Troubleshooting with Gelish Dip Products

The Gelish Dip system has become increasingly popular in the last year. We get tonnes of questions daily on how to use it and trouble shooting questions. We’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions and answered them below.

Please keep in mind that Gelish Dip is a professional use product and if you are not a trained nail technician, we suggest watching tutorials and at the very least reading the application instructions as it can be a bit tricky to apply.

Click here for the step by step instructions for Gelish Dip

Can I apply gel polish over the top of Gelish Dip? No, even though these products are created by the same company they are not compatible with each other. If you apply Gelish gel polish or gel top coat over the top of the dip it will eventually peel off.  

How many treatments are in one 23g tub? Approximately 50 applications per colour.

Why is my Gelish Dip chipping and lifting? Gelish dip is an acrylic system therefore the prep is going to determine the longevity of the Gelish Dip manicure. The nails need to be gently filed with a 180 grit file prior to starting the Gelish Dip application. If there is any shine or oils on the natural nail this can cause the product to lift or chip. Use the Gelish Dip Prep product, PH bond or alcohol swab to remove surface oil. Another tip is to make sure the Gelish Dip Base coat application is even and not too thick.  

My Gelish Dip Top coat and Base coat lid won’t open? How do I prevent this from happening? The Gelish Dip Base coat is a glue-based product which means if any residue gets on the neck of the bottle it can make the bottle very hard and nearly impossible to open! If this occurs you can run the neck of the bottle under hot water or use pliers to open the product – however this definitely isn’t ideal especially during an appointment with your client. To prevent this from happening you can rub a little bit of cuticle oil around the neck of the bottle before closing it which should help reduce the chance of it sticking. There is also a filter inside the bottle which will allow you to wipe any excess product off inside the bottle, rather than bringing out the brush completely and wiping any excess product on the side of the bottle which will then result in product residue getting stuck inside the lid making it impossible to open. This can also occur with the Gelish Dip Top Coat, so use the same prevention steps with this product.

My brushes have hardened. How do I prevent this from happening? Brush restore!! You will need to soak brushes in the Brush Restorer for 5-10 minutes at the end of each treatment to make sure brushes are clean and no product residue is left. The base coat is a glue and it will harden if left on the brush. You can also use alcohol swabs to further cleanse brushes if needed. 

A handy tip if you don’t have brush restorer on hand – use some inexpensive small brushes from a paint store to save your dip brushes. After the treatment, let the product set on the paint brushes and then soak in acetone for 10 minutes.

My Gelish Dip Base Coat Base coat has gone cloudy. How do I prevent this from happening? If powder particle get into the Base and Coat top, this will cause the product to go cloudy or thick. Keep cleaning your brushes and be careful not to cross-contaminate! Also wipe over brushes with lint free wipes to ensure no powder makes its way into the bottles. 

Why is the Gelish Dip Top Coat not shiny when applied on the nails? You may notice when you apply the top coat for the first time the product is shiny and glossy as a top coat should be and then after a few uses the Gelish Dip Top coat starts to look cloudy and loses it shine. This can be caused by cross contamination. If you haven’t wiped down the nails fully of any surface dust or excess product prior to applying the Gelish Dip Top coat and then any of these excess particles get trapped in the brush and put back into the product, the Gelish Dip Top coat is then spoiled! To prevent this from happening you need to ensure you clean the brush thoroughly before putting it back into the bottle. You can also use the Gelish Dip Restore to clean the brushes ensuring they are free of all dust.  

 How much should I charge for a Gelish Dip manicure? There is no right or wrong amount to be charging for a Gelish Dip manicure as there are many factors when choosing a cost for this service. It can depend on many things like if you are using tips, what kind of manicure you are providing before the Gelish Dip application, location etc. However, we have found on average most salons are charging around $50AUD for Gelish Dip applications.  

Can I apply tips with Gelish Dip? Yes, you can apply tips before applying Gelish Dip as you would prior to acrylics. A tip to prevent the tips from breaking with the Gelish Dip is once you have filed, shaped and glued the tip to the natural nail, you would prep as normal and then apply a thin layer of Gelish Dip Base coat horizontally along the base of the tip and dip once with the clear powder for best results. This will help to strengthen the tip along the stress point where the fractures usually occur.

Please let us know if there are any other issues you are having with Gelish Dip and we will be sure to get back to you with any helpful tips we may have.

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