help with light decision!

[southernchic]

Hello! I'm a nail tech and I'll be starting in the salon in a few weeks! I'm using CND Shellac as my gel polish, and I'm about to purchase a light. I know the CND light is supposedly the best for me to get, but starting January I am going to start offering UV Gel nails (thinking about Entity's system, or IBD). I'm getting instructed on how to do them properly. What light would you recommend so I could cure BOTH my Shellac and a gel nail system? I really don't want to purchase 2 separate lights and I want one with great quality. Thank you! I just got out of school so I'm pretty nervous!

 

[Gelli Fied]

The problem with Shellac's system is that it's so unique you really do probably want to get their light, since their polishes don't all cure within one wavelength of UV light as most other gel polish brands do--although I hear that they are reformulating their colors to cure within a set range of wavelengths. IBD and Entity one I've heard a lot of good things about--and I think if you get the Shellac light, you should be able to cure many other gels in there, as I have heard others have done. All brands vary a bit in the range of light that they cure at, though; for example I have heard that some people cannot cure China Glaze's "Gelaze" in their Shellac light, despite Gelaze saying it's compatable with UV lights.

BUT a light from IBD or Entity may not cure all Shellac polishes, since it uses a more limited wavelength of light that doesn't meet the requirements for Shellac.

Personally, I don't use Shellac and just stick with a simple LED light that cures OPI Gelcolor, Gelish, Gelaze, Red Carpet Manicure, IBD...etc !