Gel Nails Extension Certification Course

Before you step on to the next Lecture, please read and make sure that you understand the Theory :)

Let's start practice - It's now the fun begins!

Now that you have grasped the theory, you can start practice. I suggest that you start practice on your own nails or use a practice hand.

Nail preparation is the most important session. Our goal here is to learn how to prepare the natural nails to make the product attach and stay on for weeks. This procedure is the same for any nail services with some exceptions. You can read about those in "Analyze the client"

WHAT DOES LIFTING MEANS ?

For those who don´t know, lifting means that the product (Gel, acrylic, poly gel, gel polish) is separating from the nail plate and creates an "air pocket".

When this happens, dirt, moisture and oils get into that pocket and it usually grow bigger until the nail "pops off".

Lifting can also result in bacteria infection. This is called greenie (pseudomonas) and shows as a green spot on the nail plate.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT LIFTINGS?

About 95% of all the lifting problems are caused by improper nail preparation.

That remaining 5% can be caused by hormone problems, medications, damage nail plates etc.

Let's focus on the 95% and use this checklist below next time you are doing nails.

NO MORE LIFTINGS - CHECKLIST

• Remove all the cuticles from the nail plate. All non living tissue that´s attached to the nail plate, must be removed. If we apply any product over the cuticle, lifting will appear within a few hours.

• Cleanse the nails thoroughly. (Don´t forget the free edge and sides.)

• Buff the nail plate in one direction to remove the shine. (We must remove ALL the shine from the nail plate. The product you want to apply must have a rough surface to attach to. Buff the nail plate from cuticle to free edge. If you go back and forth, you can end up with a smooth surface and we don´t want that!

• Cleanse the nails thoroughly again and look for a matte finish. (Make sure to remove all the oils, moisture and dust. don´t forget the sides and free edge)

• Apply a sparingly amount of primer/bonder to the nails. Let it dry before applying any product. (If you apply too much primer/bonder and your nails look wet, take a pad and dab away the excess) Applying too much primer/bonder is a common mistake that can cause lifting.

• Apply your gel/acrylic/gel polish 1 mm away from the cuticle and sidewalls. (If any product comes in contact with the skin, it must be removed. Leaving product on the skin causes lifting)

• Cap the free edge. If you are doing an overlay you must cap the free edge. I see a lot of lifting problems come from forgetting this step. Especially common on gel polish.

ANALYZE YOUR CLIENT;

Are the fingers straight ?

Look at the hand/fingers. Are the fingers straight ? Almost everybody has at least one finger that´s a little bit crooked. You can adjust that a little by placing the form in the opposite direction of where the finger points.

Is she/he a nail biter ?

A nail-biter can be tricky to work on, especially if you are a beginner. Nail-biters usually have an overgrown cuticle and short nail plate/nail bed. Use these tips to help up with your work.

1. Pay extra attention to your nail preparation. (Be careful. Nail-biters are usually sore around the nails)

2. Cut and customize the nail-forms. Cut out a «V» on each side of the nail-form. (This is demonstrated in session 2.)

3. Do not extend the nail more than the length of the natural nail-plate and don't make it longer than the fingertip.

NAIL TYPE?

By analyzing the nail-type you can customize your nail prep for better adhesion. These are the common signs to look for.

Normal - Flexible, smooth, no visible signs of splitting, peeling or breakage. (Use acid-free primer. If you still get liftings, try dehydrator before the primer)

Oily - Shiny/oily nail plate, overgrown cuticles(easy to push back so you want to be careful.) Easily get liftings.(Use dehydrator and acid-primer.) Apply gel a little further away from the cuticle.

Dry - dryness , Sign of vertical ridging, flaking. (use acid-free primer)

Welcome to the second part of this course!

Now that you know how to prepare the nails for any product application, you are ready to start practice form application!

This is probably the part where you´ll struggle the most but don't give up here. It took me hundreds of forms later before I could place it correctly. The only key here is patience and practice.

When you master this session you will be able to customize any form to any client in no time!

I suggest you watch this session a few times before practicing.

Good luck!

Welcome to the filing lecture!

You can download your shaping manual here and use it while you practice! This helps you being consistent right from the start.
Once you master every filing step on the map, you will eventually be able to speed up time if that´s something you strive for.

Remember to blend every section together to assure we don´t leave any uneven spots or bumps. :)

/Amanda

This is the last Lecture where you will learn how to apply color and top coat.