Technique

Why is it that most of my acrylic clients are having lifting by the cuticle area?

August 30, 2010 | Bookmark +

Why is it that most of my acrylic clients are having lifting by the cuticle area? I prep properly, removing all the oils from the nail beds, and I prime twice. I’ve even considered using an 80-grit file. What can I do or what am I doing wrong?

Answer

The first thing I see here is that you’re putting on two coats of primer. Most primers require only one application, and putting primer on top of primer could lead to service breakdown. Check with your manufacturer’s instructions to see if only one coat of primer should be used.

The other thing could be over-filing. Using an 80-grit file on a natural nail would be way too harsh. When you over-file a nail during prep, you remove the keratin on the nail plate, which is needed for the products to make their chemical bonds to the nail.

Finally, it could be your acrylic bead is too wet and is flowing under the cuticle area. This is a common mistake because you can’t see the problem while it’s happening. The wet acrylic will seep under that small flap of cuticle, which then gets the skin’s oil under the acrylic. This can lead to lifting.  — Doni Horn is a guest artist and school account consultant for OPI.

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How can I prevent lifting when my client's hands are constantly in water?

I have a client who is in the medical field so her hands are constantly in water. She has me keep the length of her acrylic nails short. No matter what I do, she always has at least one nail that comes off, and she always has lifting and gets water under the acrylic. I prep the nails correctly, I have a cuticle bit to clean the cuticle area, and I wipe the nail with alcohol, dehydrate the nail, and prime the nail. What should I do?

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