Gel nails first appeared in the U.S. in the early 1980s,
but were met with limited success. At the time,
the manufacturers of gel lights and the gel itself had not joined forces,
not yet recognizing the need to precisely match the intensity of the light to the photoinitiators in the gel.
Nail techs and clients soon found out that using the wrong light or applying too much gel caused a burning sensation on the client’s fingertips.
Additionally, education on gel application was limited, leaving nail techs in the dark about the product, and home-use systems were introduced around the same time, damaging the reputation of salon-use systems by association.
By the end of the ‘80s, many companies had pulled their gel products from the market.
