It's that time of year again! The seasons are changing from summer to fall. Clients are trading in beach nails for sweater nails. Vibrant pinks and yellow for deep reds and hunter greens. We're fighting the urge to turn on the heat at home and work, since the afternoons still remind us of the summer that's behind us. But you may have noticed one thing that you just cannot put your finger on:
Your acrylic beads are taking more time than usual to set.
So now you have been questioning your technique and skill. "Am I doing something wrong?" " Did I skip a step?" " Whats happening?" "Is this a bad batch of monomer?"
No. No. No. And if you got your monomer from Kreativ Nail Supply, absolutely not.
First lets break down what Monomer is and what environmental factors affect this chemical. The correct chemical term for nail liquid monomer is Ethyl Methacrylate (EMA). It is a purple liquid that combines with polymers (acrylic powder) to create acrylic nail enhancements. Monomer is formulated in a specialty laboratories and combined with UV inhibitors, stabilizers and fragrances to protect from sunlight, make it easy to distribute, and reduce odor during consumer use, respectively.
One factor that directly affects the reaction time of monomer with acrylic powder is ROOM TEMPERATURE. Heat is a catalyst in most chemical reactions, speeding up reaction times. We're so used to it that we don't even take it into consideration until the heat is gone.
This is the most common reason for beginner nail techs giving up on their career before it even gets started. Its so sad that this information is not made widely available, which is why I felt compelled to write this blog.
Your suite, salon or work area may be experiencing a slight drop in temperature, especially first thing in the morning. Try to keep your room at a comfortable ambient temperature, around 70-72 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1-22.2 degrees Celsius). Get to your nail area 10-15 minutes earlier than usual to give your room a chance to heat up. If this isn't possible, due to being in a shared work environment, lack of heating, etc, try keeping a small electric table heater that may warn up a small space. This will control the "room temperature" for the space that the monomer your using resides. If none of those solutions work for you, you can always set the expectation with your client that their appointment may take an additional 10-15 minutes to prevent a negative customer experience.
Either way, don't panic. Its not you. Its getting colder and everything slows down during colder months. During that extra time you now have, you could be checking out the new nail supplies and nail art we've added to the nail supply store. For best results, be sure to use Kreativ Nail Supply's Acrylic System. You're doing amazing and the fact that you even began to research the changes you have been experiencing shows you're serious about your career and care to educate yourself!
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-Latoya Lee