Hellooooo!

Whether you’re already a Nail Tech or currently identify as a Nail Enthusiast, you’re probably familiar with heat spikes, amirite?

If you know, you know with this one – that’s some Zero to 100 sh*t right there.

The Why

Clients deserve more than ‘Beauty is pain’ (SUCH an infuriating phrase that makes clients think it’s ok to leave a nail appt bleeding) or ‘That’s just part of the process’.

When two monomers bond, a small amount of heat is released – known as an exothermic reaction. While some reactions are subtle, the combined heat from billions of monomers can be noticeable, especially with certain products.

Explaining it to clients

I say to clients ‘The gel is made of millions of tiny molecules. They’re floating individually, which is why the gel is runny. But when they see UV Light, they rush to hold hands with each other and that rushing causes heat. Imagine a school classroom that have just been told if they all hold hands in a line as fast as possible, they get to go to lunch early. Absolute chaos.

Once they’re IN the line, the only instruction is to tighten up. In gel terms, the molecules are getting so close together that the bond around the keratin cells of your nail (AKA stick real good) and become less flexible (AKA hard instead of runny).

In classroom terms, you can imagine that moving from holding hands to linking arms is a lot less chaotic that forming the line itself, which is why the heat only occurs in the first few seconds and doesn’t happen when you go back in the lamp.’

Is that a lot of info? Yes. Do all clients care? Nope. But I usually preface the explanation by asking if they want to short answer or the real answer 😅

Giving them the real info in a digestible way, allows them to see you for the expert you are and not just a ‘lady who paints nails’.

Although when I explained it to one regular, she DID say ‘Oligomer? That’s a big word for you!’. Don’t worry, she is still breathing 😅

Managing the Exotherm

Exothermic reactions are normal during polymerisation, but we want to manage them. Unmanaged, they can reach in excess of 75 decress, causing pain, product breakdown, pocket lifting, and onycholysis.

Make sure your client knows that when it heats up, to take their hand out of the lamp, and not eff around second guessing!

In the meantime, you can do heaps to reduce the exotherm in the first place – 

• Keep products cool. Reduce the temperature of your products by keeping them in the fridge for 5 min before your appointment or by standing them on an ice pack while you work. This applies to building gels, your dappen dish of liquid monomer, and your gel polishes.
• Keep clients cool – In Summer, consider using an ice pack nicely wrapped in towels as a wrist rest. Your client will appreciate the reprieve from the heat too.
• Keep your room cool. Don’t give up on the heater in winter but balance its warmth with some of the other suggestions. It’s also worth noting that ventilated desks are often quite cold to work over.
• Work thin!
• USE THE RIGHT LAMP!
• Follow your training and the manufacturers instructions to ensure products are used as intended
• With acrylic, work slightly dryer, but not too dry – we’re aiming for the perfect ratio of liquid to powder

On the flip side, these things are not doing you any favours – 

• Wet acrylic beads
• Hot products (even just hott-ER because Summer is in it’s peak) – these products will seem runnier than usual, which is a sure sign to be aware of potential exotherms. Runnier, warmer products move faster which means all of the connections happen at once as does the heat that comes with them.
• Clients with warm hands – this will cause the product to warm up and move faster just as above
• Working in a warm room – as above
• Working under a hot desk lamp (the light you use for seeing, not curing)
• Lamps that are too powerful for the product you’re using
• Using too much of a product eg thick gel polish layers – work THIN!
• Note that some badly formulated products may overheat no matter what – always choose products from reputable manufacturers. Reputable manufacturers test and formulate products so that they release heat slowly  instead of in spikes.

By mastering the balance of polymerisation speed, you’re not only protecting your client’s nails but also boosting the quality and durability of your enhancements.

Have a wonderful week, FIRSTNAME!

This is what else we loved last week – 

1. Sharing what we wish we knew before joining the industry!
2. Tiny ombres for butterfly wings
3. Relatable convos with friends about what we did NOT know was part of being a Salon Owner!
4. Jayde’s never ending supply of moments that make us giggle
5. Showing the men in our lives that it’s not just about glitter

PS Join Summit 2025 for only $26/week – everyone is welcome! 

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