Quick guide to poly products
Are you wondering how poly products work to create enhancements that combine the best qualities of liquid and powder acrylic with hard gel?
Katie Barnes, Professional Beauty’s Nail Professional of the Year 2018 and owner of Katie Barnes Training Academy in Warwickshire, gives you the lowdown on what they are, how they work and the common troubleshooting issues.
What are poly products?
“They are a hybrid between acrylic and gel, often known as poly products or acragels. These poly products are popular because they are designed to create a product which uses the best of acrylic and the best of gel, while taking out the elements that some technicians don’t like,” explains Barnes.
How do they work?
“The products work with a tri-polymer technology – they have the oligomers from gel and the polymers from lacquer and acrylic. To use, you simply squeeze the product out of the tube and then use the special tool that comes with it to cut it off – cut about half the size of the nail length you want to create,” says Barnes.
“Next, roll it onto the nail then using your brush, use a little bit of the liquid solution to mould it into shape. Cure for 30 seconds in an LED lamp or two minutes in a UV lamp and then file into shape.”
What are the common troubleshooting issues?
“The main problem I found when trialling the products is using too much of the liquid solution – use too much and it counteracts what it’s actually meant to do, causing more lifting and a poor adhesion of the product,” explains Barnes.
Which brands are doing poly products?
“I’ve had a play with Gelish, Artistic and Crystal Nails. Gelish’s Polygel is great because the slip solution has a lovely melon scent which is very pleasant for clients, they’ve got great colours to choose from and a quick curing time of 30 seconds in an LED Lamp,” says Barnes.
“Artistic’s Putty Polygel Nail Enhancement also has a quick curing time of 30 seconds in an LED Lamp and has cover colours/pinks which are great as a masking element to extend nail beds.”
Barnes adds: “I really like Crystal Nails Xtreme Fusion Gel because you can use their current product system with it, so you’re able to use its cleanser as a liquid solution rather than having to invest a huge initial outlay for your salon.”
For more helpful advice and tips, visit Professional Beauty’s YouTube page.
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