MMA: Methyl Methacrylate

In 1954, dentist Fred slack accidentally created acrylic nails when he repaired a broken fingernail with some products he had lying around the office. At that time, Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) was a common monomer used for dental prosthesis and that is what he used for his fingernail.  This, of course, led to it being the monomer of choice for nail technicians of the time.

 

Fast forward to the 1970's. The FDA ( US Food and Drug Administration) was receiving numerous complaints about nail injuries and allergic reactions and decided to issue its first ban on MMA for use in nail products.  At that time, manufacturers voluntarily took MMA out of their formulations and the FDA did not pursue further legal tactics.  However, no specific federal law was ever enacted prohibiting the use of this chemical in nail formulations which led to new manufacturers deciding to sell it.  Since the late 1990's most states (though not all of them) in the USA have banned the substance for use in their state, but of course that doesn't stop unscrupulous salons from obtaining and using it.

 

In September 1996, in a letter written to the Nail Manufacturers Council , the FDA stated “We continue to believe that liquid methyl methacrylate, when used in cosmetic fingernail preparations, is a poisonous and deleterious substance. Generally speaking, the agency is prepared to consider regulatory action against fingernail products formulated with liquid methyl methacrylate monomer as one of its ingredients.”   

 

Also referred to as "dental acrylic" or "porcelain nails", MMA is cheap - up to 1/3 the price of EMA (Ethyl Methacrylcate - the "good" acrylic monomer) and is often used to keep costs down in shops with low profit margins.

 

One more note - MMA is only a problem in the acrylic monomers (liquid) NOT the polymers (powder) and NOT with true gels or wraps.
 

Facts

MMA is not intended for soft tissue, it is used to repair bones and teeth - and dental prosthetics are cured outside the body so therefore never come in contact with the soft tissue.  MMA is also used in road markers and plexiglass signs.

 

 

Reasons not to use MMA From Doug Schoon:

• "Reason 1. My research shows that MMA has terrible adhesion to the natural   nail. The only way to make it stick is to severely abrade the nail, which   weakens the nail plate tremendously. Any product will stick well if you   shred up the nail plate, even MMA.
• Reason 2. MMA creates enhancements that are stronger than the natural nail.   In other words, too strong! If an MMA enhancement is jammed hard enough the   weakened nail plate often breaks and bleeds, instead of the product   cracking. That's bad news! When designing a nail enhancement product, my   premiere goal is to make the product weaker than the natural nail, to  prevent serious nail plate damage. MMA does the opposite.
• Reason 3. MMA cannot be easily removed from the nail plate, in fact it's   very difficult. MMA is insoluble in all safe solvents, i.e. acetone.   Because of this, MMA is usually ripped off the already thin, weak damaged   nail. This can lead to severe nail infections and severe nail plate damage. It can even cause permanent injury to the nail bed and plate. Look   around at all the damaged MMA nails, now you know why!"

 

    Issues for Nail Techs:

• Chronic (long term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Methyl Methacrylate and can last for months or years
• Repeatedly breathing in the vaports can cause symptoms such as "pins and needles", numbness, weakness, and changes in the ability to remember and concentrate.
• Exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, and throat - High exposures can cause you to feel dizzy and lightheaded 

 

Fiction/Myths

From Doug Schoon:
"Unfortunately, most people who talk about MMA don't understand the issues.  Most of the misinformation about MMA is being spread by misinformed nail techs and those who have a financial interesting in clouding the issue with lots of bogus, scientific sounding arguments.

• Myth 1- "There is nothing wrong with MMA. The "big" companies are jealous and just trying to put us little guys out of business."  If that were true, why don't the "big" companies make an MMA product and  really put them out of business? I could make a MMA product that be many  times better than anything on the market. I don't for two very good   reasons, 1). The FDA says don't use MMA monomer and 2) MMA monomer isn't a  good nail product ingredient (and I have many years of research, observations and experiences to back up that claim.)
• Myth 2- "MMA is just a safe as EMA" and people who are trying to scare you about EMA say "EMA is just a dangerous as MMA". Here's the trick- this   isn't even the issue! It's designed to fool you away from the real issue. MMA isn't dangerous to nail technicians health. Neither is EMA. Workers in   hundreds of types of industries use both of these monomers and there are   reams of studies which support the fact that both monomers are safe to nail   technicians (but sadly not for clients). Remember, any chemical CAN be dangerous. Vitamins CAN be dangerous chemicals. Water CAN be a dangerous   chemical. Wine CAN be a dangerous mixture of chemical. The question is, are   they dangerous when used correctly? The answer is no. MMA is no more "dangerous" than EMA and... EMA has TWICE in seven years been declared safe  to use by the highly prestigious CIR expert panel of world renown dermatologist, toxicologists and doctors (and the FDA agreed with the   finding). Give me a break, how much more proof does it take? Here is the   real issue. MMA is used in bone cements. It's perfectly safe for that use.   But, the properties that make it great bone cement, makes it a terrible   nail enhancement product which damages the nail plate and bed. 
• Myth 3- "MMA and EMA cause liver damage, kidney damage..., etc". Hey, what   doesn't? Especially if you really overexposure yourself, all sorts of   things can happen. You could die from eating too much baby food. Fact: Under the conditions nail tech use these products, they are safe and will  not cause any these problems related to long term, mass overexposure. Anyone can come up with a list of all the things a chemical CAN do, even water! Water CAN kill you... if you stick your head in a bucket of water  for five minutes (don't try this at home <g>). "

  Other Myths/Misinformation

• Methyl Methacrylate has not been proven to cause cancer.
• MMA does not "eat through the nail bed", though the severe roughing up of the nails that is required for it to stick will cause damage.
• Methyl Methacrylate has not been proven to cause lung damage (though overexposure can cause symptoms listed above in the Facts section).
• There is no proof it will damage a developing fetus.

Signs of MMA Use

• Strong odor that physically affects you. Beauty services involving chemicals often have offensive odors, like perms. However, while the smell may offend you, it should not physically affect you. If you experience any tightness in your throat or chest, tingling in your fingers, lightheadedness, dizziness, or an odd taste in your mouth, it is possible that MMA is being used - this odor doesn’t smell like other acrylic liquids and is often described as a "fruity" odor.
• Ammonia-like odor when filing cured product (for fill-ins or repairs)
• Enhancements which are extremely hard and very difficult to file even with coarse abrasives.
• Enhancements that will not soak off in solvents designed to remove acrylics (or take a very, very long time to soak off and when they do turn gummy rather than flakey like EMA).
• Cloudy or milky color when cured.
• MMA turns yellow after time, "requiring" the client to get a new full set periodically.
• Unlabeled containers – technician will not show or tell the client what brand of product is being used (this one is not "proof" necessarily but should make you question why they won't show you)
• It used to be said that if you were paying significantly less than the "normal" price for acrylic nails then you should suspect MMA (becasue MMA costs so much less than EMA), however nowadays there are many techncians using EMA who have priced their services to compete with the discount salon segment, so this "sign" of MMA is no longer necesarily true, though it is not a bad idea to always question how a salon can be significantly cheaper than their competetors.

 

 

References/Resources

http://schoonscientific.com/downloads/tech-articles/article-What-You-Should-Know-About-MMA.pdf

https://www.allergycosmos.co.uk/blog/dental-technicians-exposure-to-methyl-methacrylate-in-the-dental-laboratory/

http://sentryair.com/blog/medical/methyl-methacrylate-fumes-in-dentistry/

http://www3.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/methylme.html

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/92733/blowing-the-whistle-on-methyl-methacrylate

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/107930/the-mma-controversy
http://www.nailsmag.com/article/92409/as-i-see-it-fda-and-nmc-denounce-mma-use

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/108385/easing-the-transition-to-ema

http://www.nailsandlashesbyannie.co.uk/#/the-truth-about-mma/4560468998

http://schoonscientific.com/downloads/tech-articles/article-Avoiding-MMA-and-Nail-Damage.pdf

Enhancement Troubleshooting: Fill Lines and Lifting

There are two types of "lines" that you can see after filling an anhancement. One is a line where there was lifted product that was not completely filed away and another is a red ring from overfiling (called "rings of fire" in the US).  This post will address the first type.

Preventing Lines
Karen from Key West once said on the Beautytech forum: "to get control of fill lines, you have to get control of your product and eliminate the lifting. Fill lines generally happen when there is a teeny bit of   product along the regrowth area that is lifted off the nailplate. If you can  get your product under strict control so it is sealed down all the way   around your cuticle and sidewalls, you'll see the problem will solve itself. "  And frankly, that is the absolute best piece of advice there is when dealing with fill lines.  No lifting = no lines.

To get control of your product we go back to prep, product application (not touching skin - ever) and, for acrylic, mix ratio and not mixing systems.  Any one - or all - of these things could be causing your lifting problems and you need to practice to get them under control. 

I must reiterate - if product touches the skin at any point in your application (even if you remove it right away), you will have lifting. Its a given.  (not to mention the possibility of client overexposure.  But I digress)

Make sure you've reviewed the instructions for your product line...and that you really are doing what they suggest. Another thing that Karen form Key West points out is that too much filing at the cuticle will cause lifting. "If you have  a lump or bump and press the file down on it to file it away, you will   actually force the nailplate down and away from the product, or cause a  lift, in other words. So again, it comes down to control and really   thinking about each bit of product as you work and make sure you have to do   as little filing near the cuticle as possible."


Getting Rid of Lines
OK, so you haven't mastered produt application yet, so how do you remove fill lines?

First, lets address what NOT to do:  DO NOT nip away lifted acrylic, use extra monomer or primer to "soften" or hide the lift, glue down the lift or ignore the lifted area.  These all will cause more problems in the long run, causing yellowing, overexposure, damaging natural nails, exacerbating lifting, etc, etc.

The only real way to deal with lifting, other than complete removal of the enhancement, is by filing

it away.

Karen from Key West has some more advice on how to deal with lifted areas: "One is to file a little bit "behind" the lifted area. Take your file and move it a bit beyond the end of  the lifted area, and file a groove....BE CAREFUL and do not file into the nail plate! But if you watch closely, you will be able to see the line where you are filing lighten, and at that point, take the corner of your nipper and flake away the lifted/filed away area. What you will have left is acrylic that is sealed down to the nail and should not show fill lines.

"Another technique is to  blend what you can, then use one of the adhesive promoter products available to reattach the lifted area. I personally don't use this technique, because I found I was relying on the product to do my blending for me...and I ended  up with nails that had lost their integrity after a couple of fills. But that's me. Another thing you can do is to blend the entire product area so  that it is very thin...and then work on just the lifted spots as above. "
 
Georgette (also from the Beautytech boards) offers this advice: "Fill ins do not start with the fill in. they start with the original product application. Filing flush at cuticle. take the tip of YOUR fingernail and see you feel anything by flicking your fingernail where the cuticle and product meet. If you can feel or hear anything keep filing till there is no dust but do not go onto the natural nail. Then when the nail grows out it will be  sealed and flush. Clients will not be hooking product into the hair etc. "


But I use Cover Powder, so who cares if there are lines?
I am a bit wary with how popular cover powders have become in the last few years.  Yes, its cool to have permenantly colored nails, but you cannot see what is going on under the enhancement.  Greenies?  No idea. Onycholysis? Can't tell.  Damage? *shrug*  I have seen nail techs on Instagram show their prepped nails and it is obvious there is still a small amount of lifting on the nail but becasue they are using cover powder they don't seem to care.

Remember, a fill line is a tiny lifted area and if you are covering it up without fixing it you are leaving an opening for bacteria and water to enter and are also leaving the strength and integrity of the nail compromised so that it is more likely to break or lift in the future.


I will leave you with a Tip of the Week Vicki wrote on this subject many years ago - but, as usual, her advice still stands today

TIP OF THE WEEK #26      FILL LINES by Vicki Peters

One of our biggest challenges is getting those fill lines out when doing pink and white nails. We file and file, get frustrated and finally end up quitting after we see we have filed right into the natural nail and make a big hot spot, making it worse. Can you relate? I can because I did it myself for years.

The only simple solution I have to offer here is if you're having trouble getting those lines out - plain and simple have not done enough filing. Now I am talking the average nail with the average amount of lifting. I am not talking about a set of nails that have yellowed, have major lifting or should have been filled three weeks ago. That is a new set in the making. I am talking about your average client with the average fill challenges.

I know I file better on one side of the nail than the other and you probably do too. So looking at the nail as you file it I can get the left side of the nail down flush and have to work harder on the right side. So what I do is instead of filing the fill in area at the cuticle to a point (Like a upside down V) I file across the nail at the cuticle area from side to side instead. I hold the nail sideways so I am viewing it from the "profile" and I can see that I am not digging into the natural nail and I file from left sidewall to right sidewall, taking all the product off at the cuticle area down about 1/3 of the nail. I can see that I am graduating the acrylic down to the natural nail for no lines.

This may seem silly that I am taking off more product than needed but it does two things here: 1. Get the lines out quickly and 2. Refreshes more of the product keeping the nail more stabilized in the long run. I find that I do less new sets because I kept the nails more refreshed in color and retention by doing more filing.

You also want to file the entire nail and take off 25% of the top surface. This also refreshes the nail and removes any discoloration. When I filled I usually pulled a bit of the pink at the cuticle area over the entire nail replacing that 25% with clean new pink acrylic, which also helps to keep the nails in a more stabilized shape. You can us clear for this as well not worring about pulling the pink over the white.

Now if one of the lines eludes you - you have a few options here:

1. Most cushioned files are too fat to see what you're doing, use a Flowery Silver Streak thin wood 180/180 board to get into tight spots. Or one similar. CND has some nice wood boards.
2. Use a file that does not bend as you file with it - you will have more control over what you're doing. EZ Flow has a great 150/150 cushioned that is sleek and can get into tight spots and will not bend. If you're bending your files maybe try a higher grit - you may be pressing too hard trying to do something your file cannot do - so go up one grit and maybe you won't have to press so hard.
3. Use your electric file instead of your file. Now many of you may be afraid of this and the key is to use a cone bit and keep the bit on the acrylic and off the natural nail. Use a cone that has a tapered rounded edge or the "V" bit from Kupa - yes it was named after me. It is a carbide cone with a flat cut off tip. Diamond cones are good too. I use the "V" bit on my cuticle areas after I have done my shaping. Aseptico and Medicool have some beautiful soft tipped cone bits you may want to try as well.
4. Use your dehydrator - like CND Nail Fresh, OPI's Bond Aid or a comparable product. If you think you have not filed enough, a way to check is to dust the nail, apply the dehydrator to the nail, quickly, as it is still wet it will give you a window to what the nail will look like when the acrylic is applied. You may have filed enough and don't know it and this is a sneak peek into the future to see if you got the line out or not. Don't be afraid to do this two or three times, just to make sure.
5. Don't let the dust fake you out. Sometimes we are trying to file the dust  thinking it is a line - so clean it out with your dehydrator and see if it  was only the dust.
6. Use NSI's Line Out. This is an incredible product and one of a kind.  Follow the manufacturer's instructions and after cleansing the nails apply  Line Out to the fill line. Now I can't express this loudly enough, this is  not the answer to your lifting problems and it should not be used as a  crutch. If you have lifting problems then you need to address your  application procedures. NSI's Line out is for those hard to get places and  should be used wisely. I have used it over a bad-lifting area and later down the line that same lifted area lifted again but now I had encased it  with two fills and had to replace the whole nail eventually. I have used it  when I had a difficult line to get out and it worked perfectly. So be wise when using this wonderful product.

So the bottom line is file more, use your files and bits properly and go the  extra mile and you will be pleased with your results. If you want the  numbers to any of the manufacturers mentioned in the tip of the week - you  can look them up in your Nailpro Gold Book. And when you look them up - go  through the Gold Book again and see what a wonderful source guide it really is. Lots of hard work goes in there and I reference it at least once a day.

DISCLAIMER

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

Vicki

The Peters Perspective

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

 

References/Resoucres:
http://www.nailsmag.com/qa/70064/how-can-i-avoid-fill-lines-without-filing-too-much-on-the-natural-nail
http://www.nailsmag.com/blogpost/103231/chasing-the-fill-line
http://www.nailpro.com/eliminate-lines
 

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.

Acrylic Brush Care

Taking care of your acrylic brush seems to be a controversial topic nowadays!  Let me lay out the facts for you:

FACT: Most brush cleaners are made from acetone.

FACT: Hairs in the brush are made from animal fur, just like fur coats. Would you soak your fur coat in acetone?  Acetone is very drying to the hairs on your brush.

FACT: Contaminated liquid is the #1 cause of yellowing in nails.  Using brush cleaner is willingly introducing a containment into your brush.

FACT: The ferrule holds the bristles in the brush with glue. This glue is very soluble in acetone.   Therefore soaking your brush in a brush cleaner can loosen hairs from the ferrule.

FACT: Storing your brush upside down allows liquid to drip into the ferrule which also loosens up the adhesive holding in the bristles.

FACT: Storing your brush in the springs of your lamp allows for dust and contaminants to stick to your brush. (Unless you are covering up your brush somehow.)


Back in 2001, Vicki Peters did a Tip of the Week on this very subject.  I will leave you with her expertise

Tip Of the Week #4 : Brush Care

 Everyone experiences bad hair days, bristles falling out or acrylic stuck in their application brushes. There are some things you can do to prevent this from happening and hopefully these tips can help.

On-going Brush Care

Wipe in-between, after and before and all the time.  I find that I waste more liquid than use, sometimes, keeping my brush in shape as I use it because I constantly re-dip into the liquid and wipe the brush out to keep my point and shape as I work.

I dip my brush into the liquid then wipe it against a dappen dish that is firmly on the table so I can press against the inside of the dish without the dish moving. Then I twirl the tip on my table towel to bring it back to a point. When doing so wipe the tip and reshape without wiping all the liquid out of the brush. Wipe the brush gently instead of bending the bristles at the feral beating it up on the table towel. I find most techs do not care for their brush as gently as I do and I end up replacing my brush less often because of it.

 Application Stickies

 Another little thing I do when applying the white tip product to my nails (most white powder tends to be sticky when first applied). So I dip the brush into the liquid, saturate the brush and wipe it completely out, then re-dip it to the liquid I do want. Pick up the white tip powder and drop it on the tip of the nail. Then wipe your brush gently without wiping all the liquid out and bring the brush back to its original shape. While you're doing this, the product has set up a speck and is not as sticky so you don't have to make a mess as you press it into place.

Digging right into freshly applied acrylic when it is still sticky will only smoosh the acrylic into the brush and if you keep working the acrylic is drying in the brush and then you can't get it out and can't make a smooth nails because there is dry acrylic in it.

When you put the brush away

 If you do not wipe your brush well and put it away the acrylic will dry in the tips. If this is the case do not comb out the dry acrylic with your cuticle pusher or orangewood stick or nippers, you will only break the hairs and you won't like the brush anymore. Get a shot glass or a slammer glass for those who have never been to Mexico and don't know what a slammer is it is a taller shot glass. Suspend the brush with a clothespin. Fill the glass with enough liquid to cover the bristles without touching the bottom of the glass. Let it set for about 30 - 60 minutes and the dried acrylic will eventually melt out of the brush.

There are lots of brush cleaners on the market but I feel they can be harsh and disturb the chemical balance of the liquid. I do not believe you should soak them in acetone either and some brush cleaners have acetone in them. Use liquid monomer to soak the brushes if needed. Remember the hairs in the brush are made from the same animals fur coats are made from and you would not soak your fur coat in acetone would you. Now don't slam me about fur coats ok??? (I don't own one for a reason.)

Traveling with your brush

I found a silver metal flat brush case for $8 at the art store that stores brushed without moving perfectly. It has two springs one at each end for the brush to fit in so they won't move when traveling. The box is about 3/4" by 8' by 4" can fit up to 8 brushes, won't bend and is not plastic so it won't melt if the brushes happen to touch the metal. I have not ruined a brush yet in the box.

If you're booked and work full time you will probably replace your brush every few months if you take good care of it. Brushes can cost anywhere from $10 to $45 or more. The average brush cost is about $25. You get what you pay for that is for sure. There are only two or three true brush manufacturers that make brushes for companies in the nail business. Shop around and try new brushes all the time.

Brush care is a constant thing, take good care of your brushes as you work with them and always have a spare just in case you're having a bad hair day!

 Vicki

The Peters Perspective

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

Liquid & Powder Acrylic Application

There are as many methods to applying acrylic as there are manufacturers of acrylic. Remember, as will most things in life, there is not one “correct” method, just one that works best for you. However, no matter which method you use to actually get the acrylic on the nail, there are some things that are consistent.

1. ALWAYS do proper preparation
2. ALWAYS follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding priming, mix ratio and product usage.
3. NEVER touch the skin with product or your brush (which contains product)
4. NEVER Dip your brush back into the raw monomer and use it to “smooth” the acrylic. If you add it right after laying the bead on the nail, you will mess up the mix ratio. And once the acrylic is on the nail for a few seconds the monomer will no longer incorporate into the bead and you will then have raw monomer seeping into the client’s nail plate and skin.

Steps to applying Acrylic – 
1. After Priming the nail per the manufacturers instructions (if needed), pour a small amount of monomer into a glass dappen dish — use only what you will need for the particular service you are performing.  (If the liquid becomes thick or murky part way through the service, discard it and get fresh liquid!)
2. Totally immerse and ‘swish’ your brush in the monomer to thoroughly wet the hairs and to remove any trapped air that may result in bubbles in the finished product
3. As you remove the brush from the dish, flatten hairs on both sides to shape the brush for sculpting and to drain excess liquid from the brush. More monomer = a larger bead, less monomer = a smaller bead.
4. Draw a line in the powder to the depth of the liquid line on your brush. The longer the line, the bigger the bead. A proper mix ratio will not immediately ‘melt’ down, it will have a slight ‘textured glass’ appearance, and maintain its shape when placed on the nail, tip or form.
5. Place the bead on the nail and lift your brush from the bead, giving your bead a second to settle while you wipe the excess liquid from your brush.
6. Apply using your preferred method. I have listed and referenced the most common methods below.

“Traditional” 3 ball method – Uses 3 balls or beads of product to build the nail – One for the free edge, one for the stress area and one for the cuticle. This method has the advantage of being able to build in the shape of the nail while sculpting, using various brush angles: 

and

also, 

… Skip to 1:50 for application. This is a great video that shows how working slower can actually make you faster by reducing filing time to nearly nothing.

4-ball method (Tammy Taylor method) 

(skip to 21:50 to see the application). Similar to the three ball method, this method also adds a 4th ball to the stress area to build it up and make it stronger and more arched.

Reverse method: Championed by Young Nails, this method lays down the nail bed before the tip. This is a great method for a crisp smile line.

 and

One-Ball method: I’ll be honest, I had a hard time finding a video that didn’t show way too many “no-nos”. This one is short but she doesn’t touch the skin or overuse liquid. The point with the one ball method is speed, but it is very hard to master getting that perfect arch at the stress area and thin cuticle with this method.   

Also see here for another example: https://instagram.com/p/7Dc-RcyVt_/

Nail biter methods: The main issue with nail biters is getting the tip or form on the nail. Below are some methods on this technique:
Sculptures: 

Tips: 

No matter which method you use, the cuticle area seems to be the hardest part to do! Here are some great Cuticle Application Tips by Greg Salo at Young Nails (notice how his perfect mix ratio means he is never “chasing” the acrylic on the nail)

Join the conversation: what is the hardest part about laying acrylic for you? Which is your preferred method?

Liquid & Powder Acrylic Ingredients

We have done a client intake, PREPped the nail and applied tips or forms (or decided to do a natural nail overlay). The next step is product. I will be doing several posts on products and product types because this is a subject full of science, chemistry and technique!

The majority of people in the post on "what you want to learn" had questions about acrylic, so that is what I will start with. Gels will be second with wraps and other types of enhancements third.

Liquid and Powder Acrylic ("L&P" in the UK, "Acrylic" in the US) is a very popular and well known type of nail enhancement.  Below are the ingredients commonly found in Liquid and Powder enhancements.

Liquid: a monomer made mostly of ethyl methacrylate (EMA), sometimes also including other monomers and additives.
Some of the Liquid Additives:
-Initiator: a molecule that absorbs extra energy and uses it to cause chemical reactions to occur. Concentrations of initiator vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer and could occur in wither the liquid or the powder.
-Catalyst: a substance that makes the chemical reaction occur faster than it otherwise would.
-Inhibitors: ingredients that keep the monomers from joining into polymer chains before they are mixed with the powder, which would cause premature hardening
-Cross-linkers: additives that let the monomers join together in a 3-D netlike structure, a stronger structure than the row of head-to-tail connections they would otherwise create.
-UV absorbers: additives that absorb UV light which can cause enhancements to yellow
-Flow Modifiers: causes the product to self-level.
-Wetting agents: additives that make liquids more compatible with a solid surface, thereby improving adhesion

Powder: a polymer whose particles act as carriers for the below ingredients. A polymer is a long chain of monomers that have been chemically linked together.
Polymer Ingredients:
-Initiator: a molecule that absorbs extra energy and uses it to cause chemical reactions to occur. Concentrations of initiator vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer and could occur in wither the liquid or the powder.
-UV absorbers: additives that absorb UV light which can cause enhancements to yellow
-Colorants: dyes that give the powder a pinkish color.
-Titanium Dioxide: a mineral that serves as a whitening pigment used for white powders.

Creating the "Perfect" Nail Structure

The idea of the perfect nail completely subjective - no one likes the exact same length, style, shape, thickness, etc. “Perfect” is in the eye of the beholder. Maggie Franklin once said “A perfect nail is sleek and clean with straight lines and no lumps or bumps. No matter what the shape or style you are doing, the finished nail should look like it was done that way on purpose, with care and attention to detail; not sloppy and given up on.” Still, there are some guidelines to build a nail to that it is balanced, structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. If you choose not to follow these guidelines, your nails will not fall off the next day 

wink emoticon. But these guidelines will help you build the most natural looking, thin, strong nail enhancement possible.

Apex/Stress Area
The apex is the thickest point of a nail enhancement which should be placed where the nail would break if it were firmly hit head on. (Picture #1) If you apply slight pressure on the free edge, a faded area will appear midway down the nail and that is where the apex should go for maximum strength. For good structure, placement of the apex should always remain at the stress area which will change depending on the length of the enhancement. Of course, as your nail grows out, the arch will grow toward the free edge and the nail will become top heavy and be more prone to breakage and lifting. This is the reason why clients come in every 2-3 weeks for a fill/re-balance - it has nothing to do with the gap at the cuticle! Actually leaving a small (1/16"-1/8") gap at the cuticle so you can completely blend product into the natural nail will help go a long way to the nail looking more natural as it grows out.

Lateral Structure
A strong nail begins and ends with lateral structure (sidewalls), which support the structure of the nail extension. A sidewall must extend straight out from the cuticle to the free edge on both sides. (Picture #3) When you look at the nail from the side or the top, the sides should be straight and both sides must look the same - even with pointed nails. A nail tech can build a strong sidewall and then ruin it with improper filing techniques. Files are intended to smooth and shape the nail surfaces; wrong angles and a heavy hand can weaken the best structure. Ideally, you should sculpt the nail with your brush and then use a file to level and smooth out the product. In addition, always sit straight! It is impossible to have straight sidewalls if you are sitting crooked or crossing your legs. One last tip is watch the side of your dominant hand - many techs over file the right side if they are right handed, or vice versa if they are left handed Really pay attention to your stronger side and make sure you are not over filing.

C-curves
The strongest shape in the world is an arch - arches support more weight than a flat surface and this is the reason that bridges are built with arches. In the same way, C-curves can make or break a nail. Even an accidental bump to a nail that is flat can cause it to easily break. One way to get a better c-curve in the nail is by gently pinching in a c-curve before the product fully hardens - this is easier on a product that cures by evaporation (acrylic, wraps), but can still be done with light-cured enhancements. After the application of an enhancement product and before the enhancement is completely set, gently “pinch” the nail using even pressure on both sides of the nail to obtain the perfect curve. There is no need to get the 40° c-curve of a competition nail (picture #2), even adding just a slight curve will make the nail stronger. Plus, those extreme curves can hurt a client to "pinch in".

Balance
I always think of the balance of the nail and the location of the apex like a teeter-totter (see-saw) - in order for two people to balance at the same level they need to be the same weight, if one is heavier, the see-saw will tip toward their side - in the same way, if a nail is too heavy at the extension edge, it is more likely there will be breakage. Keeping the arch in its proper place will go a long way to having nails that last a long time.

Another way to balance a nail is when doing a French manicure. The white on a French tip should NEVER be longer than the pink. Ideally the pink should be 2/3 of the nail and the white 1/3 of the nail or less (for balance). The smile line can be curved gently or more extreme but should never be straight across - do you know how people always say horizontal stripes make someone look "fat"? It's the same with nails - a flat smile line will make the nail look wider than it is.

I have attached an image I got off a website in the UK that gives some pointers on looking at the nails - they use the term "crown" instead of "apex", but it means the same thing.

Join the conversation: What do you struggle with when creating a balanced nail?

Applying Forms for Sculptured Nails

Once we have done a client intake and PREPped the nail, the next step (assuming we are lengthening the nail) is to either apply tips or apply forms. I have already discussed applying tips so now lets discuss nail forms.

During the advent of the modern artificial nail industry, the *only* way available to lengthen nails way by using a platform ("form") to pull the product past the natural nail free edge (that's right, no plastic tips back then!). The first commercially available forms were gold horseshoe shaped paper forms - you can still buy these today. Today we have such an array of nail forms that it can be mind-boggling to figure out which ones to use. Like almost everything in this industry, it all comes down to what you prefer using. There is no one "perfect" form for everyone - I usually keep 3 or 4 different styles in my desk. If you are new to the industry and trying to figure out what to use, my suggestion is always start with a complete system - including the forms for that system. You may use them and find you hate them or you may find you love them. Either way, you have a starting point. Figure out what you didn't like about the forms. Is it they are too narrow for most of your clients? Are they not thick enough? Sticky enough? You don't like the lines on the form? By articulating what you like and don't like you can start researching alternatives.

Most forms nowadays are on rolls,made of Mylar, are sticky and are disposable. There are clear sticky disposable forms for sculpting gel. You can also get Teflon reusable forms and plastic "dual" forms that you actually apply the product into and "then" apply to the nail (watch the video below, its hard to describe!). In the past I have seen plastic and aluminum reusable forms as well though I haven't seen a manufacturer of those in years. (CND used to make aluminum forms and I would kill to get my hands
on some!)

The proper form fit is important because your goal is to create a set of perfectly sculptured nails, which means less filing. Forms should be aligned exactly with the sides and the middle of the finger, regardless of the nail shape. The form should never cut into the free edge. Alteration of the form with scissors is often necessary to allow for a perfect fit under the nail. The form should come up under the nail and meet the free edge, or meet directly with the natural nail if it’s very short. There should not be a gap between the form and the nail. You may have to use a small scissors to slightly clip the corners of the form by the free edge after applied to allow it to nestle under the free edge snugly. Again, this is easier to see - I included a link to a video below that demonstrates what I mean.

It seems like there are as many ways of applying a form as there are forms! Some people say to close the form before application, others say to roll the form between your fingers. Some say to tilt the form up under the free edge of the nail and others say just put it on straight. My advice is to try different
ways and see what works best for *you*.

Below are some fantastic videos addressing forms - 

Greg from Young Nails showing his form tips and tricks.

Using CND forms:

See the beginning of this video for a great example of tailoring a form 

Example of corner clipping (around :38) 

Naio UK Apply nail forms for Square, Stiletto and edge-shaped nails

"Dual Forms":