Artificial Nail Applications and Enhancements
Artificial nail items test product systems, bead control, prep, and maintenance intervals. Expect questions that describe a failure - lifting, cracking, yellowing - and ask for the cause.
Systems
- Acrylic (liquid-and-powder): EMA monomer plus polymer powder; benzoyl peroxide in the powder initiates polymerization. Strong, odorous, not light-cured.
- Gel: photoinitiator cured by UV/LED at roughly 365–405 nm; thin coats, no air bubbles, cured per the lamp's rating.
- Dip powder: cyanoacrylate resin with powder layering.
- Wraps, tips, forms, press-ons: silk or fiberglass wraps for repair; forms for sculpting; tips for length.
Application principles
- Prep is the whole game: clean and dehydrate the plate, gently remove shine, use primer as directed, and never over-thin the natural nail.
- Control the bead: too wet means shrinkage, bubbles and lifting; too dry means brittle, cloudy product.
- Respect zones: thin at the cuticle and sidewalls, apex at the stress area, thin at the free edge.
- Cure each gel layer properly; over-thick layers cure incompletely and cause sensitivity and lifting.
Maintenance and removal
- Rebalance every 2–3 weeks; never fill over lifted or discolored product.
- Removal is by soaking in acetone (15–20 minutes, filed thin first), never by prying, which strips plate layers.
Safety
- MMA monomer is prohibited in Florida - use EMA products only.
- Acrylate allergy signs (itching, redness, lifting, tingling) mean remove the product and refer; do not reapply.
- Do not apply over inflamed or infected tissue.
Worked example
Acrylic lifts at both sidewalls within a week. Reasoning: edge lifting usually means moisture, oil or cuticle residue left on the plate, product applied too wet, or product touching skin during cure. Fix: remove, re-prep, use a drier bead and keep product off the skin - not 'add more acrylic over the gap'.
Traps that cost marks
- Believing more monomer makes the product stronger.
- Filling over a lifted edge or a green spot.
- Prying off product instead of soaking.
- Assuming any lamp cures any gel, or that MMA is acceptable on request.