I tested the clear builder gel that I primarily use. My piece was 0.24 g before I soaked it, and after the 24 hours drying it was 0.23 grams. Not too bad overall, it makes me feel a little better about that one anyway lol.

Hi Dawn, the "big change" is that more imported brands are relying on cheap ingredients in order to take over the market. Gel polish is now averaging less than $10/bottle with some brands as low as $3-$5, and the only way for brands to do that is to cut corners on what they use in their formulations. Monomers are safe at lower percentages but many companies are using upwards of 35% in their formulas to make it cheaper. High monomer content also helps with adhesion which is beneficial for users who have a lack of education. Since monomers are more likely to be absorbed into the blood stream due to their small molecular size, and with the high percentages being used, more people are absorbing them more regularly and their bodies are responding to it with an overexposure reaction. Add to that more people are mixing and matching cheap lamps with cheap products and they have no idea if their gels are being cured to safe levels. Undercured products have a higher chance of monomers leaching out while the gels are being worn over the life of the service. It's a combination of a lot of factors that have increased with the popularity of gel polishes and now we are seeing the repercussions finally surface at noticeable levels decades later. The percentage of people who have these allergies is still low by percentage of the population of nail product users, but it's important to look at your ingredients in your products and also to make sure they are being cured to safe levels.

@@TheNailHub I would say more people getting their nails done... I grew up in the 80s, and it was considered ghetto to get anything more than polish done on your nails. So when you saw people like Flo Jo running on TV with the long nails and the acrylics that were common in the black community... it wasn't a positive connation. Now? It's seen as less of a "ghetto" thing and more of an *expected* thing. Nails and hair done = self care suddenly and not ghetto fab. So add to the globalization you mentioned above and the increase in the amount of people getting acrylics... perfect storm. Add to that lower immune system thresholds for allergies due to the introduction of high concentration cleaners in to the home... yeah.

@@sushles ghetto? Having acrylics on? The use of that word is just inappropriate for any conversation when it means something negative. Also I'm almost positive that since extensions became a thing it was a cool, elegant thing.

@@326lindsey Acrylics and extensions weren’t always seen as a good thing. If you were working in corporate back in the 80s and early 90s, anything other than “natural” was looked down on. In communities of color acrylics were the norm and every could wear them without being looked down on. It’s also common to hear anything related to the black community referred to as “ghetto” until its adopted by mainstream. Like nails today are now seen as a positive social status.

@@lunasolY this exactly.

Go for it. You’re not too old. Go do something that brings you joy. I graduated from nursing school at 47. I have enjoyed 14 years of a nursing career. So do it! ❤

Hello Carolina how are you doing?

This is what I want to know, why can’t we find a way to cure at 100%??

I too would like clarification.

Hello Susan how are you doing?

Hi the 90s timer gradually increases the potency of the light to avoid a lot of heat being produced. It cures no less and no more fully than the normal settings. Just is a gradual build up to full power so is over a longer time period.

Definitely sounds like uncured gel inside. Whatever lamp you have is not powerful enough to cure properly and your layers of color might be too thick. What brand of gel and what lamp did you use?

I have settled on Kokoist and Leafgel. They are Japanese nail gel brands which do not require nail prep and have no sanding bases available. Thus far, I have only used Leafgel's No Sanding Base. It has proven to be worth the price tag. The adhension is great with no lifting, ect. Liz is a great educator and I feel like I've watched many, many videos of hers. Another channel you should check out is Paola Ponce. She works exclusively with Japanese gel and is a great technician.

90% or higher is best. 91% and 99% are the commonly available strengths.

Yes, it's to due with the wavelength of light emitted by the bulb or LED, not the wattage/power consumed by the lamp. Your eyes cannot tell the difference alone, since humans can only see a small portion of light on the ultraviolet spectrum. So buying a brighter lamp doesn't necessarily mean it will work better, it might be emitting more light on our visible spectrum. Whereas a less bright lamp might be emitting more UV, which is what cures gels, the full spectrum does not fall within our visible spectrum of light.

Any of the full size lamps or the mini Light Elegance Dot we sell will sufficiently cure most gels on the market. thenailhub.com

Allergies due tend to change (they say every 7 years) but it is very different for each person and depends on severity of the reaction. Usually if you find out what you’re allergic to you can then avoid it. For example HEMA or IBOA are common culprits. But some people are actually allergic to other ingredients.

Just speaking as a person who developed allergies to certain dyes is cosmetics. Switching products is the only way. There are hypoallergenic gel polishes out there! Make sure you read all of the ingredients and test them on your pinky nail (your least used nail) and wait at least 48 hours before applying your full manicure. If there is a reaction, I had to read the ingredients to narrow down the offenders. For me, it is PPD in hair dyes, and the dyes in blue and black cosmetics, but it could be different for everyone. I've noticed some dark colored clothing also use these dyes that I became allergic to, so I have to wash new clothes 4-5 times to wash the residual dyes out before it is safe to wear them. So the offending chemical might not be just in a nail/gel polish, a hair dye, clothing etc-used many places. Unfortunately, a lot of these chemicals are "sensitizers", so once you are exposed to them, every application after will cause further sensitization. You're also more likely to become sensitive to similar chemicals. Like me, since I've become allergic to a few dyes and colorants, other dyes in that chemical family are also more likely to cause a reaction. It really sucks once it happens. It hasn't gone away for me, I just had to stop using products without the offending ingredients. If the reaction is beyond what can be treated at home (by like removing the product, and using oral antihistamines like Benedryl) get medical attention. Allergists, some otolaryngologists, and some dermatologists, can also do allergy patch tests in a safe controlled environment (they have the training to properly respond to a severe reaction), and they can help you narrow down the offending chemicals and ingredients! They're also knowledgeable about what other products the allergen might be in. Edit: Even if a cosmetic says it is hypoallergenic, it can still contain allergens and sensitizers, they've just removed the most common well known offending ingredients.

It would be the same. So let’s say your sample piece weighs an ounce before the test and .9 ounces after…that’s your 90%. If it’s 70% of the original weight or less then you know you’ve got a severe under curing issue.

@@TheNailHub omg duh….lets just call this my blonde moment of the day 😂😂! Thanx for the swift reply!

Hello Susan how are you doing?

Glitter gel! 🤩 I can’t live without Light Elegance glitters. Greens are my fave.

A lot of companies do care and formulate responsibly, but with so many cheap gel polishes on the market it's hard to compete and to get the right messaging out. When you have a company that actually makes their own gel from scratch and they charge $16-20 each and then you have generic China manufacturers (where almost all generic brands come from) selling $3-5 gel polishes you can start so see why. They use cheap ingredients and risky formulas because they're in it to make a quick buck. They don't really care about the end user. Most of those gels would be relatively ok if they were being fully cured, but pair cheap gel with a cheap lamp and you're running a higher risk.

@@TheNailHubI just hope moving forward, maybe they, (LE or other reputable brands), could find a way to formulate differently or come up with a 100% curing of our gels, or is that not ever going to be possible? Just so curious about this ❤❤ ty

big agree lol!