BASIC ACRYLIC

LEVEL I

PRODUCTS TO BE USED

Currently there is a great variety of products for the application of artificial nail
systems, so it should be noted that there are materials or products of low quality that
can be harmful to our health and that will not help us to offer a work of excellent
quality. Our education and preparation is fundamental because through it we will
be able to offer the best service to our clients and we will be able to solve any
eventuality that may arise at the work table.
Next we will mention the tools and products we will use, defining each one of them
for the best use and exploitation of them.

 Cuticle cutter: tool used to remove the hangnails from the sides of the nails
or paronychia.
 Nail clipper: a tool similar toa pair of pliers with a curved blade used to cut
thenails.
 Nail adhesive: glue
 Pusher or embosser: used to push the cuticle, each of its tips is composed of
a spoon and a scalpel.
 Cuticle scissors: used to remove the cuticle in a single cut.
 Alcohol : used to clean the natural film.
 Antibacterial gel: disinfect the client's hands and the technician's hands.
 Cuticle oil: moisturize cuticle area and eliminate cuticle dryness.
 Basic tools such as: cotton, gloves, mouth cover, absorbent towel, clean
towel, neutral soap.
 Structure brush: it must be original kolinsky brush for a better control of the
product application.
PARTS OF A BRUSH
-Bristles: are made of kolinsky hair, synthetic fiber or a combination of both. The
size of the brush is determined by the size of the brush head, which can measure
from number 2 (small) to number 20 (long) and even longer, with the most common
shapes being oval, round and square.
-Handle: made of plastic, metal or wood. And the length and weight contribute to the
balance of the brush.

Brush tip:
The darkest part of the bristles of a kolinsky hair brush is at the tip of the brush. When
performing an acrylic application, the product can be handled first using that area of the
bristles.

-Center part of the brush:

The center part of the brush is the flattest part, which holds the liquid in acrylic applications
and can also be used to apply pressure or level the product.

-Intermediate part of the brush:

The intermediate part between the brush and the handle is commonly made of metal. This
part holds the bristles together and shapes them. Brushes that have pressure in this area
make the bristles flat, while those that do not have pressure in this area have a round shape.
Some art brushes have an angled shape in the middle part of the brush, which helps when
creating those small details.
 File or Abrasive: tool whose base is made of cardboard, wood or plastic,
covered with sandpaper. It comes in different thicknesses, the higher the
numbering the lesser the thickness.
 Sponge or Buffer: fine, soft buffing files or buffing block that help polish the
artificial nail and the natural plate to give a final finish 100/180-140/160-
220/240
  Tips Curvature C.: offer greater resistance and allow us to apply the product
evenly from north to south. This tip is the most similar to a sculpted
structure.
 Guillotine or tip cutter: used to cut the tips to the desired length.
 Dappen or Dispensing cup: also called monomer cup.
 Manicure brush : used to remove dust residues

 Purple monomer: it is a liquid of low viscous consistency which allows easy

evaporation, it consists of a single molecule whose main characteristic is
that they do not attract each other, but they repel each other so they keep
moving, which means that they are active molecules. The monomer is a
high retention liquid used for polymer activation. Its main ingredient is
EMA (Ethylmethacrylate) unlike MMA (Methylmethacrylate) EMA are
monomers that are FDA approved as they are harmful to our health. As
physical characteristics, it must have low odor, purple color, free of oil.
 Acrylic Powder: A polymer of methyl methacrylate, an exceptionally
transparent rigid thermoplastic, these are molecules in the product that are
joined together in extremely long chains and each chain contains millions of
molecules. The most commonly used are base polymers:

- Clear powder

make-up powder or camouflage powder

-white powder or white

They also come in a variety of colors

 Primers: those whose specific function is to eliminate the oiliness and

humidity of the natural nail, among them we have:
-Primer: dehydrating liquid based on methylmethacrylate acid, which
cannot come into contact with skin or living tissue.
Nail prep: evolution of the primer, an alcohol-based liquid that does not
contain acid, helps to remove dust residues and oiliness from the natural
film.
 Bond or protein bond: it is an acid-free liquid containing a small portion of
adhesive that helps the product to stay on the natural film.
It should be noted that the liquid primer is prohibited cosmetologically,
since it can cause second and third degree burns, so we will replace it with
any of the two previous ones, they can be used alone or in combination.
 Gel finish - UV: Acrylic sealer that provides resistance and gives a super
professional finish to the artificial nail, which must be cured in uv or uv-led
lamp.

ANATOMY OF THE NATURAL NAIL

The nail: It is a convex structure of the skin located in the distal region of the fingers,
formed by hardened dead cells containing keratin, a fibrous protein that the body produces
naturally.

The nails are composite:

 Eponychium: guardian tissue that protects the nail matrix, it tends to be confused
with the cuticle and should never be cut or embossed,
 Cuticle : devitalized cells found in the proximal zone, which must be pushed and
cut.
 Matrix or Root: it is the reproductive organ of the nail and is located under the
eponychium.
 Lunula: visible part of the matrix located in the northern part, it is whitish in color
due to the high degree of keratin it contains.
 Paronychium: sides or edges that cover the nail.
 hangnail: Equivalent to hide, it refers to a small piece of skin that rises from the
flesh. And it is derived from the eponychium
 nail bed: the nail bed containing the longitudinal ridges in which the nail adheres
very solidly and uniformly to the nail bed.
 Nail plate: this is the most important part since this is where we are going to apply
all the artificial enhancement products.
 Hyponychium: gurdian tissue below the free edge that should never be cut or
embossed.

APPLICATION OF A COMMERCIAL SIZE SYSTEM

 Disinfect both the client's hands and your own.

 PREPARATION OF THE NATURAL LAMINATE (PREP)
PREP: basic preparation of the nail, or dry manicure:
P: preparation of the nail plate in which we push cuticle and eponychium.
A: we remove the shine from the nail with a soft abrasive from north to south.
E: we eliminate contaminating agents, bacteria and pathogens
Q: we purify the natural laminate with alcohol
 Place the tip and cut to the desired length.
 Create total porosity.
 Clean with absolute alcohol.
 Apply Nail prep
 Apply bond.
 Correct product application
 Polymerization process: acrylic drying time has two phases, partial curing time
which is only its moldable phase and lasts from 3 to 7 minutes, and total curing
time which lasts up to 48 hrs depending on weather conditions.
  Use lamination technique.
 Buffer polishing
 Customer hand sanitization
 Clean very well with alcohol
 Apply a layer of bond.
 Seal with finish gel.
 Moisturize with oil.

FILING TECHNIQUE

To use a correct filing technique we must know the different views of the nail:

Front
Point
Profile or lateral
Customer perspective
Lateral at 45°.
Back
 Sides with 100 grit abrasive
 Squaring tip with abrasive 100
 Surface from apex to tip in a straight east to west direction with 180° abrasive.
 45° filing on high sides from cuticle area to tip by placing the abrasive at 45° from
east to west, using 100 % abrasive
 Excess of low sides with abrasive 100
 Wrap-around filing from apex to tip to remove sharp edges formed by the abrasive,
180
 Cuticle area gently with the abrasive inclined towards the recessed area with 220-
240 or 180 abrasive worn down.
 Apply buffer

MAIN CAUSES OF PREMATURE LIFTING

There are many reasons why a client may present a premature lifting, among them we
highlight the most relevant ones:

 Inadequate preparation of the natural nail.

 Do not remove the cuticle.
 Do not remove residues and grease from the nail.
 Contaminated monomers, brush and dappen.
 Do not apply primers
 Overexposure of the product on the skin.
 Very dry product application.
 Little product application.
 Do not create porosity
 Do not apply a clear coat when using highly pigmented polymers.

Retouching of an artificial system

A touch-up should be done no later than 15 days after applying the system, a
maintenance is done no later than 25 days (if there is no lifting), in case of lifting
the client must remove the system or the lifted nail in order to avoid bacteria that
can cause a fungus or a major infection.
A touch-up is performed as follows:
1-. Any decorative element in relief, crystals, gems, 3D, among others, is removed.
2.- we remove the gloss or finish coat
3.-we roughen the area of growth trying to eliminate the raised parts.
4.-lift and remove cuticle
5.-apply primers
We proceed to the application of the product, here we present three alternatives:
- apply the same shade
- apply some decorative element and encapsulate it
filling and application of a regular or semi-permanent glaze
7.- we apply filing technique
8.- we sanitize
9.-seal with finish
10- we decorate