Acrylic Removal

More golden advice from Vicki Peters circa 2001

  

TIP OF THE WEEK #7: ACRYLIC REMOVAL

By Vicki Peters

   

This week's tip of the week is about acrylic removal. So many of us still take the nippers and clip off old acrylic to replace the nails and this should be against the "nail law". It is extremely damaging and hurts the client.

WHEN DO YOU REMOVE NAILS?

This varies but when the nails will take more work to fill is when I opt to soak them off and do a new set. If I had a new client that came from a discount salon, and I knew this was not a one time client I was going to keep, what I would do is fill over the MMA the first time and schedule her a two hour fill appointment next time she plans on coming in to get her nails done. Be sure to explain why you would do this, the benefits of switching her over to an EMA based product and how wonderful you can make her nails with a new set.

HOW TO REMOVE THE ACRYLIC NAILS SAFELY

Soak them off of course.

Schedule her first hour for soaking while you're doing another client so you don't waste time not making money while she soaks. Set her up in straight acetone with Vaseline on her fingers and cuticles and cover the bowl of acetone with a towel. Add some cuticle oil to the acetone and maybe some marbles for her to play with that will help work the product off. You can heat the acetone up by placing the bowl of acetone in another bowl of very hot water and covering it. You may want to file the MMA down a speck and cut the length off first to hasten the process. Let her sit for the whole hour if possible. The longer you leave her in the acetone the better if her fingers can take it. The idea is to leave the nails in the acetone until they fall off. Taking them out and scraping the product off is ok, but can waste time - they set back up as soon as you take them out of the acetone. MMA nails will take longer then EMA nails.

Another way to remove the nails safely is to take a very wet cotton ball with acetone (use real cotton it absorbs better than synthetic cotton) and place the ball of cotton on the nail and wrap in tin foil making it fit snug around the finger. Condition her hands first with a heavy lotion. After placing the acetone and cotton on the nails, wrap all ten nails in tinfoil and paraffin dip her three times. The acetone won't get into the paraffin so don't worry about that and if it does oh well, no harm. Place her hands in a plastic bag and mitts. You can also place the hands with the plastic bags into warming mitts with or without the paraffin. The heat speeds up the process. Leave the hands and nails in the paraffin and mitts for 45 minutes. Remove the mitts and plastic bags, and with some pressure on the nails remove the tin foil taking the melted acrylic with it. You should be able to take a tissue and remove the remaining acrylic and have the clients use a nail brush to remove any acetone from her fingers and nails. If they are soaking have them wash the acetone off their fingers too.

For MMA nails the soaking may take about an hour, with EMA nails 30-40 minutes max. Fiberglass much less time and gels, forget it. They need to be buffed off.

This procedure needs to be positioned right so it is not a hassle and you're not wasting valuable time. Got a client that can't sit still for that long? Put her feet into the pedicure bath and let her soak her feet while soaking her nails - she will mellow out about sitting there quickly. She can remove her shoes and socks herself and she can put them back on so it does not take any time from you. Just get the pedicure bath ready.

SO WHAT DO YOU CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE?

That depends on your pricing structure. When I was in the salon I charged a higher price for my pink and whites that included the soak off or backfill whenever I chose it needed to be done. This way the client could not dictate to me when to do the new set, it was my decision when I had the time. I did a lot of white tips for my pink and whites instead of backfilling and offered the soak off every 3rd or 4th fill. Which in the long run took me less time because the fills were easier. I place the tip as high as I could to stretch the white tip for a longer period of time and the clients who liked the white tips liked the soak off service that came with the deal. Other clients that did not want the soak offs because they liked having their natural nails opted for the backfills. Again I included them in the price so it was my decision when they got backfilled. I charged $5 less for a regular fill with clear or pink that usually got polished.

Bottom line I feel that the soak off takes the same amount of time clipping and cleaning up the mess after does and is a gentler and kinder way for the client as well as the nails to remove them. We need to take better care of the natural nail underneath the acrylic and soaking them is one sure way to achieve that.

Vicki

The Peters Perspective

"When you stop learning your career ends and your job begins"

DISCLAIMER

Any products mentioned in the "Tip Of The Week by Vicki Peters" is not an endorsement of any kind.

Acetone and Other Solvents

The below post was taken from a response that Doug Schoon posted on a forum in 2001
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Here are the chemical facts. Water is the safest solvent in the nail industry. Yes water is a solvent! In fact, water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more
things than any other known substance.

The second safest solvent used in salons is acetone. That's why its sold for this purpose. Oh, there are much faster acting solvents, but they aren't safe enough for salons. Why is acetone so safe? Acetone evaporates quickly, but the vapors don't exceed safe levels in salons. The air levels are at LEAST five times below OSHA maximum safe limits for long term, workplace exposure. How do you know if there is too much acetone in your breathing air? I bet you wouldn't stay in a room with unsafe levels of vapor. Your eyes would burn and flood with tears long before you reached unsafe breathing levels. Because of this fact, scientists say that acetone has "good warning properties" that limit exposure. If there is ever too much in the air, you'll know it and probably do something about it. Therefore, it is very unlikely that nail technicians could become overexposed to acetone vapors in the nail salon. Even better, it is even less likely for the clients to be overexposed, so tell them not to worry about it. Acetone is NOT suspected to cause cancer by any credible government or scientific agency, including the FDA, Center of Disease (CDC) and the World Heath Organization (WHO). If this were true, it would not be allowed or used in the professional nail industry.

What about skin absorption? Facts: Removing nail polish is very safe. Only extremely small amounts of acetone will even penetrate the top layers of the skin. Most of it evaporates and dissipates quickly from your warm skin or nails. None of the acetone will pass into the dermis or basement level of the skin. None will pass through the nail plates. So, clearly it can't absorb into the blood stream. A client soaking in acetone while removing artificial nails can have tiny amounts of acetone absorb into the blood, but the exposure is very safe... far, far below the maximum safe exposure limits.

What's the extreme exposure possibility? A client removing artificial nails, soaking all ten fingers in acetone for one hour, acetone in a dish and up to the knuckle, repeated once every three months. Gulp! Most would agree this represents the maximum exposure or worst-case scenario (of course, don't try this in your salon! Product shouldn't be removed unless necessary. Some clients successfully wear them for years without ever removing them). Even at this worse possible exposure, client's are far, far below the maximum safe limits of exposure. This is why I say that normal salon use of acetone is very safe! My fifteen years of studying chemicals and their use in salons has absolutely convinced me this is true. Fact: The major hazard with acetone is fire. Be careful how you store and use acetone. Keep it away from excessive heat and away from any flames or microwaves or cigarettes, etc. Learn how to use acetone from your supplier. It is their responsibility to provide you with this information. Also, keep all of you professional salon products away from children at all times, including acetone!

Everything I said above also applies to non-acetone products. These products use a different, but similar solvent called ethyl acetate. Of course, this solvent can also be used safely in the salon. But, it is a myth that non-acetone products are safer than acetone. Acetone is slightly safer than ethyl acetate, according to OSHA data and other scientific information. If you are interested, you can also find a whole lot more information in my book on the subjects of solvents, inhalation, keeping the salon air healthy, overexposure, etc. Lastly, both acetone and ethyl acetate can be drying to the skin. They are such a good solvents- they can rob the skin of its natural oils- voila- dry skin. So, use a good lotion or moisturizer oil after you use either of these solvents. This will help combat dryness problems with nails and skin. You'll be amazed at how much a good lotion, cream or moisturizing oil will help to restore and protect your skin and nails. To prevent over dryness, work professionally and limit your skin and nail exposure whenever possible. For example, discuss and learn about "speedy" product removal techniques from co-workers or net buddies. Use plastic back cotton pads, to prevent drying of your finger tips and avoid cleaning your skin with a solvent stronger than good ol' water. Hope this information helps.

Bye for now,

Doug Schoon

Acetone versus Non Acetone Nail Polish Remover

By guest blogger Joan Yvonne Kahn

Many people are under the false impression that "acetone free" or "non-acetone" polish remover is somehow safer or better for your nails. This just isn't true! Acetone is an extremely safe and effective solvent when used properly. It's just as safe as any other type of nail polish remover. Acetone is used safely in much (MUCH!) larger quantities by other industries. You will not become overexposed to acetone by using the small amounts needed for manicures.
Just follow these easy rules:
• Use it in a well-ventilated room. Don't huff it!
• It's not intended for consumption. Don't do shots!
• It's flammable. Don't do your nails by romantic candlelight!

Is it bad for your skin?
Because acetone is just temporarily dehydrating, with the addition of oil to nail enamel remover product there's no need to worry about it as your skin will naturally restore its moisture levels within about 30 minutes. Acetone removes nail polish quickly off the nail plate so it is more effective to remove varnish off natural nails.

About 15 years ago, scientists formulated new solvents, and began marketing remover’s labelled “non-acetone,” which made some people think acetone was toxic. But acetone is present in the human body (a product of fat breakdown) and has been mass-produced by scientists for nearly 100 years. There’s no scientific basis to say acetone is more dangerous than the alternative solvents. Acetone is one of the safest solvents other than water.

Non-acetone/acetone free polish remover is actually MORE drying for your skin, simply because it's a less effective solvent. It works more slowly so you have to use more of it for a longer amount of time. This means you spend more time in contact with it and are exposed to more of it. Unless you are actually allergic to acetone, there's no need to avoid it. Non-acetone removers were developed for the artificial nail market.

I believe the main source of confusion about the safety of acetone comes from the marketing attached to non-acetone removers. These removers are usually made from either methyl ethyl ketone or ethyl acetate, but the main phrase advertised on the bottle is "acetone free". Without actually lying to us, those words imply that acetone is something we should avoid. So don't fall for this marketing trick; if you want to use acetone remover, then go right ahead! Acetone is a quick, safe and effective way to remove your nail varnish from the natural nail!

Note from JessMN: Acetone is produced and disposed of in the human body through normal metabolic processes. It is normally present in blood and urine. Ketogenic diets that increase acetone in the body are used to counter epileptic attacks in infants and children who suffer from recalcitrant refractory epilepsy. Now, I'm not saying its safe to drink the stuff, but it is definitely not the harmful substance some people make it out to be.