Ugh... More Misinformation, and my corrections!

If you see this article going around on your social media pages, please link this blog post/response... More misinformation being spread on the interwebs!

Ok, let me address each issue in order of appearance in the video:
1. Gel polish is not "healthier" than acrylic nails (or traditional gel nails or soak off gel nails, for that matter). They are all different products, which achieve different results. Please let me remind you (again) that products do not ruin your nails (unless you're allergic/sensitive and continue to use them), improper application, removal, and care for them *do*.
2. CND Shellac was *not* the "first brand of gel nail polish"... Gelish actually came first; it just wasn't marketed like CND Shellac was.
3. CND Shellac is not "the best", but I will agree that it is the fastest/easiest to soak off. HOWEVER, it does not have the same staying power as other brands of gel polish. It has a bend to it that other brands do not have; some people like that, some do not.
4. In the video at the 1m mark, you'll see the tech applying CND Shellac base coat (as they're talking about mixing products and it not lasting; side note -- layering different gel polishes is not why it didn't last on that woman... My guess? Her nails weren't properly prepped, the tech didn't cap her free edges on every layer, she didn't use her cuticle oil, and/or she picked at them)... He is applying that base coat WAY TOO THICK! CND Shellac base coat (& most others) don't need that much; just a thin layer!
5. He's partially right about proper lamp usage (although the reporter keeps saying "light"... she should be using the term "lamp"). You *should* make sure your tech is using the same brand of lamp as product, however, as long as it's a good quality lamp, the lamp is the correct UV wavelength for the product you're using, and you cure for the right amount of time for the product, it *should* cure (he says, "dry", but proper terminology is "cure") fine. If it doesn't, either the bulbs need to be switched out (UV bulbs lose power over time), the bulbs are not putting out the proper wavelength for your products, or the lamp being used is crap.
6. The reporter is also wrong about CND Shellac soak off time. She says, "... if it takes any longer than 5m to soak off..." While CND does sell a 5m soak off top coat for their Shellac, they also sell their original one. If your tech used the original one (some techs like the old formula better), you're still going to have an 8-12m soak off.
7. I have not tried using CND Shellac's base coat & top coat with other gel polish brands' colors, but I have used other brands' top & base coats with CND Shellac colors... The most successful one was Gelish, although Artistic Nail Design works well, too. Yes, the soak off is a few more minutes, but the staying power is SO MUCH BETTER!!!


And now, a few more from the actual article:
1. No, no two gel polishes are "the same", but most are fairly similar... Similar enough that you can, fairly successfully, layer (I don't use the term "mix" because technically, you're not) different brands. As long as each layer is properly cured, you shouldn't have any issues doing so.
2. Soak off for CND Shellac is not "five times faster"... it's 5m-12m, depending on which top coat your tech used (provided they actually used a real gel polish; this isn't taking into consideration the many many "techs" -- I use the word lightly -- who mix, literally, their own products and call it "shellac"; it's not).
3. CND Shellac is actually *not* the "most shiny"... I've tried multiple brands, and have actually found that HIGH SHINE, by Elegant Glass Nails, is the most shiny top coat (it actually doubles as a base coat, too) I've tried.
4. Yes, Shellac is more expensive -- 1/4oz bottle costs us pros $15.95. OPI's GelColor, by comparison, is $17.95 for 1/2oz. But, the cost of each product is not a reason we aren't correcting you. The reason we techs don't usually "correct" you when you say SHELLAC is because we've been yelled at too many times by clients/potential clients when they're making an appointment (because, obviously, that chop shop you went to before knows everything, and even though you're calling *me*, I don't know anything... sarcasm). It's easier to wait until you're actually *in* the salon, then explain some of the differences.
5. OPI's GelColor *used* to be easier to match with regular polish shades, because they made their GelColor in matching shades... CND got hip to this, and made Vinylux in shades matching their Shellac.
6. OPI GelColor actually has over 150 shades. CND Shellac currently has 96 shades in their collection (at least, according to their website). Artistic Nail Design's Colour Gloss has close to 150 shades. Gelish has close to 200. So, I'm not sure where he got the "...dozens of color options..." (talking about OPI) crap from.
7. Dehydration from acetone is temporary, and harmless! It evaporates too fast for any damage to occur, and your tech shouldn't be using that much anyway. Pure acetone is fastest to use for removal, but a lot of companies make removers with hydrating ingredients for less drying. Either is perfectly safe to use.
8. Um... didn't he specifically say NOT to "mix" earlier in the article, and now he's saying it's okay to do so? (I want a raised eyebrow emoji.)
9. Yes, the bottles are different. OPI GelColor bottles, are not just "darker", however; they are actually black... all of them. No sticker label, but they should have a plastic shrink wrapping with the color & name on the lid. The Gelish bottles are white, round, and have a pretty swirl design on the front, along with a little see-through window. Artistic bottles are also black, but shaped like Gelish bottles, with a swath of color near the top of the bottle (not the handle). (I actually have pics of all of these on my FB work page, if you're interested...)
10. "...the tech may be using the wrong light." -- Um, you mean lamp, and not "wrong" so much as "cheap & not the correct UV wavelength for the product".
11. The gel top coat I used to use when I did L&P (liquid & powder is the technically proper term for acrylic nails, since traditional gel is also an acrylate), was the same as I used to seal hard gels, so of course I used the same lamp... As I've repeated multiple times now, as long as your WAVELENGTH is correct for the product you're using, it doesn't matter which brand's lamp you use. Cheapy UV lamps bought on EBay aren't going to cut it.

All of this being said (and sorry, not sorry, that it's long... I actually CARE about getting the correct information out there, not using scare tactics like media outlets do these days), please please please do your own research. If you have questions, ask. I, personally, have taken multiple CND classes (I am not only a certified Grand Master, I am also CND Shellac certified), OPI classes, Artistic Nail Design/Colour Gloss classes, and more. If you don't know if your tech is doing it correctly, call the hotlines to the companies directly. Call your state's cosmetology board and ask THEM questions! Don't just blindly accept what the "news" and some techs tell you. Happy nailing!

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