Gel ... what's it made of???

[megaone]

help guys needed.... i have been asked to put a small presentation together for the weekend about acrylic nails and gel nails. thats fine but my problem is i don't want to make a fool of my self so I'm looking for help.

i know monomer and polymer are what is used for acrylic nails but gel.... i was lead to believe that it was the two ready mixed for you in to a gel.

and i cant find any info anywhere help some one please......

 

[Vetty]

help guys needed.... i have been asked to put a small presentation together for the weekend about acrylic nails and gel nails. thats fine but my problem is i don't want to make a fool of my self so I'm looking for help.

i know monomer and polymer are what is used for acrylic nails but gel.... i was lead to believe that it was the two ready mixed for you in to a gel.

and i cant find any info anywhere help some one please......

The technical name for the molecules that make up gel is 'oligamer'

Hth's

 

[megaone]

The technical name for the molecules that make up gel is 'oligamer'

Hth's

thanks vetty, but is it a form of acrylic, i mean the molecules, :irked:

 

[ValencianNails]

thanks vetty, but is it a form of acrylic, i mean the molecules, :irked:

All 3 systems (L+P, gel and resins) are acrylic based, they just come in different forms.

Do you need more info re gel, ie photo-initiators etc?

 

[Envy]

A momoner = single molecule (liquid form)

An oligimer = short chain (several thousand usually) molecules (gel consistancy)

A polymer = very long chains (millions) molecules (solid)

All of the above can be made from any number of carbon chain molecules (EG PVA glue)
To move each up a step requires energy to make the molecules bond - this can be done via a catalyst (Benzyl peroxide for L&P) or initiator (UV activated initators in case of gel)

"Acrylic" simply means a type of plastic and covers most nail enhancement systems - sadly it has become the generic term for liquid & powder systems...
To get much more specific - most liquid & powder systems are based on Ethyl Metacrylate monomers
Most gels however are based on Acrylate - which has a much greater sensativity rating (ie causes irriation/allergy easier)
Some gels (like BRiSA) are methacrylate based.

Hope that helps a little...

 

[megaone]

All 3 systems (L+P, gel and resins) are acrylic based, they just come in different forms.

Do you need more info re gel, ie photo-initiators etc?

yes it would be a great help, i trained in acrylic nail and then gel was a one day workshop, so not too much info given as back then the company felt you needed to perfect the applictaion, but yes any thing i can put together would of great help

 

[megaone]

thanks envy for all the tech info it really will help me,:hug:

 

[ValencianNails]

Apart from the fantastic advice already given by Envy, here's a tad more with a couple of links that have some info that should help:
http://www.salongeek.com/general-articles/35483-choosing-correct-gel.html
http://www.salongeek.com/general-articles/35947-choosing-uv-lamp-your-gel-system.html

re the photo-initiators, they come in different 'speeds' and react with the UV light to cure the gel.
Some companies use very slow photo-initiators in their gel that take a huge amount of UV light to cure them, if using the wrong type of lamp with that kind of gel it can cause over exposure, which is one of the reasons that using the right kind of UV lamp is so very important.
Some companies use less expensive but fast photo-initiators, these can be cured by most lamps but can cause yellowing and brittleness of product over time as well as exothermic reaction (heat spike) during the curing process.
The better quality gel you get the better it will perform for you, no yellowing, no brittleness, excellent longevity etc, but you have to use the correct lamp with these gels, most of the higher end gels won't cure with any other lamp than the one recommended for them.
They're made to go together

hth's a bit and let us know how you get on with your presentation :hug:

 

[megaone]

thanks you all so much, i have loads of information here, its really good to know you have friends here :hug:. keep your fingers crossed and i'll let you know how i get on.

i owe you all big time