Technique

What’s the best way to do a pink-and-white backfill?

October 09, 2009 | Bookmark +

What’s the best way to do a pink-and-white backfill? I’ve been doing them for years now and I still can’t get my time down. I go back and forth between the traditional way and the reverse method and neither one cuts any time off. I don’t know if I’m over-filing during prep. It usually takes me an hour and a half. I cringe when I have to do one these days. Any advice on cutting time or a new way of doing it?

Answer

Here’s how I backfill using the reverse technique. It’s a little different than how most do it, but I’m able to get my backfills done in under an hour.

I use a carbide bit on my e-file to remove the finish on the nails — it takes forever with a hand file. Once I remove the finish from all 10 nails, I shorten them with my e-file as well. Then I go back with the e-file to thin each nail from the stress area to the free edge. You want it to be thin so there is just a smidge of product left at the free edge.

Remember you are thinning from the apex out, and only removing about half of the old apex. You don’t want to thin the entire nail down because then you’ll have to use a big ball of pink to make a brand new apex.

Once all 10 nails are done, I prep the cuticle area with a sciver bit. It’s thin and perfect for the small cuticle area. It takes just a couple seconds to do a nail, and if I didn’t have it I would hand file.

After dehydrating and priming, I apply a pink ball to the re-growth area and shape it just like you would for a reverse full set. This requires a bigger ball than normal for a fill but smaller than what you need for a full reverse set, since your apex is pretty much already there. I do all pinks on one hand, then add the whites on that hand, then go to the other hand. By the time you finish with hand two, hand one is ready to be filed.

I do all my finish filing by hand. If you place the product just right, you just need to file lightly over the entire surface of each nail. Then dust them off and apply a finish gel or buff.

Another time-saving tip is to shape the free edge and sidewalls once just at the end when you are finish filing, as opposed to doing it twice with the prep and then again with the finishing. — Rhonda Kibuk is the owner of The Purple Pinkie Salon in Ford City, Pa.

Bookmark +

How can I prevent lifting when my client's hands are constantly in water?

I have a client who is in the medical field so her hands are constantly in water. She has me keep the length of her acrylic nails short. No matter what I do, she always has at least one nail that comes off, and she always has lifting and gets water under the acrylic. I prep the nails correctly, I have a cuticle bit to clean the cuticle area, and I wipe the nail with alcohol, dehydrate the nail, and prime the nail. What should I do?

We respect your data and privacy.
By clicking the submit button below, you are agreeing with Bobit’s Privacy Policy and this outlined level of consent.

Load More
a Bobit media brand

Create your free Bobit Connect account to bookmark content.

The secure and easy all-access connection to your content.
Bookmarked content can then be accessed anytime on all of your logged in devices!

Create Account