Victoria Plum Nail Artist

𝑳𝒐𝒘-𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒑𝒂𝒓 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.💅

Hi, I’m **Vicky from Westering, Port Elizabeth** — a nail technician at heart with a passion for the industry. Behind every beautiful set of nails is **science, skill, and responsibility**.

Let’s raise the standard together through
✅Education,
✅Better products,
✅ Understanding the technology behind gel systems**.

**𝑻𝒉𝒆 3 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 💅**

1️⃣ **Soft Gel** – Thin and flexible. Perfect if your natural nails are already strong and you just want long-lasting color for a few weeks.

2️⃣ **Reinforcement Gel** – A support layer under your color. Strong yet flexible, ideal if your gel tends to chip or peel quickly.

3️⃣ **Builder in a Bottle (BIAB)** – The bodyguard for soft nails. A thicker gel that adds structure and helps you grow longer nails without breaking.

Choosing the right overlay depends on **your nail strength and your goals**.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒑 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓?

Think again. 💅

Gel products are formulated to cure under specific wavelengths of light. Cheap or incompatible lamps can create dead zones, leading to under-curing, lifting, service breakdown, and even increased risk of allergies from uncured product.

Using the correct lamp recommended by your brand or distributor ensures a full cure, better retention, and safer results.

Your lamp isn’t just equipment — it’s part of the chemistry.

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒔?💅

It might be your **file grit**. Using the right grit makes all the difference. **180 grit** is the sweet spot for gently etching the natural nail, while **100 or 150 grit** should only be used for shaping enhancements — never on the natural nail. **240 grit** is perfect for finishing and smoothing.

Quality files also matter. Professional files create a **uniform surface with less heat and friction**, helping products bond better and last longer.

**𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒑 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 P𝒓𝒐!**💅

Long-lasting nails start with proper preparation. A **dehydrator** removes oils and moisture from the nail plate, creating a clean surface for products to adhere to. Then comes **primer** — either acid or non-acid — to improve grip and help prevent lifting.

For most clients, **non-acid primers** are the safer, gentler choice, while **acid primers** are usually reserved for very oily nails.

Great prep = longer-lasting sets.

𝑰𝒔 𝑻𝑷𝑶 𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔?💅

You may have heard that the EU banned TPO, but what does that really mean? TPO is a photo-initiator that helps gel polish cure under UV/LED light. The EU reclassified it as a potential risk based on high-dose animal studies where it was ingested in large amounts.

In real nail products, the amount used is very small (usually under 5%) and applied only to the nail surface. Many experts say the exposure level in gel polish is far below harmful thresholds.

Still, many brands are moving toward TPO-free formulas as an extra precaution.

𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒚? 𝑰𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 💅

A common ingredient in many gels is HEMA, a small molecule that helps create a smooth, workable formula. But because the molecules are so small, uncured gel touching the skin can sometimes lead to sensitivities or allergies over time.

That’s why many professionals now choose HEMA-free formulas, which use larger molecules that stay on the nail while still giving you that beautiful glossy finish.

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 60 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔?💅

It’s all chemistry! Gel systems use oligomers for strength, monomers like HEMA to control viscosity, and photo-initiators such as TPO or BAPO that react under UV/LED light to cure the gel into a solid, durable layer.

𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬?💅

Not always. The real issue is often the quality of the ingredients used. Cheap products can contain low-grade ingredients that may cause reactions. That’s why many nail techs choose high-quality, HEMA-free and TPO-free products for a safer and more reliable option.