Nail Art & Enhancement Systems Flashcards

Which monomer is most commonly used in liquid-and-powder (acrylic) nail enhancement systems?

Answer: Ethyl methacrylate (EMA)

EMA is the industry-approved monomer for acrylic nail enhancements; MMA is banned by the FDA for use on nails due to safety hazards.

A client's gel polish is lifting at the sidewalls after one week. What is the most likely cause?

Answer: Improper nail prep and cuticle removal

Lifting at the sidewalls is almost always caused by product touching the skin or inadequate cuticle/debris removal during nail prep.

What is the primary purpose of a nail dehydrator applied before enhancements?

Answer: Remove surface moisture and oils to improve adhesion

Dehydrators remove surface moisture and oils, creating a clean, dry surface for better product adhesion.

When applying a nail tip for an extension, where should the tip's contact area (well) end relative to the natural nail?

Answer: No more than halfway up the natural nail plate

The tip well should cover no more than half the natural nail plate to preserve nail integrity and allow proper blending.

Which type of nail file grit is best suited for filing natural nails without causing damage?

Answer: 180–240 grit

180–240 grit files are fine enough to shape natural nails without excessive abrasion or thinning the nail plate.

A hard gel differs from a soft (soak-off) gel primarily because it:

Answer: Must be filed off and cannot be soaked off with acetone

Hard gels have a cross-linked polymer structure that acetone cannot penetrate, so they must be filed off for removal.

Which nail enhancement technique uses a brush to apply a mixture of liquid monomer and powder polymer onto the nail?

Answer: Acrylic (liquid-and-powder) system

The acrylic system combines liquid monomer and powder polymer that the technician blends with a brush to form a workable bead.