Why shellac does not stay on nails for a long time: main reasons and recommendations

In recent years, shellac has become the most beloved means to create the perfect manicure. Long-term coverage, the ability to choose from a wide range of colors, as well as strengthening the nails - this is an incomplete overview of the benefits of shellac.

However, many women note poor coating stability and rapid peeling of the gel from the nail plate. This fact makes some completely abandon shellac in their manicure. But this is not worth doing, not understanding why shellac does not stick to nails. Often the causes of this phenomenon are very easy to eliminate and again be content with an ideal coating.

How much shellac should hold

The gel coating of nails, which is often called "shellac", has a certain period of wear. On average, it should last about 2-3 weeks. If the gel polish begins to exfoliate earlier than this time, then mistakes were made during the manicure. An important role is played by the quality of the varnishes themselves and other products that were used before and after painting the nails. Some women have an individual intolerance to shellac. In this case, they will have to find other ways to create a perfect manicure.

After two weeks of wear, the coating grows strongly and a white strip appears near the cuticle. This fact should not affect the life of shellac. Nails should grow evenly, and gel polish should remain in place. Therefore, you do not need to immediately go redo the coating. The only thing that will be expedient to do is a new manicure without removing nail polish. However, many women also love to change it. In this case, there is no fault of the manicurist in premature shellac removal.

beautiful shellac

What shellac should look like

The first two weeks, shellac with the correct application technique should remain in perfect condition. It should not have cracks, chips or any other deformations. After two weeks of wear, the appearance of small flaws is allowed, which is the norm with an active woman's life. Nails are constantly in contact with detergents, household chemicals, and are also subject to constant friction and impact. That is why many manicure masters give a guarantee for a shellac wearing period of two weeks. If the coating began to deteriorate long before the end of this period, this means poor-quality work of the person who made it.

Shellac application procedure

Proper application of the gel coating ensures a long term wear of the manicure, as well as its neat appearance. After the quality work of the questions regarding why shellac does not stick to the nails, no one arises. Every professional master who has undergone appropriate training should know all the stages of shellac coating of nails. Therefore, before surrendering to his hands, you must make sure that he has the appropriate work experience and knowledge.

You should also ask him about the materials that will be used in the process of applying gel polish to the nails. Having made sure that all manicure tools are completely sterile, and the master is a good specialist, you can entrust your fingers to him. The procedure for applying shellac is as follows:

  • First of all, you need to prepare the nail plate. To do this, the overgrown cuticle is removed, the nail plate is leveled, and then the free edges are formed, giving it the desired shape.
  • Then the nails are degreased using special tools.
  • After that, the master applies a primer, which will provide a tight bond of the base with the nail plate.
  • A special base for shellac is applied. It is on its quality and the correct application technique that the life of the gel coating depends.
  • The base layer is dried in a special ultraviolet lamp. An LED lamp for drying nails can also be used.
  • After that, the specialist applies a thin layer of the desired colored coating of varnish to the nails. After each layer, shellac is dried in the lamp for at least 60 seconds. May require from 1 to 3 layers of color coating, depending on the consistency of gel polish.
  • At the end, the master applies a thin layer of top gel, which completes the manicure procedure. The top coating provides the color fastness of shellac, as well as its luster.

If you follow the correct technique for applying shellac, the manicure will last at least two weeks without any chips, peeling and scratches on the nails. Questions about why shellac does not stay on the nails, no one in this case will arise.

nail plate preparation

Why shellac does not hold

This question is of interest not only to women who have experienced such an unpleasant event, but also to manicurists who are trying to do everything qualitatively, but shellac exfoliation still occurs. Based on studies of this phenomenon, it turned out that the problem lies not only in the poor quality of the materials used, but also in non-compliance with the correct technology for applying gel polish. They also highlighted the most common reasons why shellac does not stick to nails.

shellac application technology

Incorrect preparation of the nail plate

Why shellac does not stick to the nails depends largely on the proper preparation of the nail plate. The gel polish will certainly begin to swell and exfoliate if the nails are not degreased before applying the primer. For this procedure, it is necessary to use a special tool that will clean the nail from small particles of dust and fat.

Even if the nails before the manicure were thoroughly washed, this does not mean that they are fat-free. Remains of detergent will still be on their surface. Therefore, each experienced master before applying the primer cleans the nails with a special lint-free cloth, which is previously moistened in a degreasing solution.

One of the reasons why shellac does not stick to nails is to ignore cuticle removal. It should not interfere with the application of the gel, and therefore it should be cut off with the help of nippers or removed with an apparatus for unedged manicure. If the base, color or top coat will fall on the cuticle, this will contribute to the detachment of shellac. However, it can occur within 2-3 days after the manicure.

shellac application technique

Low lamp power

Another common reason why shellac on nails does not hold well is the poor polymerization of its layers. This happens when the master uses a lamp with a low power - below 36 V. in his work. It is also necessary to understand that the gel varnish company always warns about the necessary form of its polymerization. To do this, the label that is on the bottle with the varnish contains the label LED or UV.

This information must be considered when choosing a lamp for drying shellac. In addition to choosing the right lamp, you should ask the master how often he changes bulbs in it. They need to be changed every 3-6 months, depending on the intensity of use of the device.

high-quality coating

Thick shellac coating

The most common reason why shellac does not stick to the nails for a long time is the incorrect application of its layers. Some masters believe that the thicker the coating, the longer and better it will be worn. In fact, this is absolutely wrong, and a specialist who believes so is not really him. Therefore, having noticed that the master is applying the gel polish too thick, it is necessary to make a remark to him.

If you do not pay attention to this, you can confidently predict shellac detachment within a week after its application. Each coating layer must be very thin. This will allow him to dry better in the lamp, as well as make shellac glossy and shiny with the same glare. A thick layer of varnish will collect on the nail plate in waves and flow onto the cuticle on the sides. As a result, the manicure will turn out not only unstable, but also sloppy.

nail coloring

Bad sealing of the edges of the nails

While covering the nail plate with a base, a color layer, and then a top, each of the steps should end with sealing the free edge of the nail. This should be done with a thin layer so that the nails look neat. This nuance will significantly strengthen the coating and prevent chipping of the tips.

When masters neglect this nuance, shellac escapes from the edges of the nails. After this, dissatisfied customers find the reason why shellac does not stick to the nails. “I use proven means, I don’t know what happened” - you can often hear from masters who haven’t worked the edges. But if this happened, you should demand that low-quality work be redone.

If this is not done, air, as well as dirt and moisture, will begin to get under the nail plate. If you pry off the edge of the coating, you can remove it with a film. Of course, this should never be done. When such a problem arises, you need to sign up to the salon as soon as possible to remove poor-quality coating.

Improper coating care

A review of the reasons why shellac does not stay on the nails includes the fault of the client himself. Sometimes a manicurist is not to blame for the rapid departure of gel polish. This can happen if a woman constantly exposes her nails to alcohol, liquids with acetone, a household solvent, and also do not use rubber gloves during cleaning.

All this badly affects the coating and the skin of the hands. Therefore, it is not surprising that gel polish will depart faster. In addition, it should be borne in mind that a fresh coating is very easy to deform mechanically. This can be done with a nail or physical work. To keep the nail polish for more than two weeks, it is very important to protect the manicure from all possible damage.

cracked gel polish

Poor quality of the nail plate

What do the numerous reviews say about all this? Why doesn't shellac stick on nails? Comments do not always contain information about the initial state of the nail plates. But sometimes the coating does not hold due to the fact that the quality of the nails themselves is very poor. For example, if they exfoliate or are covered with furrows from the wrong technique of the previous manicure, you must first align the nail plate.

If the master does not do this, shellac will begin to depart within a couple of days after coating. Therefore, if a specialist suggests including this service in the cost of manicure, you can not refuse it. Especially if the problem with the nails is visible to the naked eye.

Recommendations from professionals

In order for the nail coating to please as long as possible, manicure professionals recommend that you adhere to the following rules before and after gel coating:

  • A few days before going to the nail salon, you can not make oil masks for the skin of hands and nails. It is also undesirable to carry out any other SPA procedures. This will soften the nail plate and contribute to insufficiently strong polymerization in the lamp.
  • Do not record with the master while taking antibiotics or during treatment for hormonal failure. Such health problems can be the reason why shellac on the nails does not hold. The advice of professionals is due to the fact that each body reacts to a disease differently.
  • In the first day after applying shellac, you need to limit contact with water. During cleaning, it is better to use rubber gloves.
  • Do not expose nails with fresh manicure to alcohol, acetone-based liquids, or solvents.
  • When a chip or detachment occurs, the coating layer cannot be peeled off. This can lead to the most deplorable consequences, ranging from lacerations to the nail and ending with the appearance of pits on the plate. If shellac began to move away, you need to sign up to a specialist as soon as possible in order to accurately and safely get rid of poor-quality coating.
  • You can not cut off the edge of the nail or try to give it a new shape on your own. The main reason why shellac does not stay on the nails is just ignoring this rule. From sawing, the sealed layer of gel polish is destroyed and moisture, air and dirt begin to penetrate under the coating, which contributes to the quick detachment of shellac.

Another important nuance when wearing shellac on the nails is careful nail care at home. After each trip to the shower or bath, you need to move the cuticle with an orange stick. This method will help to keep the skin of the fingers and the appearance of the manicure in excellent condition for a long time.


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