Nail Terminology

Nail Terminology 101

Let' start off with terms that really confuse the public even if they've
had the service done. "Yahoo! Questions" has shown me how bad it
is out there by the answers I've read, yikes!

Gel Nails:

Gel has been around for at least 30 years, improving as time has gone by. It is a form of acrylic but with much different attributes. It won't ever yellow, it's

as clear as top coat, they don't get brittle over time and is more flexible than acrylic, so if you jam your nail it has a little more "give".

*Know the mis-used Nail Term:
If a liquid and powder of any kind is used you are not getting gel. If you get acrylic put on and then have a thin layer
of a gel put over the top they also are
NOT gel nails!

Gel is in a jar and has the consistency of honey. It is applied over either your natural nail (an "overlay") or your nail with a glued on and blended tip (a full set). The product will stay "liquid", so to speak, until it is put under a gel U.V. lamp for a few minutes to cure it to hard glossy finish.

It will usually get HOT because the molecules are turning from a liquid to a solid so fast that the friction generates heat. The best thing to do is place your hand in the light for about 20 seconds, and take them out for 5, if in the meantime you feel any heat keep them out because it might get a whole lot hotter! Repeat a few times until the gel is mostly solid, then leave them in for another minute or so until completely cured.

There will be a sticky residue that needs to be wiped off (I like to use an antiseptic like Sea Breeze) before filing and shaping. Gel should always be
filed because no matter how careful you are it will have lumps and dips and usually has run over the edge on to the skin in the drying process.

After being shaped brush on the top gel (it's thinner than the "builder gel" and is usually in a bottle) it will make the gel shiny and clear again. It also gets cured for a couple of minutes. This can also be used over acrylic nails to have an incredible glass finish.

There are colored gels in lieu of polish but personally, I've found the nails
end up being a lot thicker than I like. There is a french white gel (again too thick for my liking) but if it is not "capped" off on the free edge tip they will peel off in a chunk. All gels need to be "capped" off, simply meaning swipe the brush on the edges, sealing it so it won't peel off.

Gel nails are a beautiful alternative to acrylic. There shouldn't be an extra charge for gel (except for color and french add on's) but some may just because of the initial cost of the gel light and product. I always charged the same as acrylic.

Solar Nails:

The term "Solar Nail™" is an acrylic brand name made by Creative Nail DesignŽ. It is not a different service than any other acrylic set, it's just that the "cheap shops" use an extremely inexpensive product (usually illegal) and it costs a lot more for a name brand, so they charge more if you want it.

Solar Nail™ has a special formulation to help keep the acrylic from yellowing in the sun or tanning bed (particularly important for permanent french nail wearers). If you want to save money and still have non-yellowing acrylic for your french buy a bottle of a U.V. blocking top coat and bring it in with you!

The best I've found is Tammy Taylor's "A-Coat". It's the nails industry’s
number one selling protective coat featuring a liquid plastic coating with UV inhibitors eliminating yellowing of pink and white nails. Since it is a form of plastic it cannot be removed with nail polish remover, you simply file it off. Sometimes the finish is not as glossy with just one coat so I'll use 2 but wait for them to be completely dry first (a couple of minutes).

Back-Fill:
First of all, the term 'permanent french manicure' is when the white is not painted on but rather white acrylic is applied to the tips where it won't wear

or chip off. A back fill (also known as a double fill because the part around the cuticle and the white tip get filled at the same time) is a term used when your white acrylic tips have grown out and is not in the right position anymore. If you're going to continue wearing pink and white acrylic the white needs to be filled about every other time to keep it looking crisp and clean.