OPI gel lamp - can I use other brands with this?

[Lash lady:)]

Hi Geeks

I have been trained in the opi gelcolor (which I love) but want more colour options, mainly some sparkly colours , there just isn't the choice in the OPI.
Have any of you had experience with using another brand like gelish with the lamp?
Also would I then Need to use all gelish products , the prep etc?

I have also been considering (when I save a few pennies) maybe having shellac training also so I can offer both systems?

What are your thoughts?

Lots of love x

 

[nixnax]

Hiya!
I'm an OPI GelColour girl too. Have a google of Doug Schoon, he's a scientist in the beauty industry and has done a tonne of research into the lamps we use in our industry.

To put it in a nutshell, every brand basically finetunes their lamps to work with their specific products formulation. And if you use one brand in another brands lamp, it may feel and look 'hard', but will only be around 50% cured. When gel only gets to the 'hard' point, this can cause allergies to form on clients (and also us as nail techs) due to exposure to undercured product. A good example also is CND Shellac is a hybrid gel, so it's lamp has been finely tuned by CND to cure correctly, and then OPI GelColour is pure gel, not a hybrid, so our OPI lamp is designed specifically to cure the GelColour formulation correctly.

This is a great article from him: https://www.schoonscientific.com/2014/complexity-uv-curing/

I hope that helps and definitely check out Doug Schoon, he has alot of articles in Nails magazine etc, which are on their website, and is an absolute wealth of knowledge x