Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Myth of "Solar Nails"

I hate to bust anyone's bubble, but there's no such thing as "Solar Nails." Well... then again, maybe sort of...

Fortunately, none of the salons in my backyard are trying the old "solarnail" farce, but it has become SO prevalent throughout the country-- and even several other countries-- that it's really worth discussing!

I realize that I'm getting old. As in officially a "grown up" now-- which has its own ups and downs that go WAY beyond the nail world! But let's talk nails!

Back in MY day, we didn't have a little nail salon on every corner offering cheap-ass nails with no appointment!

Acrylic nails didn't really become affordable for the average person until the early 80's, and many folks my age probably doesn't really remember anyone they knew actually getting nails until the mid-80's.

You had to get out the phone book, look through the yellow pages, and start calling salons to find out what they charged and when you could get in. Most salons charged somewhere between $40 and $60 for a full set, and $25-30 for fills. No one did pink and white nails, and EVERYONE did handpainted nail art!

Very few nail techs used tips back then. Tips were what they pulled out and dusted off when they had to put a set of nails on a really bad nailbiter.

So you pretty much called back the cheapest salon and tried to get in THAT day! Which was almost never possible, so you either ended up making an appointment and waiting for your nails, or you chose a salon that charged more, but could get you in sooner.

Well, 20-some years later, there IS a salon on every corner offering cheap-ass nails without an apointment. They slap on some tips and use a fat-ass brush to throw some clear acrylic down on top, they file it fast and airbrush you on your way out the door. The technique is almost universal, no matter what salon you go to, no matter what city you live in.

Except, after awhile a lot of people who were going to these places started noticing that these nails LOOKED cheap. They turned yellow, they were crooked, and several of us old-school perfectionists that still take pride in our work were referring to them as "chicklet" nails because they often lacked an arch in the middle of the nail and it looked like someone had just pressed a big ole chicklet onto the nails. Yuck.

Now they do something called "Solar nails." "Solar nails" differ a little bit from salon to salon, town to town because "solar nails" is a made up name to describe a technique-- not a product-- like Rockstar nails, which we've heard my rant about!

In most cases, "solar nails" are pink and white, and carefully shaped and squared off, and many salons actually sculpt "solar nails" on top of forms old-school style, instead of using tips. OR they use a white tip with a clear or pink acrylic overlay.

The problem is that there are SO many girls getting their nails done now who are too young to remember the good ole days! Many girls have never stepped foot into an upscale salon, or been to a salon where they had to make (and were expected to keep) an appointment! And even if they are aware of such salons-- it's probably some boring, expensive, hoity-toity place where their moms or grandmas go.

Awhile back I was hearing a lot of people referring to "solar nails" as "new." They aren't new! They're JUST pink and white acrylic nails! Same as I've been doing since before I even got my license!

They aren't fancy, they aren't new, they aren't special, and they aren't different from acrylic! They are still acrylic, they are just pink and white acrylic.

And acrylic isn't SUPPOSED to turn yellow!

Basically "solar nails" is just a marketing gimmick. It allows these salons to compete with upper scale salons by stepping up their quality. It also allows them an opportunity to make more money by differentiating services.

And let's face it... these people need to make more money! Com'on people! Really? You think $15 is a fair price for a full set of nails? Even if it only takes half an hour, by the time they cover the cost of products and overhead associated with the cost of doing business, they don't even come close to pulling in minimum wage! All too often, many of these salon workers are working in situations that most of us would consider sweat-shops.

I-- and many state regulatory agencies-- have some issues with the sub-standard business practices and disregard for public and worker health and safety, but beyond that, it's just a shame that so many people are out there working so hard to make pennies on each dollar earned.

Anyway... my point was to help everyone understand the truth behind "solar nails." That they ARE ACRYLIC NAILS, not something different, better, or special.

Acrylic, btw, is still an excellent scuplting medium for artificial nail enhancements. It remains the cheapest, and the most durable product available. Acrylic products come in a staggering variety of colors, and quality of product. Just because one product turns nasty yellow colors, or gets brittle, or lifts on you, doesn't mean that ALL acrylic will. There is a BIG difference in products, and not all acrylic is the same.

One more thing: there is a product manufacturer named "CND" which stands for "Creative Nail Design." CND has been manufacturing nail products for decades now. They produce very high quality products for the professional nail industry and you can see their ads in many of the fashion magazines.

CND makes a product called "Solar Nail." This was their big selling acrylic line in the 90's when I got into the biz. Now they make "Retention +," "Moxie," and "Radical Solar Nail," among other lines. "Solar nail" remains a registered trademark of CND. It is the name of a specific line of acrylic-- and it is almost never the type of acrylic used in salons that offer "solar nails."

Now you know. Don't get duped. Choose a salon that knows it's stuff and is willing to talk about it! These are CHEMICALS that are being applied to your fingers! You deserve to know what's in them and how they work!

22 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting all the things I have been telling my clients for 20 years now. I do differ with you on CND products, I was not impressed with the radical at all. Thanks again for letting people know the truth.

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  2. Gosh you had to make a whole website just to talk smack about nails you must really not have a life. And who gives a who! In this economy you think people really want to be wasting $30-80 on nails?!?!?! Uhhhh NO!

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    1. Ahh it seems we have a patron of the Solar Nail salons here. Maggie is a well-educated professional who has made it her purpose to educate ignorant people like you on what you are and are not getting from your "salon" visit. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. So enjoy your cheap MMA (Google it) "solar nails" and also the bacterial infection that is sure to go with it. $30- $80 is on the low end of what a true professional would charge for a great set of nails BTW.
      Angela Tidwell
      Master Nail Technology Instructor

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    2. Hey, "Anonymous"... I'm totally willing to write my name. That is because I am not an idiot who cannot recognize when someone, who knows more than you, is trying to TEACH. As a fellow nail professional of Maggie, she writes what we all think. And Mags, you know what I think? I think that this person would never be high class enough to be one of our clients anyway. You can't let the fools bring you down. :)

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  3. 1. Nails ARE her life.
    2. 80$ is going to seem CHEAP once you compare it to the price you'll be paying for visits to doctors/reputable manicurists after being butchered at a NSS.
    3. Anonymous can also be used for good.

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  4. LOL Wow Maggie you waste your whole site talking smack about nails??? hehehe sounds like your site is trying to EDUCATE people. at least comment #2 can actually read--that's a plus and very surprising hehehe

    and Comment #3 amen sista'!

    funny, how you describe solar nails...because in my area, solar nails are using natural ac with natural tips, and crystal nails are using clear ac with natural tips LOL not to mention they charge more for them LOL so ridiculous

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  5. I want to know why they tell you that you need a new full set every 3 months? You cut the tips and fill the base so you are replacing the acrylic every few weeks. Right?

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  6. Great post! I just commented with something similar on your gel post, didn't even see this one :) people need to be informed. I didn't know I was getting lied to either until my 600 hours in school to become a nail tech, enlightened me. Here's to knowing what you're paying for!

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  7. Calm down bitch. Getting all worked up over nails! "back in my day" ha old people are c-r-a-z-y

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    1. Perhaps you missed the part where the site is all ABOUT nails? "bitch?" really? That's necessary? I don't think I'm the one who should calm down.

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  8. I think your all immature, and theres more important things to discuss in life then nails.....

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    1. Firstly it's "you're" a contraction of you are, and "there's" which technically should be "there are". You seem to barely even have an education about grammar and spelling, let alone notice the idiocy in posting to a blog about nails on how they shouldn't be discussing their own business. Aren't there more important things to do in life than read a blog about nails?

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  9. My main question is how are you supposed to know if the salon you go to is using the actual CND Solar Nails or just using the phrase as a gimmick? Is there some telltale sign to know if you're getting the real deal or not?

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    1. Easy....if they call it solar nails its a gimmick.

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  10. You all need to spend less time online.

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    1. The irony of your post lies in the fact that you've clearly spent sufficient time online to post 2 different comments on this thread. You're not too bright when it comes to complex thought, are you?!

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  11. I do remember back in the day....in the 90's anyways, I got acrylic nails and they would always break.

    I have Solar tips now, and all I know is I've had the same set for 2 months now and they don't break.
    They also don't turn yellow. I don't care if they are still acrylic apparently they're a "stronger" acrylic and that's
    all that matters to me.

    I just wanted to chime in since I've read articles saying there isn't a difference. There must be something different if these nails I have now don't break. Perhaps that nail salon back in the day was el cheapo and bought the cheapest acrylic nails they could find. haha, glad I don't go there anymore

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    1. Chances are your "solar tips" are nothing more than cheap dental grade acrylic thats meant to stay on braces for 3 plus years. It may stay on well but its not meant for use on nails. No reputable nail professional would refer to anything they have in their salon as "solar nails".

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  12. I love these solar nails
    http://nailstrending.com/solar-nail-designs/

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  13. My question is, when I have a client ask me for "solar nails" how do I make them understand that they are acrylic? They think it is something special. I am a new nail tech so any advice on this would be wonderful.
    Thanks

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