My head is being turned

[linzi]

Here's another way to look at it. As we know, the electromagnetic spectrum is divided into lots of different sections, including ultraviolet and visible light. It is important to know that the ultraviolet section is much larger than the visible light portion.

UV products cure when the photoinitiators in the product match up to the specific portion of the UV spectrum that they were designed for. They are all photoinitiators and it's all UV light, but that doesn't mean that they are all the same; else it wouldn't be a spectrum.

Similarly, we have visible light, or just light. This is the portion of light that we can actually see. As I said earlier, it is a much smaller portion of the spectrum than UV. Visible light runs from violet to blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange and finally red. I think we can all agree (unless you are very colourblind, of course!) that these are very different colours. If you mix violet and violet paint, you'll end up with violet. If you mix blue and red, you'll end up with a violet paint.

So. If you mix a photoinitiator that is designed to cure at the lower end of the spectrum with a lamp that emits light from the higher end of the spectrum, it will harden the product, but it will not, under any circumstances, provide a proper cure.

The lamp doesn't need to be branded, it needs to be matched to the system and tested to ensure that it provides proper cure. There is no other way to do this than in a laboratory.

 

[user 25446]

It's even more complicated

Imagine looking for your favourite radio station. To do that you adjust the "wavelength". But you don't hear. anything - because the volume is too low.

For a correct cure, a UV lamp must not only generate UV at the correct wavelength(s) for the photo initiator chemical(s), but also be bright enough that sufficient energy is provided for it to work. Not enough energy is like too low a volume on the radio

Each gel and gel polish contains different types and amounts of photo initiators. There is no standard. There are good reasons to use less (one of these is it makes the gel lower allergy risk), but that also makes creating a good gel that has high adhesion, much more difficult.

The lamp manufacturers don't know how much photo initiator is used in each gel (like the formula, it's a secret for each company). So how could they produce a universal lamp?

This is why it is so important to use the correct lamp for the products you use. Gel and gel polish chemistry is much more complicated than even many brand understand, and the lamp manufacturers don't have a clue - they know electronics only.

 

[TheDuchess]

Coo thanks for this Bob. I used to be in the army and my job was providing ground to air mobile radio communications so I've had to learn a bit of physics about wave lengths. Especially if I was planning an exercise where we would be practising setting up and establishing comms, I'd have to calculate theoretically before we would recce to see if it was actually possible with our equipment.

Even with my background I've not really grasped the whole "why" about lamps and brands. Now I feel much happier and clearer. Great explanation.

 

[BeautybySarah]

There’s a tech I see on Instagram who has switched, she was cnd originally. They just don’t look as nice & the colours aren’t as good.

They don’t seem to have their own lamp which is a red flag too.

Hi there,

The Gel bottle do have their own lamp. i have one and really like it. i use the Gel bottle and my clients really like it and some have said that it has lasted longer than other brands they have tried. I'm a bit concerned that they may have removed their MSDS though. I'll check it out. xx

Yes they do now.

There’s a tech I see on Instagram who has switched, she was cnd originally. They just don’t look as nice & the colours aren’t as good.

They don’t seem to have their own lamp which is a red flag too.

 

[NancySyd]

While I appreciate all of the detailed scientific explanations that you have all provided, there is one critical reality point that needs to be addressed. Your insurance company will not cover you if you are not using the system according to manufacturers' instructions, including the correct lamp for that system. To tell people that they can use an unmatched lamp without also informing them that they will be invalidating their insurance is downright negligent. Whether not you agree with the science of the matter, your "opinion" is irrelevant unless you deal with the insurance issue. The reality is that the vast majority of us will never have an insurance claim against us. But insurance is designed for that exceedingly rare situation.

 

[Dolly_Day_Dreamer.]

I second Ikon.iQ, I've been using it since February and tried pretty much everything in the gel range and there's a lot to choose from... two soak off options, three file off, and a stunning acrygel that I wear myself now instead of acrylics. Whatever the job, there's a perfect product for it.

You get the very best customer support and full and open expert information on product chemistry. All this and it's well priced, pro only and hypoallergenic so much safer to work with on a daily basis.

Thank You

I have created an account with Ikon.IQ and im just waiting for them to check my qualifications that I have uploaded x

Just been having a nose at Ikon.IQ on Instagram and im loving the colours! X

 

[Schrodingers Cat]

Does anyone know which brands (if any) manufacture their own lamps? If you look on the SUN UV website they have lamps that look identical to the TGB lamp as well. I’m just wondering if lamps are all manufactured by the same company and just branded? I think TGB lamp has 56 lights but the similar looking lamp on the SUN UV page has 54. Not a huge difference otherwise.

 

[Dolly_Day_Dreamer.]

It's even more complicated

Imagine looking for your favourite radio station. To do that you adjust the "wavelength". But you don't hear. anything - because the volume is too low.

For a correct cure, a UV lamp must not only generate UV at the correct wavelength(s) for the photo initiator chemical(s), but also be bright enough that sufficient energy is provided for it to work. Not enough energy is like too low a volume on the radio

Each gel and gel polish contains different types and amounts of photo initiators. There is no standard. There are good reasons to use less (one of these is it makes the gel lower allergy risk), but that also makes creating a good gel that has high adhesion, much more difficult.

The lamp manufacturers don't know how much photo initiator is used in each gel (like the formula, it's a secret for each company). So how could they produce a universal lamp?

This is why it is so important to use the correct lamp for the products you use. Gel and gel polish chemistry is much more complicated than even many brand understand, and the lamp manufacturers don't have a clue - they know electronics only.

Hello

I have been asked to submit my qualifications to join the Facebook group but I missed what the email address was!
Sorry would you mind letting me know please?

Thanks

 

[Alison Pilkington-Child]

Hello

I have been asked to submit my qualifications to join the Facebook group but I missed what the email address was!
Sorry would you mind letting me know please?

Thanks

IKON.iQ NAILS (UK) is the Facebook group, if you post any difficulties there you will get lots of help. The website is ikoniqnails.com[emoji1360][emoji846]

 

[Dolly_Day_Dreamer.]

IKON.iQ NAILS (UK) is the Facebook group, if you post any difficulties there you will get lots of help. The website is ikoniqnails.com[emoji1360][emoji846]

Thankyou!

I read somewhere that you are from Kent?
I live in Maidstone x

 

[Alison Pilkington-Child]

I’m in Staplehurst!

 

[MissJulesBeauty]

I was a cnd raver. All I would use acrylic shellac vinylux all cnd. Trained with them too. Now I am a halo and naio nails girl x cnd are fabulous products but value for money not so much x

 

[sianpetersnailtech]

I used CND Shellac for 6 years and I am completely converted to The Gel Bottle now.
I don’t actually use any other brand at all now for gel polish as I am so happy with their products. The colour range is amazing, the lamp is fab and the biab system is a life saver!
I would recommend trying it at least, what I will say is that do not expect it to apply the same way as shellac. The gel bottle is a thicker consistency product and isn’t designed to be applied super thin the way shellac is. It’s a pure gel so don’t worry about shrinking.
Hope this helps xxx