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

August 30, 2010

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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