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1. Lifting at the cuticle
2. Air Bubbles in the gel
3. Broken/Damaged Extension
4. Fill Lines
5. Gels peeling off
6. Heat sensation
7. Nail discoloration
8. Peeling underneath the free edge
9. Stress cracks
10. Top gloss dull or patchy
11. Products aren't curing shiny
12. Gel brush has hardened

1. The area around the cuticle is lifting on one or more nails, whats happening?
Product On The Cuticle: Proper application is essential. Make sure no product gets up on the cuticle. Any product that gets on the skin or cuticle will lift. Make sure to remove any product that gets on the cuticle during application by using an orangewood stick or dry brush, or file it away before you top gloss.
Improper Prep Work: Completely remove all surface shine, secondary skin and oils from the natural nail can cause lifting. You will notice lifting from excess oils will improve 6 weeks after first full set application. Pay particular attention around the cuticle area. Scrape the nail with cuticle pusher to remove excess skin that may be stuck to the nail. Product Applied Too Thick Around The Cuticle: Keep product around cuticle and sides of the nail thin so that it can flex with the natural nail.

2. I'm getting air bubbles in my gel, how can I prevent this?
Overworking The Gel In The Jar: Scoop the gel out of the container and pull up the remaining gel ‘strings’ by spinning the brush or gently wiping on the edge of your gel container. Remove air bubbles by pulling out them out with an orangewood stick, or your brush, before placing the nail under the UV light to cure. For large bubbles, apply pressure with an orangewood stick on the gel to pop the bubble before curing.
Tapping Or Pressing On Your Gel With Your Brush: Gel does not work like acrylic, and if you’re not used to working with gel, you may find that you press your gel down like you do with acrylic. This will create bubbles in your gel and a big mess! The trick with gel is to “float” over the product and drag or push it where you would like it to go. Don’t bounce!

3. My clients are breaking their nails all the time, what am I doing wrong?
Free-Edge Too Long: The recommended length of free edge is no more than ½ the length of the nail bed. This will also allow the nail to look more balanced. You can make the nails as long as you want, just be sure that your arch extends over the whole stress area and middle of the nail.
Improper Shape or Arch Placement: Most broken tips happen when a nail is filed too flat and the arch is no longer at the stress point of the nail. If a nail is properly built, it can be both thin and strong.
Client Picking: Educate the client that picking at their nails will cause structural damage and make it easier for their extensions to break or lift. You will likely see chips on the sides of the nail or their natural nail shortened under the extension if the client has been picking.

4. I'm getting fill lines or red lines where the new growth meets the nail, how can I get rid of these?
Not Properly Preparing The Fill: Remove all lifting that may have occurred. Completely rough up the entire surface of the nail, blending old product into the new growth and be sure to remove all shine and cuticle. If you use Affixit before applying your bonding gel, hairline fill marks will disappear.
Heavy Filing: You may also see red fill lines, or rings of fire, if you use an electric file and have not been using it properly. This also can happen if you hand filing too much on the natural nail. Always keep your drill bit or file parallel with the nail to eliminate these lines.

5. I finish a set and they look great, but my clients are complaining their gel nails are peeling off, help!
Incorrect Prep: Completely remove the surface shine from the natural nail with a file no smoother than 180 grit. You do not need to be heavy handed, but you will need to be sure all the shine is off. Using a file that is smoother will make it more difficult to see if you have properly removed the shine from the entire surface of the nail. Pay special attention to the side walls, this is the easiest place to forget when etching the nail.
Incorrect Application: When applying gels, be sure to apply only on a nail that has been completely etched, or on its own gel dispersion film. Never touch the nail while in the process of applying any nail products, this will add oils to the surface of the nail and inhibit the gel from adhering properly. Do not use Scrub Fresh, it contains a film that will cause lifting.
UV Light Bulb Needs To Be Replaced: With regular use, the bulb should last approximately 3-6 months.

6. Ouch! The nails are getting really hot when I put them under the light. My clients afraid of it!
Product Applied Too Thickly: Apply product thinner. Also, with Akzentz gels, the thinner the gel, the hotter it will get. Switch to a thicker gel like Builder or Modeling and your likely to experience much less heat.
Client Heat Sensitive: On a client with weak or sensitive nails, you may apply two thin coats, then one thick coat, curing each coat for 2 minutes. Other Solution: Have your client come in and out of the light the first 30 seconds of a cure. We call this the gel dance. In for 3, out for 5. It allows the gel to slowly start to cure and the molecules not to bump into each other so fast that they create the friction heat that your feeling.

7. My nails don't always look crystal clear, sometimes they have a tinge of another color, whats going on?
Acrylic Under Gels: If your client came to you with acrylic nails and you started filling them with gel, you will certainly notice a color difference as the nail grows out. Its always suggested that you soak off acrylic and start with a new set of gels to give your clients to color and clarity that gel offers.
Improper Fill Application: Remove all residue of products left on the nail for example Nail Polish etc. Also be sure to clean the nail of any lotions or oils before you start filing the nail. Use Acetone or Nail prep if there is lotion or oils left on the nail.
Incorrect Products Used With Gel Application: Not all gel products are the same! Always use the complete system. Do not replace Gel Cleaner with other cleaners, or nail prep with other "blue" prep products.

8. When some of my clients come in for their fill, their natural nail is peeling from under the free edge, is there a way I can fix that before it starts?
Dry Nails: If a client has dry natural nails, the edge will curl and cause this separation. If this is a common occurrence for them, have them apply cuticle oil under their nail on a daily basis to help keep their natural nail flexible. Let them know what their nail looks like when it starts to curl, and have them NOT use oil on a nail that has started curling. This will cause it to peel farther and you will have much more work to do to repair it.
Product Applied On Natural Nail Overlay Not Sealed In: Be sure that the product covers and seals (encloses) the entire free-edge of the nail and sides. One usefull trick is to use Trilite as a capping gel. In the same step as applying your bonding gel, flip their hand over and paint Trilite over the tip of their natural nail. Cure the hand as normal, just have them lift their fingers a bit in the light. Not every client will have this problem or need “capping.”
Client Filed Her Own Nails On A Natural Nail Overlay Application: Educate your clients with a natural nail overlay, not to file or reshape their nails as this will break the seal enclosing the free edge, and can cause the nails to peel under the free-edge if the nail is filed improperly.
No Bonding Gel Applied To The Tip: If you have filed the nails down for a backfill and are going to apply white to the tip, it must have gel or bonding gel under it first. Be sure that if there is no gel on the tip at all, that you apply bonding gel first to the natural nail, just as you apply it to the new growth at the cuticle.

9. I'm getting clients coming back with cracks right in the middle of the nails on the sides, is it something I'm doing wrong?
Stress Area Too Thin: Build the product thicker over the stress area. Make sure the products were not over filed as this causes the gel to become too thin. Make sure the Gel is applied right to the edge and sidewalls.
Client Waited To Long Between Fills: Some clients can go 6 weeks without a problem, some require 3 weeks. Suggest more regular maintenance, as the arch has grown out and the nail is now unbalanced.

10. My top gloss doesn't look super shiny and sometimes I see pits or dots on the surface.
Top Gloss Applied Too Thin: Apply a thicker coat of Top Gloss. Use our new square brush, it allows you to apply a nice even coat of top gloss.
Top Gloss Applied On An Oily Base: Buff nails, remove dust, use nail prep if you think there still may be oils on the nail and reapply Top Gloss Gel.

11. The shine isn't there! Everyones nails are coming out dull, is the product old?
UV Light Bulb Needs To Be Replaced: With regular use, the bulb should last approximately 3-6 months. Akzentz Gel has at least an 18 month shelf life, so its not likely its going to be your product.

12. My gel brush is hard as a rock. How did it get this way?
Brushed Exposed To Sunlight or UV Lamp: Always keep brush away from sunlight and away from the front of your UV lamp. If your manicuring table is right near a window, try to purchase UV blocking film for the window. LuvNailz classroom is right in front of a 6 foot window! The film works perfectly.