Unit 5: Shellac Nails

Shellac is a patented system developed by Jan Arnold of Creative Nail Design (CND). Shellac nails give a similar result to gel nails – a durable, glossy finish which lasts around 14 days. But what is the difference between the two?

The difference is in the formula – gel is a liquid gel formula while shellac is a combination of gel polish and standard nail polish.

Shellac also requires UV light to cure. The chemical process which occurs when it cures makes shellac polish easy to remove. When exposed to acetone, the coating flakes into small pieces and easily comes off.

Avoid using shellac on clients with weak, thin or brittle nails (or other nail damage), and keep in mind what we said in the previous section about UV sensitivity.

The shellac system consists of a base coat, color coats and a top coat. CND manufacture their own LED and UV lamps for use with their shellac polishes. For best results, use their lamps – they are designed to work with the chemical formula of shellac polish.

Application

The process for applying shellac polish is the same as the gel application. The curing times are as follows:

  • Base coat – with the CND LED or UV Lamp, cure for 10 seconds.
  • Color coats – with the CND LED Lamp, cure for one minute; with the CND UV lamp, cure for two minutes.
  • Top coat – with the CND LED Lamp, cure for one minutes; with the CND UV lamp, cure for two minutes.

Infill

Sometimes, polish can last up to one month, so infills are needed to cover the new nail growth.

Again, the process is similar to gel infills:

1. File away the top coat and brush off any dust.

2. Push back the cuticles.

3. Apply the color coats and top coat, as per the instructions for gel infills (with the curing times for shellac).

Removal

1. File off the top coat and brush away the dust.

2. Place acetone-soaked cotton balls on each finger and wrap it in foil. Shellac polish generally needs soaking for 5-10 minutes in order to come off easily. In some cases, 2-3 minutes will be enough.

3. When enough time has passed, remove the foil and wipe or gently scrape off the residue. It should come off easily.