Why Are My Gel Nails Turning Yellow? Causes & Solutions

Question
QUESTION: I usually get gel fills and airbrush, but lately my nails have turned very yellow and I do not like it at all. It does not look nice and I desperate. First I thought there was something wrong with the powder gel they use,but then some one said that I get the yellow from tanning bed.Is this truth?Can anyone help please? What if I get white and pink acrylic instead of my gel nails?Would it be still yellow?Thanks for your help and advice!

ANSWER: Dear Klara,
First, I must clarify for you.  REAL UV GEL NEVER CONTAINS POWDER.  If they are applying liquid with powder in a 'ball' with a big brush that looks like on this page:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=271VoaivJPs

Then you are getting acrylic and NOT UV GEL.

Secondly, True QUALITY UV Gel and true QUALITY Acrylic NEVER yellow, UNLESS stained on the surface by another product WHICH will remove with a gentle buffing.  

IF it's yellow all the way through, it's most likely that you have cheap/toxic MMA Acrylic on your nails and that does yellow.

If you do have a quality acrylic, suntanning acelorators such as creams, bronzers and lotions can stain the surface of the nail BUT WILL NOT yellow it all the way through.
Always wash your hands thorougly after applying tanning products.

Please see this page on my site to acertain if you are visiting a salon using toxic acrylic:
http://ongles-chez-victoria.tripod.com/victoriasnails/id18.html

Please contact me again if you need further information.
best regards
Victoria

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Victoria,thanks so much for your answer!
I am still a bit confused...My technician uses the powder so it must mean that I have acrylic nails with the gel on the top.(even though they call it gel nails). Last time when I was at the salon I was told that my nails(the powder) turns yellow from going to tanning beds, Could this be true?because of the UV rays?They put gel on the top of my nails. I was told if I get white pink acrylic nails it will not happen, is this also true? I live now in the States and I am very disappointed with the nail service here. I come from Europe and I used to get real gel nails there and never had any problems and the technicians there really know their job unlike here!
thanks you very much for your help!
Klara

Answer
Dear Klara,
It sounds very much like a cheap discount nail bar, using cheap OR illegal/toxic acrylic.
As I said, QUALITY Acrylic or REAL UV Gel will NOT yellow as a result of the tanning beds themselves. No more than they would yellow from being out in the sun.
ONLY CHEAP ILLEGAL Acrylic will yellow from either tanning beds or the actual sun.
The yellow would be less noticeable in a pink, but if its cheap/illegal pink, it will then turn peachey in colour.  Same applies for the white, if it's the cheap/illegal kind, it won't stay a true white.
ONLY tanning accelorators may stain the surface of the nails if they are not washed off your hands of quality LEGAL acrylics.

The best advice I can offer to you is to seek out a better technician.  Since you reside in the states, I suggest that you visit beautytech.com and look for a tech on that site, that's in your area.  There are MANY qualified, quality and experienced technicians on that site using only QUALITY and legal products - be they a true uv gel or an acrylic.
I'm sure you'd be able to find one in your area.

I hope that this has better answered your questions.  Please feel free to contact me again.
Best of luck!
Victoria