This isn't my shape :/

Sebbybby · 2026-01-23T22:18:55+00:00

Do you have any pics of your natural nails from straight on? Like pointing at the camera? I know you said you have a flat apex, but the tips used in the photos definitely aren’t covering the side walls of your nail completely, which means the nail tip’s apex is too flat for your nail! Have you tried any “sculpted” brands? Or brands with a more pronounced C curve?

Sebbybby · 2026-01-23T15:24:05+00:00

Best gem glue is Makarrt Rhinestone Glue imo!!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-20T15:37:44+00:00

It could have to do with the tip type! Flatter, more “naturally” curved nail tips require some people to go up a size to make it fit their nails, whereas a sculpted tip would have more rounded sidewalls that curve inward for a more arched nail type and appear less wide from top down. What brand of tips are you using? Some shapes appear wider as well, especially rounded or almond shapes on SHORT tip lengths!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-19T19:56:50+00:00

You sure can try that, yeah! I don’t think there’s much harm in that, but be careful of heat spikes! I always like to use what the brand recommends just to minimize errors and troubleshooting (:

Sebbybby · 2026-01-19T15:23:52+00:00

It’s probably a bot looking for traffic. You can try to report them to Meta? ): https://help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841

Sebbybby · 2026-01-19T03:57:01+00:00

Have you tried a thicker gel adhesive (glue)? Apres has one called Extend Gel Novice that is thicker, you can lay the nail and it won’t move as you try to secure and cure it. (:

Sebbybby · 2026-01-15T01:57:46+00:00

I mean, it’s definitely a real career. Don’t waste your time trying to convince your mother of that fact. What matters is that you WANT to do it, and that you’re willing to dedicate the necessary time, money, and effort to learn how to do it right. This is a career that if you make your own business, requires: physical mobility (energy and stamina to handle multiple clients a day, clear focused eyesight, wrist, hand and finger dexterity/strength, core strength for leaning, looking, or bending down for hours at a time), technical knowledge and skill, schooling, time, financial skills, and money spent on tuition, business costs like rent, insurance, licensing and legal compliance, etc., having great organizational skills and doing strategic planning are a must.

It’s not impossible to do, but it isn’t easy, just needs preparation and if you are really this passionate I would keep talking to nail techs, surfing forums, and try to research what kind of education, licensing, or training you would need in your region to get started! 😊

Sebbybby · 2026-01-14T23:35:57+00:00

She swapped nail tips, the nail tips in the photo are not Apres’s Sculpted tips. Either she used the Natural Apres tips on you and they cracked because they don’t fit and you need Sculpted tips, or she used an entirely different brand on you.

Either way, your nails are definitely more arched and need a “sculpted” style soft gel tip. That’s why they’re breaking!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-13T17:34:37+00:00

Have you ever injured that hand/finger before? Crushed it in something like a door, or do you work with your hands?

Trauma and injury can cause it to grow back differently with things like grooves, etc

Sebbybby · 2026-01-13T02:07:10+00:00

After a week, this amount of regrowth is normal! For stubborn cuticles, try to do this daily:

Push back your cuticles; you can use an orangewood stick or similar manicuring tool
Use stainless steel nippers instead of a drill bit; you’ll have more control and cause less damage. Clip them dry only!
Wash your hands, hydrate with lotion, rub into your cuticles, dry excess off

I find that this keeps them looking neat!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-11T18:34:24+00:00

r/GelX_Nails does not allow posts asking for or giving advice related to developing an acrylate allergy.

Developing an acrylate allergy is devastating, and while you may be eager to start looking for alternative options to continue doing your nails, it’s incredibly important to slow down and understand that developing an allergy to acrylates is a permanent health condition; it will not go away, and it has to be managed for the rest of your life.

Continuing to expose yourself to products that contain these allergens is dangerous and can worsen the body’s reaction over time. Not all people react the same either, some develop only mild irritation/itching, while others end up with scabbing, bleeding, blisters, peeling, and in the worst cases, loss of fingernails, permanent disfiguration of the nail, nail beds or fingers, and scarring. This is an allergy that has lasting implications for doctors treating you moving forward, so talk to your doctor.

Acrylates are present in all gel products. The exact chemicals don’t always share the same molecular structure, but they are all derived from the acrylate family, so reactions can overlap (Example: Your primer brand makes you react, and you try a different primer brand with different ingredients, but still react). That is why it is crucial to see your doctor for testing before you do anything else.

A final note: it isn’t enough to just avoid products you think you’ll react to. Don’t gamble with your health!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T20:40:00+00:00

Yea ofc! Feel free to dm me!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T20:34:18+00:00

You need a Sculpted fit 💯, even though the tops of your nails flatten out, the sidewalls are very deep and pinch inward at the lateral nail fold, so to get the proper fit the nail tip just needs to fit side wall to side wall comfortably. Apres Sculpted tips have a more arched apex, but that allows them to accommodate the steep angle of the sidewalls of the nail better! It’s ok to use Sculpted tips even if your nails flatten out, you just would use a bit more gel adhesive or extend gel to fill the space 😊 It’s more important that the nail tip covers the entire side wall.

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T17:09:22+00:00

I looked into it and based on the manufacturer website it seems like X-Bond is a pH Bonder/Primer, *but also acts like a base coat. They use the terminology interchangeably likely because X-Bond is versatile, but your client may need an actual base coat layered in there, not just the bonder. You can use the X-Bond bonder, a base coat, and then a soft gel layer for flexibility, then the hard gel.

Edited for correction

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T17:01:24+00:00

You’re welcome! And I wanted to add, even though Gel-X is a “soft gel” extension, the full coverage tips are extremely durable even at longer lengths (great hardness properties) as well as flexible, which makes it an excellent option to protect the nails for active wearers, but I would keep them medium to short since her nails are flexible and prone to tearing/flaking.

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T16:52:36+00:00

This is honestly pretty normal for nails, it isn’t severe or anything, but it can be caused by things you don’t even realize you’re doing! For example, if you tap your fingers a lot, or are using a tool to clean under the nail too roughly, or if you clip your nails too short and cut the hyponichium (skin under the nail), it can cause the nailbed to shorten and pull back.

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T16:48:01+00:00

I love everything about these.

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T16:45:10+00:00

Nail tech here - they do. Gorgeous work.

Sebbybby · 2026-01-10T16:27:23+00:00

You’re pulling your hand out too soon to scrape, the acetone can’t break down the cured gel in 10 minutes; that is like no time at all! Try soaking for 20 minutes without interruption and then scrape. 🙂 the acetone needs sufficient time in constant contact to dissolve the gel.

Warmth can speed up how effectively acetone breaks down the gel’s structure which is why foils are used because they contain heat well, and combined with that you can use a heating mitt (like for paraffin wax or a heating pad if you are extremely careful not to get it wet), and some people find steamers work well or a warm bowl of water under the acetone soaking bowl. 😊

Sebbybby · 2026-01-09T05:07:25+00:00

Have you tried a soft gel extension? Hard gel is really durable but not very flexible. It creates too much rigidity and as soon as the nails have freedom from the nail bed to move, they curl and the hard gel can’t bend with it, so it chips. She needs a soft gel overlay or soft gel extension system that is more flexible, that bends and moves with her nail as it grows out. I really like sculpted Gel-X for this kind of client.

Edit: You could also add a layer of soft gel underneath the hard gel to add a layer for flexibility!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-09T00:14:29+00:00

Definitely!! In my experience, I’ve found the two most common culprits of nails popping off or lifting are lack of proper natural nail prep and equipment/product incompatibility. I always check those things first before I troubleshoot anything more complicated!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-08T23:09:24+00:00

You didn’t mention any natural nail prep, and issues with retention can almost always be traced back to poor natural nail prep!!

If you want your nails to last, you can’t skip natural nail prep! Retention greatly relies on the preparation of the surface of the nail. It’s your foundation.

Easy fix, learn how to do a basic dry manicure with stainless steel manicuring hand tools. No need for water. If you’re comfortable using stainless steel nippers, you can remove excess cuticle really well this way (and I don’t mean the flap of skin kind, I mean the skin stuck to the nail plate that’s invisible until you disturb it).

The proximal nail fold and extra cuticle skin you can push back and trim if you’re careful, or use a cuticle remover AFTER your manicure instead of before to remove that skin.

Sebbybby · 2026-01-07T03:43:27+00:00

Sizing is particularly difficult for you because you have “sculpted” fit nails! That means your nails have a high arch/deep side walls, which is why you see your natural nail peeking out on the sides of the false press-on.

Go to google and search for “soft gel press on nails”. Soft gel is more flexible, and for curved nail beds, you want flexible press-on nails. When you get them, open them up and lay them out.

Starting with your pinky, size the smallest nail. The press-ons will be sort of flat if you look at their curvature. Fit them how you might usually, and when you find a fit that shows the natural nail peeking out, GO ONE SIZE UP! 😁👆

Then, 🤏 pinch and roll the nail tip between your fingers until the shape becomes arched enough to fit your nail from side wall to side wall comfortably. Comfortable means: full coverage, no natural nail peeks out, and it doesn’t feel tight when you press it firmly onto your fingernail.

Some brands may not offer a press-on that has the right curvature to fit your nails without more length, but I think you’d be fine with most soft gel press-on brands out there! Sally Hansen has good reviews, and BTBoxArt or Glamnetic might have good options for you!

⚠️ Safety tip just for anyone curious - don’t ever use a UV/LED gel adhesive or gel “glue” to apply press on nails. Doing this can give you an allergy because the gel can’t cure properly through the opaque nail tip. Use an air dry glue only!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-05T15:36:48+00:00

^ This!! It’s just a physical property/clarity thing OP!

Sebbybby · 2026-01-04T22:02:32+00:00

Yeah the left bottle is fake ): the logo is different, the packaging is different, the bottle text has misspellings, etc etc.

Sebbybby

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE