IMO: To get started with gel services, first choose which product line you want to work with. I recommend Light Elegance. Next step is to purchase the entire professional starter kit from the gel manufacturer that you have chosen, including the lamp. Next, take a class from the manufacturer. The manufacturer will teach you how to use their line of products including how to safely use and care for their UV lamp.
Gel nails are a serious commitment for a nail tech to add to her service menu. Buying a cheep lamp from one company and a gel line from another company will not result in beautiful, durable, natural looking gel nails for your clients and it will not build a successful gel nail business. LED lamps emit UV light, just like a UV lamp. The only difference is the bulbs. Gel manufacturers design their gels to work with their lamps, UV or LED. There are exceptions, but, like with everything else in life, you must first learn the rules before you can break them. Nail techs must start out following all the manufacturers instructions. Only after years of experience should a tech customize her gel service, in other words, break the rules. If you or your clients are still believing the false scare tactics of the media about UV nail lamps, The Industry Source sells fingertip-less gloves that you can sell to your clients to bring with them for their gel service. If your clients have sunscreen on their nail plate when you start the gel service, their nails will lift. They should wash their hands before the service, you prep their nails and then they put on the gloves before you apply the gel product. Getting education from the manufacturers website, trade shows, demo days at the beauty supply house, manufacturers classes and personal experience is the only way to have a successful gel nail business. There are no short cuts. I spent hundreds of dollars over an 8 year period trying different gel systems before I found a gel system that really worked for me and my clients. I highly recommend Light Elegance for quality of product, quality of support, quality of education and availability of educational DVDs to review at home. I'm not sure how much the LE starter kit is, about $300 I think for everything that you will need to get started, including their top quality UV lamp. Just my opinion. I have been doing nails for 25 years, exclusively gels for 15 years. I use Light Elegance hard gel for my nail enhancements, Shellac and Gelish for soak off gel manicures. I use the Shellac lamp to cure all products. And I ditto all the previous reply's. Katherine St. Louis, MO Sent from my iPad On Aug 28, 2012, at 4:18 PM, Kat M <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi I'm new to the group :) I'm certified in makeup, esthetics, and now > getting nail tech certified. Here in Connecticut we are the last state not > requiring licenses. My class is all O.P.I. so we are using Axxium and UV top > coats. I need to purchase a UV light but having lupus which makes me sun > sensitive AND seeing my 24 year old doctor's hands are completely wrinkled > because she has been getting gels for years, I'm wondering how to lessen the > UV skin damage. I plan to use sunscreen on my clients but I'm not sure what > wattage to get. My teacher reccomended 36W as the minimum but I'm wondering > if I go higher will it take less time and will less time mean less UV > exposure or does the higher wattage cancel that out? Also, I realize it wont > work with a UV top coat but what about LED lights? What products do they work > with and will LED be replacing UV or are they completely different? Also, I > tried the Axxium sculpting gel with the O.P.I. light and it didn't harden at > all! Any tips? > > This is the light I have my eye on. I like that it has an infinite digital > timer and I can't spend more than $50. > > Thank you for any help! > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "NailTech" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/nailtech/-/3EODJ2JmQ68J. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en.
