We are BACK! Welcome to a bit more of a technical one, today we are going to be talking all things Heat Spikes! Sounds... SPICY! So, grab a cuppa, get comfy and lets get into it! Handing over to our Pure Nails nail pro Tina, Head of Education here at Halo...Without further-ado Tina, take it away!!!
Alrighty, so first things is first: heat spike's, who is she!? Officially known as an Exotherm, (this means to release heat). Basically when your nail product decides to throw a little heatwave party on your clients nails! - Which isn't ideal!! It can happen when the product you are using gets hot when applying them to your clients nails, leaving her squirming in her seat or frantically whipping her hand away like your about to amputate her finger.
This is why in the nail world we call them heat spikes, a bout of heat that hits the nail like a spike. Fear not though, this will over time reduce, and it normally only happens the once on that nail, it can leave the nail as fast as it appears! Even in some cases, pushing the nail down on the fingertips on a hard surface can help to eliminate it - little hack for you there!!
To spill some tea...a lot of nail techs only think that this happens with a gel nail product like a BIAB or Hard Gel, but it can also happen with L&P systems too. This is normal for the product to become warm as its curing or the polymerize starts to happen.
Usually if you're following the manufacturers instructions to a T, you wont encounter the cheeky heat spike! But, don't worry even if you are doing everything correctly some products play by their own set of rules and can still give of a little spike!
Now, onto where it gets a little tricky as such! Of course, if your client has a thin or damaged nail bed then even the smallest amount of heat may appear uncomfortable to them...(like a mini but unwanted sauna for their nail). Their nail may have some damage which could be from overfilling leaving it thinner than a natural nail meaning she has very little heat barrier.
This will mean that you client will appear super sensitive to the heat spike as the heat can penetrate though the nail and, in some cases, can cause injury. So, make sure you check over each client differently, as you have 10 fingers waiting to be transformed but that also could have 10 different sensitivities!
When you’re filing the nail bed, gentle pressure and even strokes with the nail file should be applied. The aim is to gently remove any oils from the nail and etch over the surface leaving it ready for whatever service you’re going to provide for the client. Make sure to keep the file moving as filing in one place will over thin the nail and this can also build up friction creating a friction burn on the nail- Ouchies!
Going over the nail with prep and scrub can give you a good indication that you have etched the nail enough by turning a chalky white. Look at the nail and if there are any sections of the nail that is not white in colour then gently go over that section only and then repeat with the prep. Gentle is best when filing, especially on the natural nail!
Mixing products can also create heat spikes, mixing the wrong monomer with the wrong polymer can cause this to happen. This is why we say always use a full system including the brands own uv/led lamp. A lot of insurance companies request this also and not using the full brand can invalidate your insurance. Best to just play it safe on this one!
Using a faster setting monomer can also help create a heat spike, instead of curing over 3-4 minutes like a standard liquid, it cures in a shorter time frame. This is why making sure you are using the correct products that suit your clients’ nails are vitally important. Also take into consideration the weather, if it’s a warm day and you are using fast setting then this will cure even faster giving a larger chance for the product to give off a heat spike.
Speaking of lamps, using the wrong lamp can also crank up the heat! This can seriously contribute to encountering a heat spike when using a UV-LED product. If you have a UV nails curing product and place it in a LED lamp then this will almost certainly create a heat spike as the product will overheat.
If a product takes 2-3 minutes to cure and you are curing it in a lamp that takes 30 seconds all of the heat is released in that 30 seconds instead of gradually over the longer period of time. Not only can it cause burning sensations, but overtime may result in onycholysis - which is not good and can then lead to infections. So, be sure to stick to the one FULL system rule at all times!!!
There are of course other reasons why this can occur but no matter which product you are using, the thicker you apply the more heat the nail will give off. I often find thumbs often feel it the most as its normally the larger nail on the hands – larger amount of product = more chance of a heat spike. You will see on the Halo Lamps we have a low heat setting which is 99 seconds long and not 30. This setting allows the heat to build up slowly helping the product the set slower which can prevent the burning sensation. This is especially brilliant for the clients with the thinner nail beds.
Tina's Top Tips... to help prevent the Heat Spike!
- Don’t over file or cause friction burns on the nail plate.
- Don’t over thin the nail plate.
- Use the correct products, e.g. correct powder and liquid.
- Take the weather into consideration and alter your liquid accordingly.
- Always use the correct lamp that the brand recommends.
- Keep the product thin, don’t apply it to thick.
- Buy your products from a reputable brand and always use the full recommended system including the Lamp.
