5.4 Intro to acrylic application
If you are reading this, you have now successfully gathered all of the required theoretical knowledge to commence practical application of gel and acrylic. Congratulations! There is a lot to absorb and process in becoming a Professional Nail Technician and, while there is still a lot to learn, you have demonstrated commitment and resolve to get this far into your course. Now, the fun begins!
Acrylic mix ratio and acrylic pearls/beads
As mentioned earlier in the course, when working with gel products you can take as long as you need and cure when you are ready. Because acrylic starts to cure as soon as the liquid and powder are mixed, you only have a small window of time to work with once the chemical reaction of the two products binding begins.
The most important skill to master in acrylic nail application is getting your mix ratio right in order to achieve your desired acrylic bead formation. When we talk about mix ratio, we are referring to the amount of liquid to powder. Mix ratios will vary depending on specific product requirements, so it will take a bit of practice to form the perfect bead. Acrylic beads are simply the balls of acrylic that form on your brush once you dip your brush into the liquid and then the powder. When you get the perfect mix ratio, you will notice the following:
- Excellent retention
- Strength and toughness
- The product will ‘settle’ within 15 seconds of being placed
- Clear and bubble-free finish
- Prevention of overexposure
- Proper set and cure times
- The product is easy to shape
Creating the perfect pearls/beads takes a lot of practice! It looks really easy to do, but there is actually a high level of skill. To achieve the perfect mix ratio, you need to dip your brush into the monomer and wipe the brush on the side of your dappen dish. Next, you gently touch the tip of your brush into the polymer to create the bead. The image below shows the difference between beads that are too wet, too dry and just perfect:
Suppose the bead you created looks like the ‘just right’ bead above but seems to look a little crusty like the dry bead shown; fear not! Once a bead is created, it goes through a chemical reaction called polymerisation. It takes around 3 to 4 seconds for the bead to absorb all of the powder, and then the texture goes from dimply to glossy. The image below shows this process:
Practice time: how to use your Acrylic Application Training Tool
The best way to gain an appreciation for how mix ratios will impact your acrylic bead is to create them! Watch the below video tutorial before progressing onto your first practical exercise of the course!
Practical Exercise
- It’s now time to commence your acrylic application practice. Once you have watched the above video tutorial, setup your workspace and carrying out the various activities demonstrated. Practice on your Training Tool for the next few days until you have gained confidence in creating acrylic beads of various sizes.
Acrylic application on your practice finger
Once you feel confident in creating acrylic beads with the correct liquid to powder mix ratio, it is time to progress onto acrylic application on your practice finger. The below video tutorial will commence by demonstrating how to prepare your practice finger, before progressing onto an introduction in shaping your (practice) nail tips with a nail file. Once you have some shaped practice tips to work with, you will then proceed to apply acrylic beads to your tips in order to create the desired nail structure covered in the previous lesson, incorporating an appropriate size and position apex, and symmetrical C-curve.
Practical Exercise
- It’s now time to progress your acrylic application practice from your training tool to your practice finger. Once you have watched the above video tutorial, setup your workspace and carrying out the various activities demonstrated in this video. Prepare your practice finger and begin by shaping a variety of practice tips into the most popular nail shapes covered in this video.
- Once you have a variety of practice tips shaped and ready to work with, progress onto your acrylic application practice, creating the nail structure covered in your theory and demonstrated in this video.
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