If you have been thinking of getting started in the beauty industry as a nail technician, your first port of call is to do an accredited gel polish course that will allow you to become officially qualified and start getting your first clients through the door. How good does that sound?
Let’s talk through some of the most common questions you and your clients will have around gel polish manicures.
Firstly, how do you do a gel manicure?
The process consists of a number of stages. To begin, you shape the nail, push back and remove non-living tissue from the nail plate, and then apply the gel polish. The polish is cured by a UV or LED lamp, it cannot dry naturally.
How does gel polish work?
A chemical called photoinitiators inside gel polish reacts with the UV or LED light in the lamps I just mentioned. When this is exposed to UV or LED light, it gives off something called a free radical particle. This particle sets off a polymerisation reaction with the resins of the gel. This reaction creates heat causing the gel polish to harden to a solid plastic.
How often should you have your gel polish done?
It is advised to have a gel polish every 3-4 weeks however no longer than 6 weeks. Leaving it too long can cause the nail plate to become unbalanced and can cause damage. If you want to completely remove gel nails you need to soak them off using 100% acetone. Firstly, you would buff the nail, then using cotton wool pads with the acetone on, you wrap the nails in tin foil and hold them in place.
Is gel polish bad for your nails?
Your clients may ask you if gel polish is bad for their nails. If the gel is removed safely and properly as mentioned above no damage will occur.
Can gel go wrong?
Sometimes, gel polish chips, wrinkles, peels or cracks and there are a number of reasons why this can happen. Poor preparation of the natural nail, the gel applied too thickly, or too close to the edge of the nails to name a few. I have an entire module within my course on troubleshooting to help with these issues.
What is the difference between Shellac and gel polish?
Shellac is a brand of gel that is a semi-permanent polish whereas gel is a semi-permanent gel. Shellac is thinner than gel so tends to break down earlier and therefore not last as long.
I hope this answered all your burning questions about gel polish. If you are ready to get started in the beauty industry check out my Gel Polish for Beginners nail course. It will give you all the knowledge and skills you need to start offering basic manicures and gel polish to clients and start your beauty business!
