My client was ready to quit... until I switched her to hard gel

Why using the same product on all clients doesn't work! 👀

You've followed all the steps. Prepped perfectly. Builder gel applied beautifully. Yet a few days later, your client texts "They've chipped again!!" Sound familiar? 🤯

Are you in a constant hamster wheel of clients texting with chips, breaks & missing nails? Having to fix these nails for free? Or maybe even losing these clients due to poor retention (that is not their fault?)🫠

It's probably not your fault either... It might be the product you're using 👀

Now don't get me wrong, builder gel is an amazing product when used on the right client. But it's not always strong enough for:

- Clients who have very active hands (think hairdressers, mums, gym bunnies or gardening lovers!)

- Soft, flexible natural nails

- Sharp shapes

- Naturally long nails

- Clients who cant seem to keep anything on or say "my nails never last"

Hard gel is your saviour here! It's the next level solution to these client and retention issues. It holds for hard wearing hands, keeps it sharp shape and lasts for clients with weaker nails and longer nails.

Let me tell you about my client, Lucy. Lucy is a Mum & is really into messy play and building things with her kids. She weight trains from home & does all the gardening herself.

Lucy originally came to me as a nail biter. Any growth she'd bite straight off & they were prone to peeling. Her nails were actually so short at her initial appointment that we did a structured gel manicure (I chose this option to prevent the ball type effect that a thicker gel would give on such short nails). This was great for her first appointment.

Then we went on to builder gel. Now this worked like a dream for the next few appointments whilst Lucy's nails grew, but when they reached a certain length, the builder gel was not supporting her nails. She then was having service breakdowns within a week, & was frustrated that they weren't lasting like they once were.

At this point, I suggested we opt for hard gel as it is a stronger product. It worked amazingly for her! She had NO breaks, NO lifting and back to nails that last beautifully between appointments.

If I hadn't of introduced hard gel, Lucy would've left 😱 She was ready to give up. She LOVED my work, but the product just wasn't cutting it for her lifestyle and nail type.

Hard gel is exactly that - a hard gel. It's a file off system, and whilst flexible it offers more durability for clients. Builder gel is a 'soft gel' and is a soak off product.

Hard gel is ideal for high stress nails, longer nails and keeping their shape & the answer to poor retention (when you know your prep is perfect and it's not that)

I hear often "But it's too hard to file" or "You can't soak it off". Honestly, it's not a deal breaker!

It's not hard to file. You would only need to file to refine, shape or infill (and for the most part you're using your application techniques & e-file to reduce hand filing here too). And whilst it is not a soak off product, you are infilling & rebalancing at appointments - so there is no need to remove unless a client has asked for this. But in this case you'd file down the bulk & use your e-file for a removal.

Hard gel is the premium service that is a key to your treatment menu because:

- It SAVES you so much time AND you're reputation

- Keeps clients loyal (because the nails last & they LOVE them, they trust you and KNOW you're an expert)

- Sets you apart from other nail techs who are only offering builder gels

One of the biggest problems I see is nail techs don't feel confident with hard gel. So they just avoid it all together!

So this leaves so many nail techs not learning or mastering hard gel in their initial training because it can feel intimidating or even outdated! But it's NOT. It's essential for advanced work.

In my ABT accredited online Hard Gel Course I teach you how you can master application, infills & removal & how you use it as a solution for retention struggles for clients.

It's really NOT about doing more nails. It's about offering a better service, better nails and keeping your clients coming back! 🙌🏽

If you're ready to be confident in offering hard gel, master how to prep, apply, finish, infill AND remove like an expert so that those "My nails broke again" messages, you can start now & enroll here

You'll also get my reverse french masterclass & perfect prep & application masterclass included for FREE!

If you have any questions about retention, nail systems or anything nail business related, please reach out to me either via email at abbie@honnailacademy.com or come shoot me a DM over on my instagram

Abbie x

Educator, Coach & Mentor

HON Nail Academy