Gel nails: Why you need to know about viscosity
By Katie Barnes | 22 September 2021 | Expert Advice, Feature
Many nails techs feel that gel can be impossible to control. The viscosity of gel plays a big part in its success. Viscosity is defined as a measurement of a fluid’s resistance to flow, and when we refer to the viscosity of a gel product, we are referring to how thick or thin and self-levelling the consistency is.
Gel products come in a huge rage of viscosities from fairly fluid such as gel polish to stiffer viscosities of builder gels. It is important to have a variety of difference products in your kit to use for different eventualities.
What is the difference & when should you use these different viscosities?
The viscosity of a regular UV or LED cured gel in nail products will range from approximately 25,000 centipoise to 100,000 centipoise. Centipoise is the unit of measurement for viscosity.
A builder gel will have a higher viscosity than regular gel. Many builder gels have a viscosity of approximately 350,000 centipoise. Some builder gels have a viscosity as high as 1,000,000 centipoise. As far as how they’re used, an expert gel nail technician can use any gel to achieve almost anything.
Choosing the right gel is mostly down to the desired viscosity of the gel for each tech. The lower the viscosity, the thinner the gel. The higher the viscosity, the thicker the gel feels during application. There are different influences that affect the viscosity of the gel.
Gel polish tends to have one of the thinnest viscosities. This is beneficial to that service to achieve a thin and even coating without the need for finish filing. If a builder bottle gel or regular gel is used underneath for strength, this is a thicker viscosity, which will often have a need for a small amount of finish filing.
The thicker the viscosity of a gel, the more it lends itself to enhancement properties and offers to ability to ‘build’.
You may notice when using gel polish, these still have a wide range of viscosities with some brands much thinner or thicker than others. The choice should be determined on tech preference and what is being created. For example, if you are using a fine line brush to create a neat cuticle area or trying to achieve a sharp and crisp smile line, then the thinner gel will work against you. As you are working, it will quickly self-level and spread out leaving you with the potential of touching skin or loosing that crisp, neat line.
This is also important for nail art techniques, the sharper the line required, the thicker the gel must be, within reason. You need it to stay where you put it without it running but not be so thick that it looks 3D. A builder gel would be too thick and stiff. Therefore, learning about the different viscosities of your gels in essential for success in various techniques to get it just right.
When it comes to gels, you come across two types – soft and hard gels. The softer gels tend to be paint on and are suitable to use like gel polish, over an enhancement or for art techniques. Hard gels are thicker and therefore suitable for enhancements.
When building an enhancement my preference is to use a medium to thick gel. Some feel that builder gels are better for making an arch and structure of an enhancement, although many experienced gel techs can create an arch from a regular viscosity gel as well. It ultimately comes down to personal preference.
The composition of the gel
Longer chains of larger molecules give the gel a thicker feel, making these gels ideal for extending the nail on forms or building the apex of the nail.
Workability
The more you work with the gel the thinner the gel becomes. When the technician stops working the gel, the gel gets back to its original state and thickness. This is especially helpful when it is very cold, and the gels has difficulty self-levelling.
Temperature
It is important to store your gels in a cool, dark place. Big differences in temperature and direct sunlight exposure affect the gels. If the gel is too warm, it will become thinner and more fluid. In cold temperatures, even thinner viscosity gels can ‘stiffen’ up and be difficult to use. Try warming them up in-between your hands or legs to bring them back to the original viscosity. This is also where having a selection of viscosities can be beneficial when you are up against temperature changes.
When choosing the right gel for your chosen technique, it is important to select a gel which works with you and not against you. If you are fighting with your gel for the best results, it is time to consider changing the viscosity.
Love Katie B x