5.1 Gel and acrylic services overview
Before we get into the practical side of things, let’s look at a quick breakdown of the types of nail enhancement treatments that, very soon, you will be able to provide. While not exhaustive, the most common nail enhancement products used in the industry, include:
- Traditional acrylics
- Odourless acrylics
- Primerless acrylics
- Dip powder acrylics
- UV gel coating over acrylic
- UV gel nails (builder gel)
- UV gel nail polish
- UV acrylic/gel hybrid (Polygel)
The above are the products used, and to apply these products to the nails there are a variety of treatment methods that can be performed (depending on a variety of factors, such as the state of your client’s natural nails or existing enhancements):
| Full set of tips | Nail tips are what most people think nail extensions are. They are made out of from nylon, plastic or acetate and act as – you guessed it!– your nail tips. They’re glued onto the nail plate and form a base for applying gel or acrylic. Nail tips can cover the full nail plate or ones that just partially cover the nail. These come in clear, natural, or white (for French nails) |
| Sculptured Nails | Nail forms are used for the sculpting method of nail extensions and can be used with gel or acrylic. Nail technicians apply a nail form under the nail, and this acts as a temporary base for applying gel or acrylic, helping the technician to build the nail to the desired length and shape. The nail forms are then removed once the nail is built. |
| Overlays | Overlays are where gel or acrylic is applied to the natural nail but does not exceed the natural nail length. Overlays can be great for people with brittle nails who do not want length but want strength. |
| Infills | An infill is a method of maintaining the beauty and toughness of the enhancement while the natural nail grows. A proper infill of the nail enhancement rebalances and protects the health of the natural nail and maintains the longevity of the service. Regular 2 to 3 week maintenance will establish proper balance and beauty of the enhancement. Clients must be aware of the maintenance programme involved in nail enhancements. |
| Repairs | A repair is where you repair any issues such as lifting, split nails or missing nails |
| Removal | A removal is where you remove the nails |
As explained above, nail tips a where you apply a tip to the nail, nail forms are where you sculpt the nail yourself, and an overlay is where gel/acrylic is applied over the natural nail – think of it as a super-strong manicure!
Gel manicure vs standard manicure vs builder gel vs gel polish
Before you progress onto learning all about the practical side of nail enhancements, it’s pertinent to firstly clarify the difference between a few treatment terminologies that quite a few students get confused with. Firstly, in this course you will learn how to conduct a gel manicure (nails on hands) and pedicure (nails on feet), which involves preparing the natural nail and then applying a gel base coat, two coats of gel polish, and a gel topcoat, curing under a UV light after each stage of treatment.
This is not to be confused with a traditional manicure and pedicure, which involves nourishing and hydrating the hands and feet by soaking them before massaging creams and oils into them. When conducting nail enhancement treatments (acrylic or gel), the nail plate and surrounding skin must be dry and void of all oils. Oils can be massaged into the cuticles and skin AFTER you have completed your nail enhancement treatment, but not before.
Finally, it is also important for you to understand the difference between a gel manicure and a gel nail enhancement. As outlined above, in a gel manicure, gel polish is applied to the natural nail (after a gel base coat) and then cured. This process adds little height or volume to the natural nail, instead providing a glossy, durable surface to the natural nail. This treatment is suitable for client’s with healthy natural nails.
A gel nail enhancement, on the other hand, involves using a different product called builder gel, which is applied to the nail in multiple layers and cured to provide volume and structure (you will learn all about nail structure in an upcoming lesson). A gel polish is then applied on top of the cured and shaped builder gel. So essentially, the difference between a gel manicure and a gel nail enhancement is the addition or absence of builder gel, and this will largely depend on your client’s preference (natural or structured nails) and natural nail health.
If this is all a little confusing, fear not, it will all make sense once you have covered all of the practical video tutorials in the upcoming lessons!