Nail Lamps Go High Tech By Lauren Burton

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LAMP!

There is such a huge science and chemistry behind nails, it really is not just a case of making pretty nails. Let’s talk about UV/LED nail lamps. This is an article is based on facts from leading industry scientist Doug Schoon. Look him up!

So, nail salons use UV nail lamps to cure gel-based products i.e hard gels, polygel, gel polish and the newest addition to the extension family soft gel tips. There are so many different brands of gel polish, hard gel and polygel type products it’s hard to know the difference. One key component here is that a UV lamp is needed to cure them.

The ingredients, quality of ingredients and quantity of each ingredient will change from brand to brand which will affect how they are cured, which is why using the correct lamp as per manufacturers instructions is crucial to ensure the product is fully cured.

Gel-based products contain something called photoinitiators which react with the UV light the lamps produce to set the gel products, without photoinitiators, the gels will NOT cure. Using a combination of a set frequency wavelength produced within the UV spectrum (known as nanometres) and UV illuminance specified to the specific brand products is what cures the products. It has nothing to do with the wattage of the lamp, as that is just the amount of electricity needed to power the lamp. You could get 10 different 36w UV lamps and the colour and brightness will differ in a lot of them even though they are all 36w, this shows the difference in UV illuminance. LED UV lights are now the main focus in the market of nail lamps. This is still a UV light, it is the bulb that is different, LED is a light- emitting diode it supplies a more concentrated beam of light, as opposed to the older fluorescent bulb style UV lamps which will illuminate an area rather than a focused beam of light. LED UV lights are much more reliable and also a quicker way to provide a gel service. Now a 30 second to 1-minute cure (depending on your brand) rather than the 2-3 minute cure the older fluorescent UV lights required.

Any reputable brand will have its own brand UV lamp which is designed and tested for that specific brand. Techs and salons should be sceptical of brands that state any 36w/48w lamp will do, as that’s simply not true. As mentioned above the amount of wattage power the lamps use does not equate to the output of light in the correct frequency that is needed to properly cure the product.

What does it mean if a salon/tech uses a different lamp to a different gel brand, it means clients are potentially being exposed to an uncured product, which can eventually over time lead to sensitivity and/or allergies, unfortunately, once an allergy develops it is for life. It could happen within weeks, months or years but constant exposure can and will eventually lead to sensitivities. Gel/ acrylic products all contain acrylates, so not only does it mean if you develop an allergy you may have to find alternate options for nail treatments or in some cases having to stop altogether, but these acrylate-based products are similar to acrylates used in dentistry and some bone surgeries i.e. replacements, do you see where the issue could be? It could impact and cause issues with other treatments such as these.

It is impossible to see with the naked eye if a product is fully cured. A product will harden and look to be cured at 50% polymerization, however, that still leaves 50% of the uncured product remaining. It is at removal clients and techs will be at the most vulnerable when the product is partially filed/buffed off ready for soaking in acetone, as the filing particles come into contact with skin. (Skin contact with any uncured product needs and must be kept to a minimum, this includes gels and liquid and powder acrylic products). For a gel to be deemed fully cured it needs 90% polymerization. Which can only be guaranteed by using the manufacturers recommended UV lamp.

Techs put themselves and their businesses at risk by not using the correct lamps and products, why? If a client reacts and then goes on to claim via the tech/salons insurance, as soon as their insurance company finds out they haven’t been following manufacturers guidelines and the correct lamp hasn’t been used, their insurance becomes null and void. I have said this on numerous occasions, and I may sound like a broken record, but due to the number of techs doing this, I will continue to discuss this until the cows come home! Hairdressers do not mix one brand of a developer with a different brand tint, so why do a large number of nail techs think this rule doesn’t apply to them with brand mixing as well as using a different brand UV lamp, it is something I just do not understand.

The other problem with mixing brands in acrylic liquids and powders and gel polish brands whether it is mixing of basecoats, colours, topcoats and lamps is that it can cause product breakdown, nails not lasting, chipping, peeling, looking dull, becoming brittle quickly and breaking and this is all down to incorrectly mixing brands and lamps that are not tested to work together due to different amounts of certain ingredients and quality of ingredients. There are so many factors, that arise from mixing products and lamps. The easiest way to eliminate these potential issues and factors is simple, use the correct lamp to the brand you are using, it is as simple as that. Whilst I agree there’s no perfect brand that offers everything you want, there is a lot that are close! If you are using multiple brands make sure you have the lamps needed for those products, you choose to do this as a profession, this is a business expense that is claimed back during tax time, is it really worth putting your clients and your reputation on the line, because you are doing things cheaply or thinking that the chemistry doesn’t apply to you?

Why do techs and salons use different lamps? I feel during our time training and coming into contact with other nail techs online or face to face they pass on their own experiences “with mixing products and not having a problem”, the other issue comes down to lack of education/ knowledge with the scientific and chemistry side of things and the lack of emphasis from educators during initial education of the importance of using the correct products and equipment, these same issues apply to liquid and powder acrylic and mixing different brand powders with liquids. Again the development of sensitivity to products and allergies does not happen immediately rather over time so they continue to mix brands and equipment believing it’s ok and there are no issues.

I also believe ignorance plays a part in this, techs/salons choose to opt for cheaper lamps and products or offering multiple brands due to not all colour bases being covered (which we get there are some amazing brands out there) but using one lamp to try and cure all brands is asking for trouble, if you don’t have the correct branded lamp for that product, its essentially not curing properly, then both tech and client are then put at risk, with overexposure to products, if this happens to a technician, that’s pretty much goodbye nail career. As the rise of allergies increases globally at some point these products that can be quite easily and safely used will become banned due to lack of knowledge and the lack of regulations in the industry. Unfortunately, due to the lack of regulations, some (definitely not all) nail educators are just not knowledgeable enough with regards to the more scientific side of things and don’t fully understand or take the chemistry side seriously and therefore pass on the lack of knowledge to the next generation of nail technician.

Nail treatments can be extremely safe when done properly, the key is doing research and knowing what to look for not just in a tech/salon, but also in a brand and education. Education and knowledge is key to anything and everything, and nails are no exception to this.

Lauren Burton is a Master Educator and Head Education for Hand and Nail Harmony Australia, distributors of Gelish Gel Polish.

www.gelish.com.au