A well-groomed woman's manicure is the calling card of its owner. But maintaining beautiful nails is a labor-intensive process. Therefore, many ladies prefer manicure extensions or gel polish. But, as you know, beauty is first and foremost health. This expression is also relevant for manicure. How to maintain healthy nails by regularly subjecting them to these procedures? A cosmetic product such as a primer will help with this. In our article we will talk about what it is, what it is for and how to use it. In addition, we will answer the frequently asked question about whether it is necessary to dry the primer in a lamp.
What is a primer?
The primer is a clear liquid with a consistency similar to water or gel. Depending on the type, such a product has a different composition (more about the types of primer below). Intended for use during procedures such as nail extensions with acrylic, gel or strengthening them with persistent gel polish. What functions does the primer perform? First of all, it degreases and creates a rough surface of the nail plate by raising the scales. This helps to increase adhesion between the nail and the extension material.
In addition, the primer kills microorganisms, thus preventing the appearance of various fungal diseases of the nail plate, which is covered with extension material or shellac.
Is it necessary to use a primer?
You can find nail technicians who do not use primer. According to them, such a remedy is ineffective, the result of its action is invisible, and the cost is too high. But, as they say, you don’t skimp on your health. In medicine, there have been cases of the development of fungal diseases that were formed precisely as a result of the fact that no primer was used during nail extensions. After all, the moist environment that forms on the surface of the nail plate under a layer of artificial “non-breathable” material is beneficial for the development of various kinds of pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, under extended nails it is quite difficult to suspect the development of the disease in the early stages. More often, girls seek medical help only when the artificial material has been removed and obvious symptoms of a fungal infection are detected: discoloration of the nail plate, unpleasant odor, soreness, redness, and others. To eliminate such problems, long-term, expensive treatment will be required.
We also note that without a primer it is impossible to achieve strong adhesion of the artificial material to the nail plate. This means that the acrylic or gel coating will peel off much faster than when using such a product.
Thus, we can give a definite answer: such accompanying material for extension is recommended to be used when carrying out the procedure of modeling nails with artificial material. In this case, it is important to follow the technology for applying such a substance, and it is also necessary to first clarify in the instructions how to dry the primer of the purchased brand.
Do I need to dry the base in a lamp?
To dry the base, use ultraviolet or LED lamps. It is recommended to read in advance the instructions that come with the bottle with the base about how much time it takes for complete drying. If this time is shortened, problems will arise with applying the top layer. If you expose your nails to a light source, the texture of the base will become deformed, and this will also negatively affect the quality of the manicure.
After waiting the required time, the master applies a colored coating to the nails. After this, the nails dry again. The rule here is very simple: the color coating dries exactly as long as the base.
Attention! The base must be completely dry before applying the top coat. If you ignore this rule, the colored varnish will lie unevenly. Because of this, the manicure will soon begin to peel off, and instead of a month, the polish will only last a week on the nails.
Primer acidic
The basis of this product is methacrylic acid. Its content in the primer, depending on the manufacturer, reaches 95%. Today, there is debate about the safety of such a substance; in particular, studies have proven the toxicity and carcinogenicity of methacrylic acid. When this substance gets on the skin, it causes a chemical burn, so you should apply the nail product strictly following the technology. At the same time, proper use of such material cannot cause harm to health.
How does an acid primer work? The product penetrates the nail plate, while drying and degreasing it. In addition, the active substance has the property of raising the nail scales, which increases the surface roughness, and therefore promotes better adhesion of the artificial material to the base. This product is recommended for use when using acrylic material. Sometimes it is also used for gel extensions.
Experts do not recommend using an acid primer when applying gel polish, since in this case you can get by with a less aggressive product, which we will discuss below.
How to use this material for nail extensions? The composition is applied with a brush to nails previously filed with a special file in such a way as to prevent the substance from getting on the skin. Then wait for a white coating to appear - this means that the product has completely dried and you can start modeling your nails with acrylic or gel. Whether it is necessary to dry the primer in a lamp, or whether this is not necessary, is indicated in the instructions.
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Primer acid-free
The acid-free product contains only 5% methacrylic acid. Therefore, it is more gentle, but when applied with acrylic it is ineffective, since it does not dry the nail plate enough. Use this primer for gel polish or gel extensions. When working with such materials, the product effectively copes with its task - degreasing and drying the nail to improve adhesion between the layers.
Since acid-free primer contains a small amount of methacrylic acid, it does not cause skin burns. But nevertheless, when applying the product to the nail, the procedure should be carried out according to existing technology. In this case, is it necessary to dry the primer in a lamp? This product dries in the open air within 3-4 minutes and takes on the appearance of a wet film.
Varnish drying
There is another way to quickly dry nail polish at home and also fix your manicure. To do this, you will need a varnish dryer, which in appearance is no different from ordinary transparent varnish. Using this interesting invention is very simple:
- To begin with, apply colored varnish in one or two layers;
- After the varnish has hardened a little (after a couple of minutes), drying is applied. This is done very carefully, since the layer should be very thin;
- You just need to wait five minutes and you can enjoy a beautiful manicure.
This drying increases the wear life of the varnish and gives it a glossy shine. To purchase, you don’t have to wander through a large number of stores, since drying is sold in the same place where colored varnishes are sold.
Do you need a primer when applying gel polish?
Often, both specialists new to the field of working with shellac and clients of nail salons have a question: is a primer needed for gel polish? There is no definite answer to this question - each master determines the need to use such a tool independently. However, we note that when using a primer, the coating lasts much longer. In addition, the possibility of developing fungal diseases on the nail plate under a layer of gel polish is significantly reduced. Therefore, it is better to use a primer for shellac.
CCFL - devices
Cold glow fluorescent tubes decorate any shop windows and city advertisements. They have only recently been used to harden manicures. Inert gases sealed in glass drying tubes emit ultraviolet light. These dryers are much more durable than UV, they can last up to 80 thousand hours. The tubes do not heat up and do not wear out from frequent switching on. These dryers do not require constant replacement of parts. The light emitted by these devices has a wide spectrum of waves, which fixes gels of many modifications. Hybrid dryers with LEDs and fluorescent tubes are often used. Light wave range
. Artificial nail dryers produce different ranges of light. Therefore, one gel may harden faster, while another may not dry at all. If you are not sure that short wave will set your gel, use a broad spectrum dryer.
Bonder or primer?
You can often hear that a primer is called a bonder. In fact, these are two completely different drugs, differing both in composition, mechanism of action, and purpose. Bonder is compared to glue or double-sided tape that secures the artificial material to the nail plate. This product is applied to a dried layer of primer (acidic or acid-free). Bonder is not able to degrease and dry the nail or eliminate microorganisms on the plate.
Price
How much does a primer cost? The price depends not so much on the type of product, but on the volume and brand of the manufacturer. Thus, the acid primer “Kodi” will cost 150 rubles for 10 ml, and the same product from the “Victory” brand will cost 300 rubles for 12 ml.
Many people believe that another primer will be cheaper. The price of an acid-free product is sometimes even higher. Thus, the “Naomi” product costs 180 rubles per bottle (12 ml), while “Gel Nail Prep Step 2” from an American manufacturer will cost at least 700 rubles (15 ml).
Primer manufacturers
Let's consider the advantages of primers from the most popular manufacturers in our country:
- The Ezflow brand offers its customers a wide range of nail extension materials, including acidic and acid-free primers. The products of this brand are manufactured on the basis of modern scientific developments and are distinguished by high quality and safety. The company produces both primers designed exclusively for one type of extension (acrylic or gel), as well as universal ones, which can be used for both the first and the second material.
- Products of the Kodi brand are in demand not only for their decent quality, but also for their low cost compared to other brands.
- Domestic materials for nail extensions are in demand not only in Russia, but also in European countries. This brand is one of the few that produces UV primers, that is, those that need to be dried in a lamp.
Thus, we talked about what the described nail extension material is, examined the advantages and disadvantages of various types of this product, and also answered the question of whether the primer needs to be dried in a lamp. Now you can safely go for the procedure of extensions or gel polish coating without fear for the health of your nails.
UV devices
Dryers of this type have long been known, inexpensive, and are widely popular among craftsmen. These devices are characterized by high power and low cost. They produce extended spectrum ultraviolet light. Therefore, they are able to fix almost any varnishes and gels used to decorate nails. The main disadvantage of these dryers is their short service life. Ultraviolet light devices wear out over certain hours of operation. Also, any click of the switch brings the bulbs closer to burning out. If the device is turned on for a long time, the temperature of the luminous parts rises to 50°C. The metal casing of the device heats up. In this operating mode, you can burn the skin of your hands and fingers. The built-in fan only slightly reduces the temperature. Therefore, leaving the dryer on for a long time while performing a manicure is not recommended. The phosphor layer applied from the inside of the walls of the light bulbs becomes thinner, and ultraviolet radiation becomes weaker. Drying with such a defect does not produce a quality effect, and the polymerization of coatings takes too long. Sometimes the gel even pellets, cracks, and becomes a dirty yellowish color.
To avoid such troubles with partial polarization, the active elements in the ultraviolet device should be changed every two or three months, even before they completely burn out. There are devices on sale with induction and electronic switching filters. The induction ignition method protects the dryer from surges in the alternating voltage network and unauthorized power outages.
