Technique
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      How to avoid liftings?

      Liftings can have many reasons and the issue also comes up for experienced nail techs. Read how to fix any kind of lifting problems in this article. We'll focus on gel nails in this article.

      What are liftings?

      When we say a nail has a lifting we mean that the gel does not adhere to the natural nail below. The gel lifts from the nail plate. This usually happens fromsm the outside: Around the cuticle line, side walls and nail tip.

      Why is it important to avoid and treat liftings?

      The most obvious reason to avoid lifting is that the nails don't hold as long as they should. A good hard gel lasts until you file it down. This is what your customer expects and pays for. If they experience liftings, they will most likely not become returning customers.

      But even more important is that liftings can open the door to infections. The reason is that bacteria, viruses or fungi can multiply undisturbed in the space between the nail plate and the gel. If water penetrates the area, the above is even more likely. Especially if a darker color gel polish or polish is applied over. Bacteria that has multiplied can cause discoloration of the natural nail. This we call a "greenie". 

      Possible reasons why liftings appear

      You can click on the below reasons to read more about them

      Improper nail preparation

      Insufficient preparation of the natural is the reason that most of our customers claims cannot be the issue - but it is :) It happens to all of us that a freestyled technique we "invented" becomes a habit and we don't stick to the original technique anymore. So even for very experienced nail techs we strongly recommend revisiting the proper ail preparation now and then. 

      Watch the e-learning session on the nail P.R.E.P: in our ICG app here.

      Wrong application or finishing technique

      It's important to work as tidy as possible. If you touch any skin with the gel, you will hardly be able to prevent liftings.

      When filing the gel in shape avoid too much force on the nail. Don't press the file too hard on the surface but keep it lightly in your hands. Otherwise, you could tear the gel away. The file has to do the work - not you!

      Don't forget to seal your work thoroughly. The top coat won't only give your work a great shine, it also protects it very well - if applied around all edges. 

      Over- or under-curing in the LED lamp

      Improper curing can lead to liftings. Always stick to the suppliers' guidelines when it comes to curing times and type of lamp. Keep in mind that not all lamps go well with all gels and some products even need a specially designed lamp from the same brand.

      Mixing bonders, gels and a lamp from different brands is usually not worth experimenting with. The brand has already done all the research for you so you can focus your time on sculpting and creating art.

      Customer's nails need special treatment

      Not all products work well on all nail types. Some need special primers, bonders or more/less flexible gels. Here is a short overview. If you want to learn more, consider taking our basic nail education.

      • Sweaty nails or hands: Because of the moisture these nails might not build a strong bond to the gel. Use a specially designed bonder like Light Elegance Airbond. After applying Airbond you can add a layer of Light Elegance Tack for even stronger bonding.
      • Oily nails: Oil is naturally not the best base for bonding things together. Light Elegance VitaPrime is our secret power weapon for these cases. Use it before you apply the bonder. It is very important that VitaPrime does not come in contact with the skin, a small drop on the middle of the nail is enough. It will spread out to the entire nail by itself. 
      • Damaged nails: Nail products are designed to adhere to healthy natural nails. If the nails are damaged they should be brought back to their original state again. Especially if you are struggling with lifts and having a hard time to make the gel service last. You can consider a cure before the next enhancement: Teach your customers how to use CND Rescue RXx at home for 2-4 weeks. For their next appointment use Light Elegance Tack as a bonding agent.
      • Brittle or weak nails: Use can use Light Elegance Tack as a bonder to get a strong bonding to the gel. Consider the choice of gel properly. Usually, these nails don't go very well with gels that are too hard and you need a more flexible gel. Here is a selection of our Light Elegance gels, sorted by hardness and by viscosity: LEL_Hard GEls_Chart_Viscosity-Flexibility
      • Dry nails: Because dry nails suck everything up, bonding can be an issue. Use Light Elegance Tack as a bonder to increase adhesion. 
      • Ski jump nails: Nails that naturally grow upwards we call ski-jump nails. Ski-jump nails will often lift when growing out. This happens because the nail grows upwards and the product cannot withstand than "natural" force. For customers with this nail type, the solution is to cut down the enhancements every second or third time and start over from scratch. Otherwise bi-weekly appointments will be necessary to avoid the lifts from damaging the natural nails over time. It's important to choose a flexible gel for this type of nail. 

      Customer has special (hormonal) conditions

      Our hormones influence our body a lot, not only nails, but also the skin and the hair can benefit or suffer a lot during hormonal fluctuations. This means that a customer who never had issues with liftings before might need special attention suddenly because their nails changed and might become dry, brittle, weak, oily etc. Reasons for hormonal changes can be the pregnancy, medical conditions, drugs, etc. 

      Also remember that climatically circumstances can influence the nails a lot! With summers getting much hotter, our bodies (and nails) react too. The gel behaves differently in different temperatures, so keep an eye on your application techniques when climate changes.

      Customer is not caring enough for their nails

      Remind your customer that their nails are not to be used as tools. When we put a lot of force on the enhancement of course it will lift or break.

      To keep the nails strong and the plastics in the gel flexible always sell your customer a cuticle oil for home use. Teach them to use it at least once a day!

      How to treat liftings

      Depending on the size of the lifting you can either fix it with a bonder or you need to file down the enhancement and apply a new layer of gel.

      Fixing a lifting with a bonder

      If the lifting is on the edge and only up to 1 mm wide, you can use Light Elegance Tack to fix it. Cleanse the nail thoroughly with a cleanser. And then simply push Tack into the air pocket and cure the nail for 30 seconds. The lift must visibly disappear when doing this. If not you have to file of the product that has lifted and apply a new layer. 

      Filing down bigger liftings

      If the lifting is bigger it is important to file down the whole area. Otherwise, you would risk infections on the nail.

      Why are liftings expensive for nail techs?

      As a nail tech, it is in your best interest to avoid liftings as much as you can. Fixing them during the next treatment will cost you more time than necessary. That means you can treat fewer customers and/or earn less money per service. 

      You might even lose your customers because they have the feeling your work was not done properly and they will look for another nail salon. All the effort done to win this customer would be wasted!

       

      Would you like to learn more about Light Elegance™?

      At Insight Cosmetics Group, we have a variety of contact and training options available to you.