What are Gel Nails?

Nail Lacquers are specialty products that have come under some scrutiny in recent years. The main reason is that they contain phthalates, which under the California Safe Cosmetics Act passed in January are considered a health risk. Some companies have voluntarily removed dibutyl phthalates from their nail lacquer formulations to comply with this law. But the removal of this ingredient severely affects the performance of the product, and the lacquer's hardness and its ability to prevent chipping is certainly compromised.

But the industry has come up with an alternative to the traditional nitrocellulose-based product that we are all familiar with on the market today. Gel nails are a new, more natural looking alternative to acrylic nail extensions. Unlike acrylics, the UV gel used to create the nails has no discomforting odors and no hazardous ingredients. There is no glue involved in the process, eliminating unnecessary nail damage caused by lifting. Gel nails are created with a layer of base gel, brushed into a mold then cured by UV Lamps: 9 watt, 18 watt, or 36 watt at 110 volts depending on cure rate desired. Gel nails are limitless in their design capabilities, and can even be reinforced with fiberglass for extra strength and repairs purposes. They are also available in a choice of natural colors to enhance the natural look of the nail bed. In short, gel nails are an extremely natural-looking enhancement: thin, clear, flexible, non-yellowing, nonporous, while resist lifting. Gel nails can be used for natural nail overlays (actually one of the most difficult techniques, but looks the easiest to achieve), tip overlays, and sculpted onto forms for short extensions, and to help encapsulate a damaged free-edge as it grows out. These have been used mainly by nail salons but recently have seen some home use.

Gel nails are the future of the nail industry. 90% of the nail business in Europe is based on gels, and the United States will also be using gels within 5 to 10 years. Gel nails are probably the next hot service that salon clients will demand. No other service can give clients both a natural nail look and feel combined with the convenience and durability of acrylic nails. Many clients have tired of acrylic nails in this past decade because of the disadvantages that can be associated with them (such as the odors, lifting and nail damage, and components such as ethyl methacrylate, etc). These same clients now flock to salons in record numbers for "natural nail" manicures with many spa type add-ons to increase the service price. However, many of these clients have already grown weary of the weekly appointments and rigorous home maintenance requirements of "natural" nails. They want another alternative; they want natural beauty combined with strength and durability. Now you can deliver to the clients what they really want - convenience as well as durability.

Some major benefits of gel nails are that they are odorless, they have a thin, flexible, natural feeling on the nail, and they are clear and extremely lightweight. Traditional acrylics harden in about 10 minutes, but they can take 24 hours or more to fully cure. Ultra violet gel nails harden in about 15-30 seconds and cure in about 2 minutes. They are simple one-component UV gels. These are not temporary nails that are applied with adhesives, they are extensions of one's natural nails. The UV gel is a multifunctional product and can be even used for nail sculpting.

Clients want and are willing to pay for high-end services. Just as the top department stores have defined a separate niche for themselves from the K-Mart type stores, so will gel nails be distinguished from many other nail care services. Gel nails will never be a discount service offered in a discount salon atmosphere. Gel nails are a long term, lifestyle choice. The type of consumer looking for only a quick fix of short term or temporary nails (such as party nails). While some salons will always cater to quantity sales such as walk-in type business, the gel nail philosophy demands commitment and planning and so will attract a clientele that is compatible with that service level. Just as Nieman Marcus does not compete with K-Mart, neither will gel nail salons compete with discount salons. These are two very different market segments with two very different price points and a lot safer to use than what is currently available on the market today.