SHELLAC MANICURES – AFTERCARE ADVICE
We know you will absolutely LOVE your nails while you are wearing Shellac and can expect them to last for up to 14 days, if you give them the recommended care and attention during that time.
Shellac is pretty indestructible with normal wear and tear, but you must add a little protection to your nails if doing tough jobs like household cleaning and gardening, hobbies that are rough on your hands or using harsh chemical products.
Doing these things without the protection of gloves can mar your Shellac service and reduce the longevity of your nails.
If you do happen to cause some damage to the Shellac coating and see any of the following signs, we hope you find the advice below helpful.
If something you have done has caused a chip or lifted an edge of your Shellac manicure, please do not pick or pull at the area, as this will cause any damage to increase. Please message us so that we can assess the nail and decide if a repair is necessary. Please note that repairs will be chargeable.
If you are on holiday please be careful when using sun tan oils or insect repellent solutions as many of these products contain solvent oils which will cause major damage to the Shellac colour coat.
Some of the more delicate Shellac colours can fade if exposed to chlorinated water followed by excessive sun (remember that chlorine is a bleach and sun intensifies the bleaching action). Wash and dry your hands and nails after swimming and before sunbathing to minimize any colour fading.
Please use Solar Oil at least twice a day (especially at night before going to bed) to replace lost moisture to your skin and nails. We recommend Solar Oil which we retail at £8.75 as it is made to be used with Shellac. Also beneficial is the use of any CND hand and body lotion daily. Regularly using CND aftercare products will substantially prolong the life of your Shellac manicure and keep your natural nails and the skin surrounding them healthy, moisturised and flexible.
Relative to your life-style, activity level and the initial condition of your nails, your Shellac will need fortnightly or three weekly maintenance as there will be obvious re-growth. At this point we can either re-Shellac your nails (removing existing Shellac and re-applying a fresh new colour) or can remove the Shellac completely which takes between 10-15 minutes.
If you do decide you want to remove your Shellac please make an appointment and let us do it safely for you. Incorrect removal at home may damage the surface of your nails. Shellac should be removed using a professional remover.
If you have any questions or queries please call Christiane on 07798 912756 or email: christiane@christianedowling.com.
UNDERSTANDING SHELLAC
Shellac and Chlorine
Shellac is the first ever professional UV-cured Colour Coat System that features UV3 technology:
- On like polish
- Wears like gel
- Off in minutes
Shellac is unique compared to competitive colour coatings. Many come in permanent options (coloured gels) and semi-permanent options (coloured soft gels or “soakable” gels and Liquid and Powder), but these technologies are all nail enhancements, requiring time, skilled application techniques, maintenance and additional time required for potentially damaging removal.
Shellac is formulated with Acetone Soluble Polymers (tiny tunnels) making it removable in 10 minutes. These tiny tunnels allow the acetone to travel all the way down through the coating and finally down to the base layer where the acetone breaks down the “quick-release” polymers releasing Shellac from the natural nail without the use of files or buffers which can be extremely damaging to the natural nail.
These tiny tunnels do make Shellac less chemically resistant than gels, liquid & powders or other enhancement products. Thus exposure to household chemicals including chlorine can affect Shellac wear. Clients who regularly swim or soak in Jacuzzis may not experience 14+ day wear with Shellac. However they should experience longer wear with Shellac than with polish.
Shellac Colour Stability
Colour stability is a formulation requirement for all nail coatings and special stabilizers are added to the majority of cosmetic products to prevent colours from changing or fading. Additionally, all cosmetic formulas, including the Shellac formula, are regulated to cosmetic approved ingredients.
Unfortunately, some pigments that are approved for cosmetics are more likely to fade than others. Therefore, just like when wearing nail polish or other cosmetic products, some clients may experience slight fading when wearing some Shellac colours over time. Not all Shellac colours will fade, but some colours have a greater tendency to fade than others.
In general, lighter colours are less colour stable than darker colours. Negligee, Romantique, Strawberry Smoothie and Rosebud are the most common colours that may show signs of fading within the Shellac colour range. These lighter shades have one thing in common – pink. The pigment used to create pink is more prone to fading. The good news is that even though Shellac pinks may fade when worn overtime, they do so at a much slower rate than nail polish under the same conditions.
As already mentioned above, the Acetone Soluble Polymers (tiny tunnels) mean that pigments in Shellac can be easily attacked by chemical exposure during daily activity such as bathing, house cleaning, laundry, gardening, car washing, swimming, etc. Sun light exposure can also make colours fade faster. Heat and humidity have much less effect on fading, but can accelerate fading when combined with chemical or sunlight exposure.
Shellac should not limit daily activity, however to minimize fading and maximize long-term wear of Shellac please follow the following guidelines:
- Clients should wear gloves when working with household products that contain solvents and/or strong oxidizing agents (such as chlorine, bleach and strong detergents).
- Minimize the time in swimming pools (which water contains chlorine) and public jacuzzi (which contains even more chlorine and high temperature)
- Minimize sun light exposures, especially right after spending time in swimming pools.
- Choose hand lotions carefully. Stay away from lotions that include strong active ingredients such as tanning lotions and skin bleaching lotions. Mild lotions such as baby lotions are good choices.
