UV LED lamp?
- Thread starter Sarah2019
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This is a subject which is debated often, but there’s no universal lamp which will able you to use whatever gel you wish alongside it.
Please read through the threads linked below:
https://www.salongeek.com/threads/uv-lamps-explained-why-any-old-lamp-just-won’t-do.323988/unread
https://www.salongeek.com/threads/client-hand-placement-under-uv-led-light-difficulties.329682/
Hope that helps.
Thebesttech
Well-Known Member
I recommend the LED lamp made by CND. It will usually give you a better cure when you use other gel polish brands. With unknown led lamps, most of the time it doesn't pack enough punch to cure the gel so the gel can end up looking hazy or be rubber like.
Definitely have a read through the threads linked above.
I wouldn't recommend the CND lamp for other gels as it has not been tested in how it cures them. It also emits light from a different, and very narrow, section of the UV light spectrum which is matched to the photoinitiators in the shellac. Other gel brands use wider range photoinitiators.
Remember, gel looks cured from around 54/46%
I wouldn't recommend the CND lamp for other gels as it has not been tested in how it cures them. It also emits light from a different, and very narrow, section of the UV light spectrum which is matched to the photoinitiators in the shellac. Other gel brands use wider range photoinitiators.
Remember, gel looks cured from around 54/46%
Thebesttech
Well-Known Member
Most people mix and match products. Thats just the way it is and is going to be. Id rather have one good LED lamp as my universal Lamp. Thats why I recommended the CND one.
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You can write it in bold and attach unicorns and fairy lights to it. Still doesn’t make it correct.
Just because other people do it doesn’t mean you should too. This is one of the many reasons that nail techs/beauticians are looked down on and not considered professional.
rachelizabeth
Well-Known Member
I’ve never understood why nail techs still mix and match products and use “universal” lamps when there’s so much information and eduction material that’s easily accessible, explaining the dangers of doing so
That you've bolded it doesn't make it fact, it's an ignorant and dangerous comment. And in the nail industry as well where things are constantly evolving and changing; nothing stays still for long here.
Some techs may do that at the moment but with proper education and explaining why it shouldn't be done, we can help to change that. Afterall, we're nail specialists, not scientists; let's listen to the people who actually made the products and know what they're talking about. It's akin to telling oncologists thay we've always smoked and do we always will, it's just the way it is.
A universal lamp would be lovely, if such a thing could exist. But it would require much reformulation of many products and so I'm pretty sure that could never happen.
I am a CND tech, and have been for 18 years, but I would not recommend their lamp for other products unless the manufacturer had specifically tested it (as in the case of light elegance). Again, the CND lamp was created specifically to cure CND products. The photoinitiators in shellac require light from a very narrow section of the UV spectrum, which the lamp provides. It doesn't cater for other gels; it wasn't made for them.
Struggling newbie
Well-Known Member
Have to say that throughout all my training to do manicures, pedicures and gel extensions etc, not one instructor had ever mentioned the importance of matching lamps. However, since joining this platform I have learnt so much from all the professional nail techs. I have also read the info posted by Bob "Why just any lamp won't do". Although I'm not naturally technically minded, it makes perfect sense. It can be a costly affair, but so worth it in the long run for our own reputation as top quality nail techs as well as for safety of our clients. Thank you for all the on going info techs. I feel like a sponge absorbing everything. The learning never stops☺
Training is very quick and slapdash, I have learnt more from this forum than my lecturers especially when troubleshooting problems
Thebesttech
Well-Known Member
Its not meant to be a "correct" statement. Im simply stating the situation. Seeing the interest ive garnered, Im going to go into a bit more detail about why I said what I said.You can write it in bold and attach unicorns and fairy lights to it. Still doesn’t make it correct.
Its very hard to teach someone the correct way to do something. People learn best by what they see and not what they read. And what they see is that gels cure and work just fine even when you mix and match products. It is almost impossible to convince that its not ok to do so - and that is why things will never change.
Imo, its better to change one step at a time. Recommending a huge change in technique will not work because it works against everything the tech knows and he/she will just outright ignore you. So even though a universal lamp is incorrect, its a starting point.
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Massive generalisation and incorrect
@Struggling newbie above disproves your point specifically on this thread. Was shown the 'wrong' thing in training and has read the correct information on here.
Thebesttech
Well-Known Member
I was generalizing. In my experience, most of the time people don't listen.
Perhaps it's the way the information is delivered rather than the information being ignored
When so many brands sell "universal" UV lamps and gels / gel polishes that "can be used in any 48W UV lamp", is it a surprise that folks heed their advice - especially if by saving money they can buy another 15 or 20 gel polish colours?
Some NT even claim that there is a conspiracy by the main brands to sell their "expensive" lamps. There IS a conspiracy, but it is by those brands willing to sell "universal lamps" who put their profits above their customers health.
"make sure that you use the recommended UV lamp for curing, and read the instructions carefully. Using the wrong lamp may mean that the gel polish does not cure properly, and this means an increased chance of allergy."
"The risk is particularly high for beauticians and other professionals who work with nail enhancements. Wearing protective gloves is not enough as (meth)acrylates will pass directly through many glove types. Salon owners need to consider the level of training they offer staff in this area as there is a genuine occupational hazard that should be mitigated. An important precaution is to use nitrile gloves which are replaced and disposed of every 30 minutes and removed with a ‘no touch’ technique."
=> British Association of Dermatologists, August 2018.
Some NT even claim that there is a conspiracy by the main brands to sell their "expensive" lamps. There IS a conspiracy, but it is by those brands willing to sell "universal lamps" who put their profits above their customers health.
"make sure that you use the recommended UV lamp for curing, and read the instructions carefully. Using the wrong lamp may mean that the gel polish does not cure properly, and this means an increased chance of allergy."
"The risk is particularly high for beauticians and other professionals who work with nail enhancements. Wearing protective gloves is not enough as (meth)acrylates will pass directly through many glove types. Salon owners need to consider the level of training they offer staff in this area as there is a genuine occupational hazard that should be mitigated. An important precaution is to use nitrile gloves which are replaced and disposed of every 30 minutes and removed with a ‘no touch’ technique."
=> British Association of Dermatologists, August 2018.
