Acrylic Nail Brushes

The brush is the nail technician’s most important tool. Nail technicians choose their brush’s size and shape in a number of ways and for many different reasons. Below we discuss some aspects of the brush.

Size
Until they understand product consistency, newer nail technicians and those trying a new product should purchase the brush that is sold with the acrylic system they choose. "Brush size is not determined by what the nail technician likes, but by what the product requires her to use to get the right ratio of liquid to powder," says Kim Patterson, director of education for FPO nails. "Most systems call for two parts liquid to one part powder and require the use of a size 7 or 8 brush."

Once the tech understands the proper mix ratio for their chosen system, they can really work with any brush size. The most important thing is making sure that your mix ratio is correct, no matter the brush size.
 

Shape
There are three basic brush shapes – flat, which has a flattened ferrule (the metal part of the brush that holds the bristles) and has flat-across-the-top bristles, round which has an un-flattened ferule and a pointed tip and oval, which has a pointed tip and flattened ferrule. The shape of the brush largely depends on personal preference.
 

New Brushes
New brushes often come with a coating to protect the bristles, which needs to be removed before the first use. Manufacturers supply instructions on how to break the seal and prepare your brush for use. Generally you will use your fingers to break apart the coating and get as much of the residue out of the bristles. This is the ONLY time you should ever touch your brush bristles. Touching your bristles once you start using the brush can lead to overexposure for you and contaminated product for your client.

Doug Schoon, the world authority on nail chemistry, advises not to use your brush for more than one kind of monomer or it will cause contamination of your brush and service failure (whether or not you can "see" it). This means if you use several different systems, you will need a brush for each.
 

Keeping Them Clean
If you are working with a natural hair brush, it’s best to just swish your brush in clean monomer and wipe on a clean lint-free towel several times until the bristles are clean. If the brush has hardened product that can’t be removed, it should soak overnight. To prevent fraying or disheveling the brush, reshape the bristles after cleaning them (but not with your bare fingers!). Then, store the brush on its side.

Brush cleaners often use acetone as the main ingredient, and if you use it on a natural hair brush it can dehydrate the hair and make it fan out.
However, in extreme cases where monomer won’t remove the acrylic, brush cleaners or acetone can be used. After soaking the brush in brush cleaner, the tech should use a dish of clean monomer to repeatedly swish the brush and wipe out any remaining brush cleaner and then discard that monomer. Since cleaner can dry out the bristles of acrylic brushes, do not soak brushes in cleaner for a long period of time. Brush cleaner that is left over in the brush can cause contamination which could lead to yellowing or product breakdown.
 

Life Span
The life span of a brush depends on a number of things. There is no hard-and-fast rule for replacing brushes (assuming you are not changing products) - you want to replace the brush whenever the bristles start to fray or if you’re finding it difficult to control the flow of product.


Storing Brushes
If the brush comes with a cap, allow the brush to dry for a few minutes and then cover it with the cap. You can store cap-less brushes in a drawer or under a towel to protect them from dust and dirt. Storing brushes with the bristles “up” can cause monomer to run into the ferrule and loosen the adhesive holding the bristles which leads to bristle loss and contaminated product.  Storing brushes in a lamp clip can allow for the brush to pick up filing dust.  The best way tot store brushes is flat on its side in a drawer . Do not sore your brushes in an airtight container because this can cause contamination by not allowing the monomer to evaporate out of the brush.
 

Join the conversation: do you have a favorite brush?

The Anatomy of a Nail Brush

Bristles: Bristles can be made of animal hair or synthetic materials like nylon filament, Taklon, or polyester.

Ferrule: The ferrule is the metal portion that holds the bristles. It keeps the bristles tightly in place and helps protect them from damage. The bristles are held in the ferrule with glue which will break down if exposed to monomer or acetone. For this reason you should never store your brush with the bristles up.

Handle: Acrylic brushes in the nail industry typically have handles made of wood, plastic, or in some cases aluminum. If you get a wood handle with a coating be sure it is solvent resistant.

Belly: The belly of the brush is the fullest part of the bristles. It is also the portion of the brush used to press acrylic flat.
 

Sable and Kolinsky Acrylic Brushes
Kolinsky are small forest animals related to badgers and mink that are valued for their fur. The fur has been favored amongst artists for hundreds of years. Because of its strength, spring, and ability to retain shape ("snap"), it is considered the finest fiber for art and acrylic brushes. It holds a very fine point or edge. Kolinsky is considered to be a professional grade of hair, and if properly cared for, it will last for many years.
- Avoid skin contact with the bristles - oils from the body can deteriorate the bristles over time.
- Only use monomer for cleaning natural hair acrylic brushes

Kolinsky hair is obtained from the tail of the Kolinsky weasel during the winter months as the fur is thicker, fuller and healthier. Kolinsky bristles tend to be pale red in color with darker tips. The weasel is not an animal that is raised well in captivity, and is generally isolated to the geographical region of Siberia. Due to this difficulty in harvesting the hair, and the fact that other natural and artificial bristles are not comparable in quality, these bristles are expensive.

Red Sable is obtained from any weasel with "red" hair, not from the animal known as the sable. Its quality and characteristics that vary greatly. A quality pure red sable brush is a good alternative to the more expensive Kolinsky, with similar performance and durability.

Gel Brushes
Synthetic bristles are a favored choice for working with gel. They are durable and hold up well to commercial cleaners. They also don’t have to be cleaned as thoroughly as a sable acrylic brush. Alcohol can actually be used to remove most of the gel from the bristles, and the brushes can always be stored upright as alcohol evaporates much more quickly than monomer. To clean a gel brush, simply swish it back and forth in cleaner or alcohol and press dry between two pieces of paper towel.

Nail Art Brushes
Nail art brushes are usually thinner for more detailed work. Some are as tiny as four or five hairs thick. Extreme care must be given to these types of brushes. Some cannot afford to even have one or two bristles mangled. If you’re using the brush with a water-based medium such as acrylic nail art paint, swish it slightly in soapy lukewarm water, rinse in cool water, and reshape with a dry paper towel. If you are doing art with nail polish you would have to clean your brushes in acetone which will deteriorate the brush. You may wish to have an inexpensive set of brushes if you use polish. More about nail art brush types here:http://www.nailsmag.com/article/82013/the-right-brush

Nail Files and Grits

Like sandpaper, nail files and electric file sanding bands are graded according to how much grit they contain per square inch. A 100 grit file will have a 100 pieces of sand (or grit) per square inch. A 400 grit file has far more (and smaller) particles than an 80 grit file. Choosing the wrong file could cause significant damage to the nail. Below are some of the most common grits for nail files.

80 grit: Extra Coarse- The coarsest file, used for removing acrylic and gel overlays or shortening artificial nails.. Do not use on natural nails

100 grit: This is still a coarse file but a 100 grit can safely be used Used for sidewall filing and shaping the artificial nail or for shaping hard toenails.

150 grit: Used for over-the-top filing and cuticle/contour filing as well as blending the tips.

180 grit: A medium file, used in the preparation of the nail plate before enhancement application and for shaping and smooth finishing artificial nails. Can be used on natural nails if they are not brittle.

240 grit: A softer, finer grit that can be used to shape soft or brittle natural nails. Used to remove file demarcations in the artificial nail prior to finish buffing and also used in the preparation of the nail plate before enhancement application.

When the grits are used properly, it is very easy to achieve a super high shine. The key is to use the grits in succession. Each file or buffer will put scratches in the surface of the nail and to remove the scratches you need to use the next highest grit. Think of the grits as steps - you can't skip one step when filing because you won't be able to gt all of the scratches out from the previous grit unless you use the next step. If you start filing the nail with a 180-grit file, your next file must be 220, then a 280 and so on into the buffers. Buffers are even finer grits, like 400-600 and high shine buffers can have grits in the thousands. Be sure you go over the entire surface of the nail every time you change grits to smooth the scratches from the previous grit. One more tip - dust the nail in between each file grit because there are still grit particles from the previous file which will just keep scratching the surface.

One more factor in choosing a nail file is what the file is made of.
Silicon Carbide: One of the hardest known substances; cuts deeper, faster; tends to shed black dust on the nails during use.

Aluminum Oxide: individual crystals have less dramatic peaks and valleys than silicon carbide; with the same grit and pressure, it is less likely to “shred” product or natural nails.

Garnet: most commonly used on wood files; a long-lasting, inexpensive abrasive; the jaggedness of the individual crystals fall between silicone carbide and aluminum oxide.

Silicon Carbide With Zinc Sterate Coating (“zebra”): The zinc sterate coating is a lubricant that prevents the grit from “loading up” with filing dust; grit feels smoother than the same grit of other abrasives.

Compressed Aluminum Oxide. “filing stone”; comes in 180 and 220 grits only, best used for shaping and smoothing natural nails; doesn’t absorb water or chemicals; should never wear out.

Glass or Crystal files: Fantastic for shaping the free edge of a natural nail as they are the perfect grit and help seal the natural nail layers.

More info on nail files can be found in this linked article