Thursday, February 22, 2007

What are Gel Nails?

They are a new, more natural looking alternative to Acrylic Nail extensions.Unlike acrylics, the UV gel used to create the nails have no discomforting odors. There is no glue involved in the process, eliminating unecessary nail damage caused by lifting. Gel Nails are created with a layer of base gel, brushed into a mould then cured by a UV Lamp. Gel nails are limitless in their design capabilities, and can even be reinforced with fiberglass for extra strength and repairs purposes.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Acrylic & Gel Nails

Acrylic nails
Acrylic nails are called many different names, with the nail technician's least favorite being "fake nails". We much prefer the term artificial nails. There are several different types of artificial nail enhancement products as well as application procedures. The most commonly applied enhancement is traditional acrylic, which is a two-part system of monomer and polymer. This type of product can be applied with one color of acrylic, pink and white acrylic for a Permanent French look, or can be applied with colored acrylic, glitter acrylic or in any combination. Pink and white acrylic nails are often referred to as "Solar Nails". Solar Nail is a product made by Creative Nail Design Systems and includes their Original Solar Nail, Radical Solar Nail, Retention + , and Moxie acrylic systems. Unless you actually see this product in its original bottle on the nail table, your nails may not be 'Solar Nails".
Gel Nails
Gel acrylic is a one-part system consisting of the application of a thick viscosity gel acrylic. Gel is normally 'cured' under a UV light. Do not confuse gel with traditional acrylic. Even though the two products are actually acrylic, they apply and wear differently. Gel applied over acrylic to seal the surface does not make your nails "Gel Nails". Gel nails are actually acrylic nails. They are made from the same class of acrylates, but with different molecular structures, appearance, application procedures and different curing methods. Be certain you are receiving the artificial nails you requested.