A Guide To Adhesion Products
One of the most important steps during natural nail prep is the use of a dehydrator. Even after carefully manicuring and buffing the nail plate, oil and dust can still remain. Dehydrators help to dehydrate the natural nail plate, by removing any dust or particles left after filing, creating the ideal surface for application of primers. Nailpure Plus should be used before product application to prevent lifting and improve adhesion.
After filing the natural nail, saturate a NSI lint free nail wipe with Nailpure Plus. Wipe down the nail plate in a scrubbing motion to remove any oils and dust left behind before product application.
PH Balancer
One of the main causes of lifting is improper nail prep, even with proper nail prep, there are still clients that will have problems with lifting. With these clients, improper nail prep isn’t always the culprit and Bond Enhancer should be used before starting the service. Bond Enhancer is a nail ph Balancer that is an essential prep product to enhance the bond of any nail service and balance the nails’ PH levels. PH levels can and do change in women on a month basis. This could be caused by pregnancies or even menstrual cycles.
Bond Enhancer application should be applied as an extra step after natural nail prep and before application of primers, to dehydrate and balance the ph of the natural nail. This will help to maximize product adhesion. Bond Enhancer is not a nail primer, so be sure to still use the recommended nail primer after the application of Bond Enhancer.
TYPES OF PRIMERS
Natural nail primers are an important step to promote adhesion of nail enhancement services. Each product line you use will have it’s own primer that is recommended for that system. It’s good to know the different types of natural nail primers and how they all promote adhesion. There are three main types of primers:
1. Acid-based
2. Non-acid
3. Acid-free
ACID-BASED
Acid-based primers like Superbond, were the original primers used in the nail industry. They contain between 30 – 100% methacrylic acid and are a safety net that nail technicians have used for many years to promote adhesion.
Some things to remember when using methacrylic (acid-based) primers:
• They can cause the enhancement to yellow if not used properly. If the primer touches the existing product during a fill in, back fill, refill or rebalance, it could cause yellowing. Applying product over wet primer will surely cause yellowing.
• It is corrosive to human skin. (In 2001, the Consumer Products Safety Commission began requiring that all products containing more than 5% methacrylic acid be packaged in a childproof container.)
It is very important to use extreme care with acid-based primers. When applying, it should be used sparingly. Just dot it on the natural nail, doing 5 nails at a time before putting brush back into bottle. Be cognizant of NOT touching any surrounding soft tissue with the primer. When it comes to acid-based primers, less is best.
NON-ACID
Non-acid primers actually do contain acid; just not methacrylic acid. They will not burn the skin; although prolonged, repeated contact with any chemical must be avoided to prevent an adverse skin reaction. This type of primer is used to make the natural nail more compatible with the enhancement product. It chemically bonds the same way as an acid-based primer.
ACID-FREE
Acid-free primer is the newest kid on the block and does not contain any acid components. When used properly, these primers are equal to that of a primer containing methacrylic acid and are superior to a non-acid primer. Acid-free primers will not discolor the enhancement nor will they burn the skin. Unlike acid-based primers, acid-free primers should be applied liberally to achieve excellent adhesion.
When using the NSI Acrylic Systems, Gel Systems, Rubber Base System, we recommend using the Essential Bond (Acid-Free) Primer to promote excellent adhesion for your gel enhancement.