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My polish is bubbling on natural nail care clients. Could it be the polish or my nail prep?

February 1, 2005

Assuming you use a professional, good-quality polish, there should be no reason to have bubbles — no matter how much you shake the polish before each application.

Here are a few tips to consider in case of problems:

1. The heat of paraffin, hot oil, or hot water prior to a manicure can heat up hands and nails and have a negative effect on the drying time and possibly cause polish to bubble.Use paraffin as an in-between treatment and try offering a waterless manicure.

2. Change your nail polish every three to four months — especially the polish-es you use often. It’s a very small investment considering the fast-drying effect and the smooth application of a brand new bottle. Clients will appreciate your generous investment. Nothing looks more tacky to me than all those half empty bottles on a dusty shelf.  — Elsbeth is an celebrity nail artist based in Orange, Calif.

In my experience, the most common reasons for bubbling polish are failure to rinse the cuticle remover properly or using a fast-drying top coat. If you are using cuticle remover, it must be rinsed well with soap and water; using ScrubFresh alone is not enough. I also find that top coats that dry very quickly can cause bubbles when air gets trapped in the polish. — Lee-Anne Baker-Smith:is the owner of Fantasy Island in Barrie, Ontario, Canada


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