In the below video tutorial, we will look at another infill treatment, this time using gel. The process is almost identical to providing an acrylic infill except, of course, with the use of builder gel in place of your acrylic system.
Application process
Let’s recap the steps involved in providing a gel infill treatment:
Gel infills
Have your client wash their hands and nails with antibacterial soap and warm water. If hand-washing facilities unavailable, have them thoroughly sanitise with a gel or foam hand sanitiser.
Conduct a consultation with your client to determine their nail goals, as well as what product/s is/are present on their nails. Educate your client about what options are available to them.
Examine your client’s nails and fingers for any contraindications that will prevent treatment. If present, discontinue your service and refer them to a medical professional.
Insert your barrel drill bit into your E-drill and turn on the drill to a low setting. Using your E-drill, remove any gel top coats/unwanted product from zones 1 and 2, and remove any excess length.
Brush away any nail dust created from filing with your nail brush.
Using the curved end of your cuticle pusher, gently push back the cuticles from the nail plate.
Using your 100 grit nail file, file the free edge of your nail into shape, and then file the gel product so that it blends into the natural nail, being careful not to file the natural nail itself.
Insert your diamond cuticle drill bit into your E-drill and clean up around the cuticle area.
Brush away any nail dust created from filing with your nail brush.
Apply a small amount of dehydrator to a lint free wipe and wipe down each nail.
Bring your gel system to your workspace.
Commencing in zone 3, or the regrowth zone around the cuticles, apply builder gel to the enhancement to rebalance the structure.
Continue to apply gel product to the intersection of zones 2 and 3 to form your apex. Repeat this on each nail.
Cure under your LED light for 60 seconds.
Once the nails have hardened sufficiently, using your 100 grit nail file, file each enhancement to achieve your desired apex and C-curve.
Smooth out the surface of each enhancement using your buffer block.
Brush away any nail dust created from filing with your nail brush.
Apply a small amount of dehydrator to a lint free wipe and wipe down each nail.
Bring your LED light to your workspace. Apply a thin, even coat of gel base coat to the surface of each acrylic enhancement, avoiding the cuticles by 1-2mm. Once applied, cure under your LED light for 60 seconds.
Apply two coats of gel polish to each enhancement and cure under your LED light for 60 seconds per coat.
Using your 180 grit nail file, tidy up the side walls and bevel the free edge of each enhancement.
Brush away any nail dust created from filing with your nail brush.
Massage a drop of cuticle oil into the cuticles of each nail.
Practical Exercise
Please do not attempt to complete the below Practical Exercise until you have thoroughly reviewed the above video tutorial multiple times and feel confident in your techniques.
In preparation for your next assignment, complete a gel infill treatment on a friend or family member (we recommend using one of the models that you used to practice your natural gel tips).