Expert: Maggie Franklin - 5/18/2008

Question
We were out of town, in Chicago and had to have acrylic nails filled. The tech used a UV top coat she said our regular nail tech would have to sand off. She said it was a gel top coat, she air brushed it on and it was wonderful. The french tips never rubbed off or chipped. What was that stuff and where do you get it so our regular nail tech can use it?

Answer
Well,since it was air brushed on, I'm thinking it may not be a true UV gel topcoat; which would require exposure to UV light in order to cure, because I've never encountered a true UV gel topcoat that was thin enough to run through a small airbrush. But, in this case, that's irrelevant anyway.

There have been rumors that some salons use a thinned version of the same clearcoat that is used on cars in their airbrushes to seal the french tips. If this is the case, then there is a chance that nothing I'm about to recommend will wear as well as what you had on your nails, but I'm not really sure how well a thinned automotive clearcoat would wear so I can't say for sure. Don't worry about it if it is automotive clearcoat-- I doubt seriously it would have any ill effect on your nails or you.

You could recommend to your regular nail tech to try any  number of acrylic sealants on the market. Tammy Taylor's A+ topcoat, or Backscratchers' Extreme topcoat are both excellent UV-resistant (meant to prevent yellowing) topcoats that can be brushed on and will air dry. They both require buffing off. Tammy Taylor's A+ topcoat can be used over french polish, Backscratchers can be used over DRY paint (nail art or airbrush) but will not stick to polish that isn't completely dry!

Also, a few true UV gel topcoats that are excellent are Vicki Peters' Gel sealant, and Young Nails "Finish." These are both thin viscosity UV gels that brush over the acrylic like polish and must be put under UV light in order to cure.

Another idea is to try pink and white acrylics. Where the white tip is actually built into the nail using white powder. This way you never have to worry about the french wearing off or waiting for polish to dry!