QuestionCan you tell me how often one should take off biogel and reapply it again to the nails..I go every two weeks for a fill and find after a few months one can see the old gel underneath the new gel growing out....Should you take off everything every 2 to 3 months and apply fresh gel? Also I know there is a special solution to soak off Biogel nails however my nail technician takes a fake nail tip and pops the gel off my own nail? Is this bad for the nail? Can the biogel be soaked off in acetone? Dianne
AnswerThe issue of what we refer to as "fill lines"-- the visible line where new product meets old-- is generally accepted to be a matter of skill on the part of the technician applying the product. Fill lines can result from a few different things, one being excessive filing during the service which results in grooves being cut into the natural nail (we call these "rings of fire.") These grooves are signs of damage to the natural nail and can often be seen through the product, showing each time the product has been filled so that you can count the age of your enhancements, sort of like counting the rings in a tree. Unfortunately, if this is what is showing through the product there's no way to "fix" it. You need to find a professional who is competent to prep your natural nails without damaging them. Taking off the product and putting on a new set won't make this type of ring go away or even make it less visible. They just have to grow out.
However, the other type of visible fill line is caused by a tiny ledge of old product that is actually lifted from the natural nail. Mastering the technique that eliminates these lines takes a good deal of practice and skill and it can be hard to find a nail tech who has it down. It requires being able to completely remove any old product that is no longer sealed to the natural nail before applying new product over it. This is harder to do than it sounds, as quite often what happens is that the more you file, the more of the old product "flakes" away under the file. I, personally, find this to be especially true of resin-based products such as wraps and soakable gels. Another culprit behind fill lines is nipping. Nipping is when you take a pair of nippers and clip the old product away before adding new product. Nipping actually pries up old product that was still sealed down, and creates a new ledge of lifted product. There's just no such thing as nippers small enough or sharp enough to clip away that tiny ledge of product without shoving the blade farther under the good product and causing more lifting. The old product has to be filed completely flush to the natural nail, without cutting into the natural nail.
I don't know exactly why UV gel products that can be soaked off seem to present more issues than traditional gels, but I have experienced brittleness with every brand I have tried thus far.
Based on that experience I would say, Yes. Remove your Biosculpture gels periodically and start over with a new set. It's hard to say just how long you should wear a set before replacing it, as it's different for everyone. You should be able to wear a set for about 6 months before replacing it. Start thinking about a new set when you notice your nails are requiring more repairs and fill lines start showing up more often.
Biosculpture Nails makes a specific solution for removing their product. You can find it on their website here: http://www.biosculpturegel.com/HowTo/Solutions.asp
Acetone may also work, just remember acetone is drying to the skin, so be sure to rehydrate your skin with high quality lotion if you try it.
YES! Using a tip to "pop off" old product is BAD for your nails! This applies mechanical pressure to break the bond between the product and your nail by force! Any place the product is bonded to your nail plate, this pressure can cause the layers of keratin in your natural nail to separate rather than actually separate the product from the nail. This damages the natural nail, causing peeling of the layers of keratin and makes the natural nail thinner, softer, and less healthy. No one should be prying off the product LEAST OF ALL a "professional!"
Soaking product off takes time. This shouldn't be too much of an issue for a pro, since any salon can double book a soak off and have you sit to the side while soaking off your old product while the technician services another client in the meantime...better yet! I always suggest your soak off as the perfect time to enjoy a pedicure! I understand why CLIENTS pry their product off-- they don't have the patience for doing it right... and they suffer the consequences with sore nails that are ripped up and damaged! But there is no excuse for a salon professional who damages the nails.
