FingerNailFixer

Chasing the (Fill) Line

by Holly Schippers | December 28, 2010 | Bookmark +

Do you notice at this time of year when everyone is busy celebrating and enjoying friends and family that they perhaps like wearing their enhancements a bit longer? Maybe they keep the length the same but have problems that are not normally there. I find myself slipping up and using a nail as a tool here and there to get everything done, and I am obsessive about not doing it most times so I can only imagine what clients are doing to their nails! If your clients normally do not experience lifting and some pop up around now it can be a result of increased client wear and tear.

 

If it is not a problem you normally have, how do you deal with it? Do any of you “chase the line”? We start out filing on the lifted area and darn if it just doesn’t keep moving right on down the nail instead of going away. If you leave it you can see it through the product, if you use things like extra monomer, a touch of gel, adhesive, chemicals, etc., it just discolors the enhancement or causes more problems in the long run. Here is an idea for getting rid of the lifted area so that you have a sealed enhancement once again that you can rebalance (fill) without those darn lines!

 

Using a 100-grit file de-bulk (file down) the enhancement by at least 50%. Taking a closer look there is a lift along one side.

 

To get rid of the lift, instead of filing on top of it, let’s file toward it, remembering to curve the stroke to the shape of the nail.

 

As you file, the lifted area will begin to flake off. If it does not do so after a minute or two of filing toward the lift,you might need to thin out the enhancement a bit more.

 

Slow up and soften your strokes when you see that most of the lifted area has flaked off and the rest will follow, leaving you with a nice smooth nail that is once again sealed and ready for cuticle work and a rebalance (fill). This technique will work with liquid-and-powder (acrylic) or UV gel.

 

If you are having trouble with lifting across a broad range of clients and not just here and there, you need to try some troubleshooting with product PREP, application, etc. If you would like to see a blog in the future about troubleshooting lifting just leave a comment and include if you would like it to be liquid-and-powder (acrylic) or UV gel. (Hint: You don’t have to leave your real name with the request.)

 

— Holly

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