CCP Nail Art & Enhancement Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which monomer is most commonly used in liquid-and-powder (acrylic) nail enhancement systems?
- Ethyl methacrylate (EMA) (Correct answer)
- Methyl methacrylate (MMA)
- Cyanoacrylate
- Polyurethane
Correct 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.
Question 2: A client's gel polish is lifting at the sidewalls after one week. What is the most likely cause?
- Improper nail prep and cuticle removal (Correct answer)
- Using too thin a base coat layer
- Curing for too long under the lamp
- Using a higher-wattage LED lamp
Correct 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.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a nail dehydrator applied before enhancements?
- Remove surface moisture and oils to improve adhesion (Correct answer)
- Harden the natural nail plate
- Add shine to the enhancement surface
- Prevent bacterial growth under the product
Correct answer: Remove surface moisture and oils to improve adhesion
Dehydrators remove surface moisture and oils, creating a clean, dry surface for better product adhesion.
Question 4: When applying a nail tip for an extension, where should the tip's contact area (well) end relative to the natural nail?
- No more than halfway up the natural nail plate (Correct answer)
- At the free edge only
- Over the entire nail plate
- Just past the cuticle area
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which type of nail file grit is best suited for filing natural nails without causing damage?
- 180–240 grit (Correct answer)
- 80–100 grit
- 100–120 grit
- 60–80 grit
Correct answer: 180–240 grit
180–240 grit files are fine enough to shape natural nails without excessive abrasion or thinning the nail plate.
Question 6: A hard gel differs from a soft (soak-off) gel primarily because it:
- Must be filed off and cannot be soaked off with acetone (Correct answer)
- Requires a UV lamp only, not an LED lamp
- Contains no photoinitiators
- Cures faster than soft gel
Correct 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.
Question 7: Which nail enhancement technique uses a brush to apply a mixture of liquid monomer and powder polymer onto the nail?
- Acrylic (liquid-and-powder) system (Correct answer)
- Gel system
- Fiberglass/silk wrap system
- Dip powder system
Correct 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.
CCP Nail Art & Enhancement Systems 2
Which monomer is most commonly used in liquid-and-powder (acrylic) nail enhancement systems?