Home gel manicures - what am I doing wrong?

[surreygirl1987]

I have a mylee home manicure lamp and blue-sky gel polish. I do everything as instructed. I use base coat, two layers of polish, then top coat. I use the lamp between each coat. However, within less than 24 hours, my polish always starts chipping or peeling. I don't have this issue with proper manicures done in a salon; they last for ages. So what am I doing wrong? Thanks!

You need to use the same brand of polish as lamp. There is a really helpful Facebook group as well “Mylee my look”

At a guess (not a nail tech) your nails are too oily and/or the lamp you are using isn’t curing the products correctly/or isn’t compatible with the gel. TBH, there’s a reason the likes of Shellac/Gelish only sell to certified beauticians who’ve been on their training courses.

Thanks - isn't BlueSky the right polish for Mylee then?? It came as a set - as in, I got Blue-sky polish included when I bought the Mylee lamp?!

I mix and match and it shouldn't be a problem.
Are you prepping your nails?
Do you use moisturizer or hand cream?

Not before I do the manicure... should I be?! All I do is wipe the Bluesky nail wipe over my nails (which is what the instructions say to do).

I mix and match with brands and lamp too. The thing that made the biggest different was doing my cuticles properly. The polish needs to have a proper seal with you nail with nothing interfering. I also cure each layer for longer - I do a full minute on a low setting and then short fast high setting.

How long are you curing for? I do 1min for each layer.

There is mylee Polish so you might want to try that.

Also are you using the no wipe top coat? As I find that always chips quickly whereas the original stuff doesn’t.

2 mins I think between each layer. Is that too long?

No, I use the normal top coat, then use the wipe on top to stop the tackiness.

This is the one I have. Admittedly I bought it 8 years ago. Is it time for a new one?

prep should be buff nails, wipe, dehydrate & dry, bond and dry, then base coat.

You need to file down your natural nail a bit to give the gel something to adhere to. After filing, use the dehydrator wipe, then start with base coat.

You can use different brands of gels with different lamps, but I do find in general that Mylee or Sensational Gel are much better and longer lasting than BlueSky.

At the point when gel hardens it's only actually about 50% cured. This means that you can easily have non-cured acrylate products on your nails which is a risk factor in developing an allergy to acrylates. Acrylates are used so widely (including in dentistry etc) that the implications of this are much more significant than not being able to use gel polish again.

This is why it's important to use a lamp which matches your polish, and to have access to the SDS for the products you are using, and know that it's made in a facility which is following regulations.

In short, chipping is the least of your worries. The problem with using these products (even with the correct lamp) on yourself is that you can damage your nails and your health.

My instructions from Mylee give full instructions - including the filing down of the surface of your nail (the actual nail, not the tip...). If you skip that bit it won't adhere.

Thanks - what do you mean by dehydrate and dry please?

Thanks - so Bluesky polish doesn't match Mylee? They were sold as a set so I just assumed!!

Even my professional lamps have to be replaced every year.

Many thanks. Sounds like the filing the nail itself is the bit I'm skipping! Will try that this weekend and see if it makes a difference!

Why is that please?

I buff my nails slightly then use the nail prep liquid.
When you apply each coat make sure it's not touching the skin around your nail, run your nail around the gap between nail and skin.
Also, I take the excess off the brush on each coat and dab it along the nail edge (end of nail) to create a seal.
Personally, I hate bluesky, I don't think it's very good quality, try another brand.
I don't use all the same brand, I mix and match.

Honestly, I wouldn't touch either of these products, even with the correct lamp, because of the levels of acrylates in them and where they are made.

If I were to buy a new lamp... bearing in mind I have tons of BlueSky polish... should I buy a BlueSky lamp? Anyone know if they're any good? Thanks!

Unfortunately I have been for 8 years! However am considering a new lamp so maybe time for a change. What brands would you recommend instead?

Because the gel hardens at 50% cured, the only way to know if the product on your nails has cured to the proper level is by using a lamp which has been properly labelled tested with the polish you are using, and has only had a certain amount of use.

Again, this is not to make your polish last, it is to avoid allergies through over exposure to uncured product.

Do you find Mylee a better brand than BlueSky for the polish?

Or is there a better brand overall (lamp and polish) that I should consider getting?

I see, and that's why getting a new lamp semi-reguarly is important?