Some of my clients are getting heat spikes when curing the base and top coat.

Over the last few weeks some of my clients are getting heat spikes when curing the base and top coat, is there any reason for this, I use a professional brand and a complete system.?

This can happen with matching systems sometimes. There are a couple of possible causes:

1. The nail plate is thin so the nail bed is more sensitive. This could happen if it has been over buffed (could be just once or over time if it is buffed on every reapplication) or if the client has picked off the overlay and damaged the nail. Or maybe the nail plate is naturally thin.

2. The coating is too thick. The thinner the layers the better even if more than 1 layer of top coat is needed. It could be a combination of both 1 + 2.

If this always happens for a specific client, then ask them to put their fingers just outside the UV lamp for a few seconds (in the glow of the UV) then go into the lamp for the full cure. If a client feels the start of a heat spike they need to bring their hand out immediately. If it is painful then they can press their fingers down on the desk or even, firmly, tap them on the desk. Either of these actions can often stop the pain.

It is less likely to happen with colour coatings as the pigment will slow down the cure to an acceptable level.

So, the solution is to be aware of the condition of the nail plate. If a client has naturally thin nail plates or a high sensitivity, then the only way is to apply ultra thin layers and more of them.