle oil to aid in the recovery. If brittleness continues, find a nail tech that will do a *very thin* gel overlay - this will harden the nails just enough to help them continue growing. Feel free to contact me if you need any more information on this, or if you need to find a tech in your area (I have access to professional forums and could put a search out for you)

 

Good luck!

[Seraphine]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to put my two cents, in here. When I went on my last cruise, in December, I got "Shellac". I got it on December 3, our cruise was 12/10-12/17, plus we stayed in Fl until 12/19. My nails looked great the entire time. My nails did grow a bit, but they still looked good. When we, finally, got home, I had a million things to do since it was just a few days before Christmas and didn't get around to having my nails done, again until 12/23. The only reason I got them done again was because the nail growth was really getting noticeable. I didn't have time to go to my salon, since it's 1/2 hour from my house, so I just went to a "walk in" nail salon near my house. I use this particular place quite often for pedicures and they do a pretty good job. I called and asked if they did "Shellac" and they said yes, so off I went. When I got there, they used a product called "Gellac" - they sound so much a like that it must have just been miscommunication. I really liked the colors, so I got the "Gellac", anyway. My nails looked really nice and I loved the color, for Christmas, and I thought it would go into New years, as well. Well, I was wrong. The "Gellac" barely lasted a week. I never could understand why I hear of so many people having problems with peeling. Now I know. It must really depend on the product and, obviously, not all products are created equal. I was even thinking about getting a home kit, but, now I don't think it will be worth it, if it's not going to last a week. For special occasions, I will get "Shellac" - that seems like a really good product. One more thing, When I got the "Gellac", I was careful with my manicure. I used gloves when I cleaned, cooked, etc. so the nails only got wet with regular hand washing and bathing. So, they didn't get "used" any more than my nails did with the "Shellac".

 

"Gelac" is actually a legitimate product, although it's always bothered me that it sounds like a Shellac ripoff. However, there's so many products out there, and so many nail techs who are poorly trained in using them, that it's really important to find someone you trust and can show they have the right qualifications.

 

Each product requires a certain light setting (a particular lamp... you can't just use any old UV lamp to cure it), and specific prep. I really can't advise buying a home kit as I've seen how many counterfeit and stolen goods there are out there on Ebay (and even Amazon!), not to mention how most companies won't sell genuine product unless you can show you've had nail training. I'm not saying that because I'm afraid of losing business, but I wouldn't want you to put money out for substandard product and not get a good result. I've had clients try this, and it's been a waste of money for them.

 

Definately try it again, but ask your friends for a recommendation for a good nail tech, and make sure they are using the product you want.

 

Good luck :)

[margeecruiser]

Seraphine -- Thanks so much for a professional opinion. My nail tech has recommended I try again for my cruise in July and again in November for my transatlantic, with time in between to heal my nails if needed. I used Solar Oil on my nails several times a day for weeks, but still had problems with excessive dryness and extreme thinning of my nails. I did not have any buffing/filing of my nail beds at all; I would not stand for that. My nail tech is researching using a hot towel/parrafin gloves over the acetone pads/foil method to see if that will accelerate the process of loosening the gel so it can be removed sooner, so as to get the acetone off quicker. Have you heard of this idea?

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Margee

[surfsidemary]

I recently started getting gel manicures - am only on my second one. I think a french works best to stretch it out. I actually stretched the first one for over a month by "filling in" with clear polish and having the nail tech make the white part deeper than necessary to begin with. That combination took care of the growing out issue. At over a month, there was not a chip or a peel in sight.

[curlymason]

You can get a French manicure with the shellac type polishes? Is that possible with all gel polish brands??

[5326jan]

You can get a French manicure with the shellac type polishes? Is that possible with all gel polish brands??

 

I get the french or "natural" gel/shellac manicure and it looks really nice. My problem is paying $50 + tip per time and it lasts 2 weeks. I love it, but $1500/year for manicure is a lot.

 

Add in the pedicure and you've got you/spouse in a mini suite for an eastern caribbean cruise! :D

[Seraphine]

Seraphine -- Thanks so much for a professional opinion. My nail tech has recommended I try again for my cruise in July and again in November for my transatlantic, with time in between to heal my nails if needed. I used Solar Oil on my nails several times a day for weeks, but still had problems with excessive dryness and extreme thinning of my nails. I did not have any buffing/filing of my nail beds at all; I would not stand for that. My nail tech is researching using a hot towel/parrafin gloves over the acetone pads/foil method to see if that will accelerate the process of loosening the gel so it can be removed sooner, so as to get the acetone off quicker. Have you heard of this idea?

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Margee

 

 

I know the hot towel method - I've used it when soaking off acrylics, as that takes up to an hour. I've never bothered with using them for Shellac removal because the acetone/foil method is under 10 minutes and I've not felt the need to try to rush it more.

 

I worry that the heat added to the acetone will add to the drying, and you may evaporate the acetone on the pads (you usually use a much smaller amount of acetone to remove Shellac as you do to remove acrylics).

 

If you were my client and you wanted something to help keep your nails from breaking, I would do a very thin gel overlay in traditional hard gel (a non-soak-off variety, so NOT Calgel or Biosculpture... look for something like Young Nails, CND Brisa, Onyx or TEN Gel) A very thin layer that stays on - don't remove it over and over. This is why is can't be a soak off gel... if you soak off your Shellacs, then you want something that will remain on the nail.

 

This thin layer will keep your nails from breaking. Get it done in clear, and it will just look natural - you don't have to wear anything over them, or you can Shellac or polish over the gel. You don't need to infill this layer very often - you can minimise the "bump" at the bottom of the nail with a soft white block, and tidy the edges with a file. I've got clients that have this redone every month - 6 weeks... not everyone can afford to see me every 2 weeks, and I'm happy to help them get the result they want in a way they can manage financially.

 

Also, keep up your cuticle oil every day. Ensure your diet is including some healthy fats as well as sufficient protein. Keep an eye out for any medical condition that might be causing changes (hormonal, thyroid, medication side effects, the list is endless).

 

Good luck to you! I hope your nails calm down and you can enjoy them on your holiday :)

[Whimsy]

Thanks for all the info on Shellac. I came here looking for opinions as our nail salon just started this service. I am hoping to have it done next week for my cruise. I was wondering just how durable it really was.

[Realblonde474]

During a "regular" mani/pedi this weekend, I asked at my salon about the GEL polish and the associated costs, etc...

 

Another patron chimed in and warned me not to use sunscreen or at least to be careful during the application of this as it will ruin your GEL nail polish.

 

Has anyone heard of this or do you know this to be true? I practically sleep in sun screen and can not use the spray kind as it is too drying.

 

Any ideas or experience with this?

 

Thanks!

Donna

[Seraphine]

During a "regular" mani/pedi this weekend, I asked at my salon about the GEL polish and the associated costs, etc...

 

Another patron chimed in and warned me not to use sunscreen or at least to be careful during the application of this as it will ruin your GEL nail polish.

 

Has anyone heard of this or do you know this to be true? I practically sleep in sun screen and can not use the spray kind as it is too drying.

 

Any ideas or experience with this?

 

Thanks!

Donna

 

 

Hi Donna

 

I've heard of this - I've not experience it myself yet, and none of my clients have reported it, but I did some digging on my nail forum and found out a little bit.

 

Apparently sunscreen products containing DEET and/or acetate are the primary culprits for wrecking gel polish or other gel enhancements. If you find a brand that doesn't contain these, you should be fine. You might want to try some at home (maybe repeated exposure on your pinky nail) before you go on your cruise just to see if you have any issues.

 

Good question! Thanks for bringing up an important issue!

[imgagesmom]

I kept slathering on sunscreen on the cruise as I am PALE and I never noticed it doing anything to my nails. I rubbed the extra into my hands also.

[Bowie MeMe]

I wore acrylic nails for almost 20 years -- every 2 weeks always! I retired and that was one of the things that went along with work clothes and gasoline etc. for financial reasons. At the end my acrylics were not staying on well and it took well over a year to get nails somewhat back to what they were before

short, ridged, layered,and the skin next to the nail gets hard and cracks especially in the winter. I keep nail polish on them and file most days to smooth out so they don't tear.

 

I want to try gel polish but wonder with being so short and flaky will it work? I leave Friday for my cruise around South America and I will be gone 3 weeks. Should I go for it? What do I say to my nail tech to get the best result? Anybody know what to do for these cracks? I use bag balm and Heel repair cream and buff them down with a gentle emery board but still they hurt! Just going to summer weather will help:D (along with Stewart! to do the house cleaning:rolleyes:) TIA

[imgagesmom]

I wore acrylic nails for almost 20 years -- every 2 weeks always! I retired and that was one of the things that went along with work clothes and gasoline etc. for financial reasons. At the end my acrylics were not staying on well and it took well over a year to get nails somewhat back to what they were before

short, ridged, layered,and the skin next to the nail gets hard and cracks especially in the winter. I keep nail polish on them and file most days to smooth out so they don't tear.

 

I want to try gel polish but wonder with being so short and flaky will it work? I leave Friday for my cruise around South America and I will be gone 3 weeks. Should I go for it? What do I say to my nail tech to get the best result? Anybody know what to do for these cracks? I use bag balm and Heel repair cream and buff them down with a gentle emery board but still they hurt! Just going to summer weather will help:D (along with Stewart! to do the house cleaning:rolleyes:) TIA

 

 

My nails are very short and thin and rip like paper and the gelish has just been awesome for them! Go for it!!!!! I'm in love

[Seraphine]

Bowie MeMe, the gel polishes are a great option for your nails. The polish will hide the ridges, and will add strength.

 

For 3 weeks, I'd probably go with a Gelish polish as it lasts a bit longer than Shellac, but bring a soft white block file and regular file with you, along with some coloured nail polish and topcoat. When you are nearing the end of your trip, you may find that your nails are starting to look past their best. File the sides, and buff the "bump" at the bottom of your nail where the gel polish ends, then apply your polish on top. When you get home, go to your nail tech to have the whole application removed.

[cruisegirl1]

I have French painted gel. The past few months, the white area has turned yellow after about 10 days. We are trying to determine the reason as my tail tech tells me no one else has this problem.

 

I swim 3 times a week at an indoor public pool with LOTS of chorine and I thought that might be the problem. A friend tells me it could be my shampoo (one for color treated hair). Since gloves will likely not keep the chlorine off my fingernails in the pool, I’ve started to wear thin medical gloves in the shower. I know that sound crazy – doesn’t it - but I want to try to see if I can figure out why the product is turning yellow. I had another idea to use a regular nail polish top coat to “protect” the white gel. If that topcoat turns yellow I can use remover to take off the top coat.

 

Any thoughts or nail professionals our there?

 

 

Thanks, M

[Seraphine]

I have French painted gel. The past few months, the white area has turned yellow after about 10 days. We are trying to determine the reason as my tail tech tells me no one else has this problem.

 

I swim 3 times a week at an indoor public pool with LOTS of chorine and I thought that might be the problem. A friend tells me it could be my shampoo (one for color treated hair). Since gloves will likely not keep the chlorine off my fingernails in the pool, I’ve started to wear thin medical gloves in the shower. I know that sound crazy – doesn’t it - but I want to try to see if I can figure out why the product is turning yellow. I had another idea to use a regular nail polish top coat to “protect” the white gel. If that topcoat turns yellow I can use remover to take off the top coat.

 

Any thoughts or nail professionals our there?

 

 

Thanks, M

 

Do you know what kind of gels you are wearing? Are they "hard" gel, or "soak-off" gel? (to remove them, does your nail tech soak them off, or file them off?)

 

The hard gel (file off ones) is harder and less porous, and much less likely to yellow. You can ask for a change in gel if your glove trick won't work.

 

Another option is to get your nail tech to use a UV Top Coat - this will be longer wearing than a clear polish topcoat, and should help with the staining. There should be one available for her system.

 

Good luck!

[fairbourne]

Seraphine - I see you are in Scotland - I'm in the north-east. I wish I knew where to find you as I think you could rescue my nails as you've given such good advice!

 

I had gellish nails before my cruise last November and what a mess the tech made - a couple of them started "lifting" at the edges after 5/6 days and as we were just on board the first thing I did was get the nail technician to remove them. She gave me a fabulous "rescue manicure" and my nails were great, she put on my own nail polish - OPI (and dried my nails under a UV lamp which I've never had before with regular nail polish) and the manicure lasted for over 2 weeks and my nails grew! But, since I took the nail polish off when we got home, my nails have been so brittle and split when they get any length at all, so they all looked like I've been chewing them! LOL!. I've filed them as soon as they look like they're going to split and, moisturise, moisturise (with oil on the cuticles) and finally they seem to be getting back to something like normal. I only had the gellish nails on twice - so about a period of maybe 5-6 weeks in all before the cruise, once to try them out and they seemed to be OK and then the disastrous application. I seem to remember the tech did "buff" my nails before she applied the gellish, so maybe on reading your posts, she shouldn't have done?

 

Never again as my nails take so long to get back to normal afterwards. I think I must have thin nails although they do grow great when I really pay attention to them! Not that I want them very long but neat and tidy would be nice! :)

[cruisegirl1]

Do you know what kind of gels you are wearing? Are they "hard" gel, or "soak-off" gel? (to remove them, does your nail tech soak them off, or file them off?)

 

The hard gel (file off ones) is harder and less porous, and much less likely to yellow. You can ask for a change in gel if your glove trick won't work.

 

Another option is to get your nail tech to use a UV Top Coat - this will be longer wearing than a clear polish topcoat, and should help with the staining. There should be one available for her system.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks - I have soak off and get a UV top coat.

 

My idea was to put a regualar clear polish top coat on - let that yet yellow and just use remover to get it off myself and re apply.

 

Thanks

M

[mzwaag]

I also have gel nails and clean homes for a living. I have no trouble at all with the strong cleaners my hands come into contact with. My only complaint is that I love hot pink and in the summer they fade terrible in the sun. My nail tech does not have a clue on what to do, she has tried the UV top coat too. We have tried several different colors and they still fade. They are not the soak off kind. The bottle says OPI gel. Anyone have any ideas?

[Seraphine]

I also have gel nails and clean homes for a living. I have no trouble at all with the strong cleaners my hands come into contact with. My only complaint is that I love hot pink and in the summer they fade terrible in the sun. My nail tech does not have a clue on what to do, she has tried the UV top coat too. We have tried several different colors and they still fade. They are not the soak off kind. The bottle says OPI gel. Anyone have any ideas?

 

 

OPI still makes Axxium Gel (the buff off kind), and now have a UV gel polish line that soaks off. I haven't heard any major issues with their Axxium gel when it comes to fading, and I'm sorry you're experiencing this!

 

I have several clients who also love hot pink, and they've been using the Shellac Tutti Frutti colour without fading. However, this is in gel polish, not gel.

 

Ask your tech to see if she can try a different brand of UV top coat. Also, ask her if her stock is old - that may have an impact on wearability (is it holding up okay except for the fading? No chipping, etc?)

 

I'll mention it on my nail forum and see if anyone has some info. Hopefully we can find a solution :)

[mzwaag]

THere is no chipping just fading! THanks:)

[Teacher_91]

I bought Gelish by Harmony and got the starter kit and a few colors and a light and I am so impressed I did them a week before I went on cruise and I finally took the color off after 3weeks and it did not chip! I only removed because of grow out. My toes still look awesome!

I always have my gel polish put on at a local nail place. However there are times when I can't get there and my nails are looking so bad I'd like to at least get the old polish off. What do you use to get it off yourself? Normal nail polish remover doesn't seem to do 'the trick' for me!

Thanks! :)

[mzwaag]

Soak them in actone!

[Seraphine]

Soak them in actone!

 

Well, not quite... acetone soaking can be very drying, so using it on pads is much more gentle to the surrounding skin than sticking your hand into a bowl of it. Check out this video by one of the best nail techs in the US - she'll demonstrate a good Shellac removal. For Gelish, leave the pads on for another 5 minutes.

 

 

Instead of using the CND remover pads, you can use squares of foil with a cotton pad - easy to make yourself! (and much cheaper).

[Teacher_91]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to put my two cents, in here. When I went on my last cruise, in December, I got "Shellac". I got it on December 3, our cruise was 12/10-12/17, plus we stayed in Fl until 12/19. My nails looked great the entire time. My nails did grow a bit, but they still looked good. When we, finally, got home, I had a million things to do since it was just a few days before Christmas and didn't get around to having my nails done, again until 12/23. The only reason I got them done again was because the nail growth was really getting noticeable. I didn't have time to go to my salon, since it's 1/2 hour from my house, so I just went to a "walk in" nail salon near my house. I use this particular place quite often for pedicures and they do a pretty good job. I called and asked if they did "Shellac" and they said yes, so off I went. When I got there, they used a product called "Gellac" - they sound so much a like that it must have just been miscommunication. I really liked the colors, so I got the "Gellac", anyway. My nails looked really nice and I loved the color, for Christmas, and I thought it would go into New years, as well. Well, I was wrong. The "Gellac" barely lasted a week. I never could understand why I hear of so many people having problems with peeling. Now I know. It must really depend on the product and, obviously, not all products are created equal. I was even thinking about getting a home kit, but, now I don't think it will be worth it, if it's not going to last a week. For special occasions, I will get "Shellac" - that seems like a really good product. One more thing, When I got the "Gellac", I was careful with my manicure. I used gloves when I cleaned, cooked, etc. so the nails only got wet with regular hand washing and bathing. So, they didn't get "used" any more than my nails did with the "Shellac".

In the beginning my salon used Gelish and it would peel but the last few times they've used the OPI product and it's lasting longer and hasn't peeled yet. If it wasn't for my nail beds growing out, I could probably wear it for a month!