Enhancement Troubleshooting: Yellowing in Enhancements

Yellowing is the discoloration and breakdown of artificial nail coatings by ultraviolet light, excessive heat, or chemical contaminants.  Yellow enhancements is a relatively common problem in the nail world but luckily its something that is easy to fix. The majority of yellowing occurs in acrylic nails and wraps, though it could happen in gel nails as well.  Lets take a look at the reasons.

Acrylic (Liquid & Powder) Nails

Since acrylic nails are porous, yellowing can be caused by a number of things.  The fact that all modern acrylics are cross linked means they are not as likely to yellow as a resin based product which is not cross linked but still more likely to yellow than a gel nail which is non-porous.

These are the most common reasons for yellow acrylics:

• Staining from nail polish
• Contaminated or old liquid - Make sure you store monomer in a dark, cool place, always use a proper dispenser made for that product, and never mix old and new monomer together and always use fresh monomer for each client
• Using monomer that doesn't have a UV protestant 
• Using a contaminated brush or brush cleaner - Also, never apply any oil or conditioner to the bristles. Nothing but monomer and polymer should ever come in contact with your brush
• Not thoroughly seasoning a new acrylic brush - Each time you buy a new acrylic brush, gently run a new wood stick through the bristles until the manufacturer’s powdery gum is completely removed. This may take 15 minutes or longer, but if you fail to do it, the gum could cause your acrylics to turn yellow.
• Odorless acrylic is more likely to yellow
• Acid primer touching existing acrylic during a fill can cause that part to yellow.
• Not allowing an acid primer to dry before applying nail enhancements.
• MMA (methyl methacrylate, which we will discuss soon ) is notorious for yellowing
• Excessive tanning or smoking, on the client’s end. Sunless tanning lotions can stain the nails as well.
• Household chemicals can also cause yellowing (clients need to wear gloves!)
• Certain top coats that are used over pink and whites tend to stain and yellow.

Gel Nails

Gel nails (hard gel) are non-porous and generally not susceptible to yellowing, however occasionally it is seen. Products designed for UV tanning sometimes yellow the top surface of traditional gels and can be easily buffed away at the next appointment.  With certain brands, if you do not apply the finish gel to seal nails, nail polish and smoking can sometimes cause the gel to discolor. Lastly, some gels actually absorb UV rays from the sun, technically "over-curing" the gel and causing yellowing.

Wraps and other Resin-based Products (i.e. "Tip and Dip" systems)
The most common cause of yellowing in resin-based systems like wraps and dip systems is staining from polish, nicotine, tanning lotions, etc or age.  Because resin based systems are not cross-linked, they are more susceptible to things like UV rays, nail polish pigments and general wear and tear. Resin-based systems are the one type of system that has to be removed and replaced periodically since there is no way to avoid the aging.



References:
http://www.nailsmag.com/qa/70113/why-does-gel-turn-yellow-on-some-people-and-not-on-others-in-the-summer
http://www.nailsmag.com/article/112640/the-help-desk-answers-your-technical-and-health-questions
http://www.nailsmag.com/qa/81788/why-do-my-clients-acrylic-nails-look-discolored

Fiberglass, Silk and Linen Wraps

Developed in the early ‘80s, nail wraps are thin products made from paper, silk, linen, fiberglass, mesh, or other fabrics applied to the nail for extra reinforcement.  Fabric nail wraps used to be one of the "big" nail enhancements. Nowadays many nail techs aren't even taught them in school! 

However, as clients are moving toward a more natural nail and the trend is short, many nail techs are using nail wraps as a way to give their clients stability while still maintaining a very thin, natural look. Nail wraps are great for clients who are allergic to acrylic or primer, clients who are looking for a very thin nail enchantment, and natural nail repairs. Nail wraps are also great for clients who are giving up acrylics and want to grow out their nails. “When you have acrylics, you don’t have to be too careful with your hands,” says Elaine Watson. “If you reach for something and bang your nail, it probably won’t break. But when you’re going back to natural nails, this can be shocking. When wearing nails with an overlay, you’re going to tend to adjust to them better as they’re growing out.”


The Chemistry of Wraps 
by Doug Schoon, excerpted from http://www.hooked-on-nails.com/chemistry.html

The monomers used to create wraps are called cyanoacrylates and are members of the acrylic family. They are the same monomers used to create many fast setting adhesives such as Krazy Glue.® Professional nail products are specifically designed for use on fingernails and are far superior for this application. These monomers are sensitive to alcohol, water, and weak alkaline substances, and in large amounts they can cause almost-instant polymerization. A drop of water or alcohol on wrap monomers will cause ‘shock cure”. They will harden quickly and turn cloudy white. They turn cloudy because shock curing causes thousands of microscopic crack. They are invisible to the eye, but the cracks will scatter light reflecting from the surface. Small amounts of these substances cause slower, controlled reactions which result in polymers which are clear, flexible and strong. Wraps, however, do not have the advantage of being cross-linked.

Water-sensitive monomers must be protected from moisture in the air which is why they are sold in containers with small nozzles. This prevents air molecules from gelling or thickening the product. As with other monomers, inhibitors are used to prevent gelling. Even so, leaving a container open for too long will thicken the product fairly quickly. You might think this moisture sensitivity is a negative, although it actually is a positive. The nail plate contains enough moisture to polymerize wrap monomers, and just touching the nail plate is often enough to react the monomers. (This is one reason why cyanoacrylates so easily adhere ones fingers together.)

Catalysts speed up the polymerization and reduce cure time from minutes to seconds. Spray or brush-on catalyst causes an almost-instantaneous reaction. The catalysts in wrap systems are generally weak alkaline substances which may be listed as “aromatic amines’. Rapid reactions cause rapid heat build-up. Incorrectly used, these catalysts may heat the nail plate to a blistering 170° F. A small amount of warming is beneficial and will improve strength; however, pain-causing heat may cause serious burns to the nail bed. To avoid over-heating, some catalysts must be sprayed from a distance. Always wear the proper mask when using these systems to protect yourself from the vapors of mists and sprays.

Clients who frequently wet their hands should be warned that all cyanoacrylates are moisture sensitive, and should be instructed to wear gloves whenever possible. This is true of both tip adhesives and wraps.

Choosing a Fabric:

"A lot of new techs are unsure whether they should use fiberglass or silk. I always ask the client first how tough she is on her nails. Is she breaking her nails often? Or only once in a while?  If she says she breaks her nails frequently, then I’ll go straight to a fiberglass wrap because they offer more strength — about double that of silk wraps. But if she says she only breaks or chips a nail every once in a while, then I’ll start her off with silk wraps and take it from there. If she needs more reinforcement we can switch to fiberglass." ~Backscratchers educator Christine Vargas

There are three main types of fiber traditionally used on nails:

Fiberglass: Very strong, cross-weaved fiber but mesh can be seen on the nail if you look closely

Silk: Turns completely transparent when saturated with resin, but not as strong as fiberglass or linen.

Linen: thickest fabric, opaque, very strong but rarely seen nowadays

Application Methods:

• Tip and Overlay
• Natural Nail Overlay
• Natural Nail Repair
• (Sculpting with wraps is a very advanced technique and not usually done)

Generic Application Procedure: (as always, follow the manufacturers instructions for your chosen product)

1. PREP the nail as usual - use a very fine grit to remove shine
2. Lay down a base of resin on the natural nail and apply accelerator as directed by your system
3. Apply and blend tip if desired - if you are going to apply a tip lightly remove the shine from the free edge of the resin base before applying tip.
4. Place full strip of chosen fabric on nail, cut to fit with 1/32" to 1/16" space around edges. DO NOT Touch the fabric with your fingers as natural oils will inhibit the resin from penetrating the fabric.
5. Apply a thin resin, saturating the fabric. Spray activator.
6. Optional: apply a second layer of fabric or just a 1/4" "stress strip" across the tip line for additional strength.  Apply a thin resin, saturating the fabric. Spray activator.
   
7. Apply 1-2 additional layers of resin and activator.
8. Use a medium-fine file to smooth the nail - do not over file.  Wraps file much easier than acrylic or gel nails.
9. Use a block buffer and a 3 way buffer to finish the nail.  You may also apply gel polish to finish.

Wrap Removal:
Because wraps are not cross-linked like acrylics, removal time is greatly reduced.  Generally they will come off in around 10 minutes of soaking in acetone.  Of course, this means you also need to be very careful when removing nail polish on wraps and most manufacturers suggest a non-acetone remover so as not to "melt" the resin when removing polish.

Application Video

Some Brands of Wraps:

• Elegant Glass
• Backscratchers Salon Systems
• Star Nails
• EZ Flow
• Sheba Nails

Much of this article was excerpted from: http://www.nailsmag.com/article/97861/return-of-the-nail-wrap and http://www.nailsmag.com/article/614/wrap-chat

Proper Preparation for Nail Enhancements (PREP)

I am amazed at the amount of misinformation that is out there - improper PREP damages the nail and just perpetuates the myth that nail enhancements ruin natural nails! 

After you have done a thorough analysis and intake of your client's health, needs and desires for her service, and you have decided to perform an enhancement service, it is time to prepare the natural nail for this service. All nail enhancements (acrylic, gel, wraps, dip systems, etc) start the same way - with a thorough PREP.

P- Perform manicure. The purpose of a manicure here is to rid the nail plate of the cuticle and shape the nail. You do not want to soak the nail or add any oils or lotions. After sanitizing yours and your client's hands, you will apply a good cuticle remover and gently push the eponychium back to expose any cuticle on the nail plate. Scrape off the cuticle thoroughly, make sure to not neglect the lateral nail folds as skin collects there as well. Make sure to completely remove the residual remover and dead tissue. You can use a spray bottle of soapy water to neutralize the remover before cleansing it off (or have the client wash her hands) but do not soak the nails in water. Gently shape the natural nail to fit your tip or form

R - Remove shine. Use a fine nail file to gently remove the shine from the nail plate. You should never use anything coarser than a 180 grit file - a 240 grit is better - and keep in mind your goal is to get rid of the natural oils that coat the nail NOT to etch or scratch up the nail. If you have a lot of dust after this step you have gone too far! 

Many people will do these first two steps as one step with an electric file. As long as you are *thoroughly trained* and are using a bit that is made to be used on a natural nail on low speed then this is acceptable. (I still prefer to thoroughly remove cuticle with a chemical remover, it makes things look cleaner)

E - Eliminate Contaminants - dust the nail with a plastic manicure brush

P - Purify Nail Plate - Use your system's nail cleanser to thoroughly purify and dehydrate the nail plate. For CND this is scrub Fresh, for Young Nails this is Swipe, for OPI its Bond-Aid. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation for application.

At this point you should have a set of fingernails that are clean, dehydrated and undamaged and you are ready to move on to your product or a tip application. Because primers are specific to products I don't consider them to be part of PREP.

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Proper File Grit for Prepping

Lets talk about the proper grit to use on the natural nail when prepping the natural nail before an enhancement service. Yes this will be LONG!

When prepping a nail, nail technicians should only remove the shine caused by oil on the surface. If the nail plate is visibly thinner after removing nail enhancements, it is due to overly aggressive abrasives or filing techniques before the enhancement application or during a re-balance service.

Ideally nothing harsher and a 180-240 grit file should be used on the natural nail. EVER. Yes I am aware that there are companies that insist that a 100 grit file needs to be used on the natural nail to "etch" the nail. To me that says the company is either not using the latest technology ("old school" products wouldn't stick to the nail without etching) or the company is not up to date on the industry standards. 

Using a 100 grit file on the natural nail WILL damage it. Period. It might be micro-scratches, but they are scratches that weren't there before. If a product truly does not work without damaging the natural nail, I encourage you to look into other products. Here is  some great info on nail structure from (you guessed it) Doug Schoon. Also, read the quote from him below - it is so true!

Wise Words From Doug Schoon
"Let's clear something up! It's not just nail bars or non-standard salons that are damaging client's nails. I've been in high end salons and watched nail technicians over file the nail plate. I've seen top educators for major companies, over file the nail plates. Go to a trade show and watch the nail demos, and you'll see this happen all the time. Some manufacturers video demonstrate techniques that encourage over filing the nail plate. This is all too common problem in our industry. I'd venture to guess that a significant percentage of all nail techs around the world are prone to using overly aggressive filing techniques. And I guess that many of you reading this post, also over file the nail plate.

"As an industry, we got to move past blaming non-standard salons and begin to realize this is a COMMON problem in the nail industry, which means huge number of nail techs (if not most nail techs) are improperly filing and/or removing nail coatings. Sure, things were much worse in the 80s and 90s and this industry has made great strides in the last ten years. Still, the nail industry has a long way to go. Blaming some nail techs for what many nail techs regularly do will NOT solve this common problem.

"The solutions start with each of you. Nail techs should NOT be removing layers of the natural nail and when coatings are removed- there should be no nail damage. Responsible companies should NOT be teaching potentially damaging techniques which encourage over filing of the nail plate. If your client's nails show signs of nail damage, you need to look at your own techniques and not blame the products. Most of this nail damage is the caused by the nail professional, not the products."