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Does temperature have an effect on the way acrylic sets up?

October 5, 2006

Temperature has an effect on most types of services performed in the salon. That’s why hairstylists will often put clients under a hair dryer, not to dry the hair, but to speed up action of the chemical service. The reverse is true, as well. Most chemical reactions happen more quickly when warmed and slow down dramatically when cooler. This is true for all artificial nail products.

For this reason, it’s best to keep the salon (and products) between 68°-72°F. At lower temperatures, artificial nail products will set much more slowly and may not be as durable. You can find more about the chemistry behind artificial nail products in my book Nail Structure & Product Chemistry-Second Edition, 2005, Thomson Learning. — Doug Schoon is vice president of science and technology for Creative Nail Design (Vista, Calif.).

Topics:acrylics

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