Why Do My Nails Get Hot When I Get Acrylics: Guide
Introduction to the topic
The finger of a client burns when I apply a full set of acrylics, but why does the acrylic get so hot? Water or rubbing alcohol instantly bring it back to room temperature.
There are two possibilities for why this might occur:
A chemical reaction can occur if you apply your product on top of a wet primer with too much monomer.
When the primer hasn’t dried completely, the monomer can cause a heat reaction on a very thin nail plate.
Why does acrylic get hot?
Here are a few possible explanations for why getting acrylics causes your nails to burn:
1. Preparing your nails incorrectly can cause your acrylic nails to burn.
This is why I always stress the importance of prepping your nails in my blog posts. Using too much pressure while filing and buffing your nails can cause a burning sensation because some layers of your natural nails have been removed, resulting in an irritant.
A burning sensation can also be felt if the nail bed has been damaged during the nail prep process. Using a drill instead of a nail file can cause damage to the nail bed, resulting in a painful burning sensation.
2. If your gel acrylic nails aren’t properly cured, they can burn.
You should slow down the curing process by using a slower curing gel or by taking your hands out of the UV light every now and then to avoid burning your gel acrylic nails.
3. Primer wrongly applied
First and foremost, primers should only be applied to the nail bed and should not come into contact with any of the skin that surrounds your nails. When too much methacrylic acid primer is utilized.
I recommend soaking your hands in a solution of baking soda and water for about two or three minutes if you experience burning after priming your nails. Applying too much of the nail primer can cause a burning sensation because of the acid in it.
4. New experience
Your natural nails may react with a burning sensation if you get acrylic nails done for the first time because this is a new experience for them, especially if your nail bed is thin.
There’s an increased risk of a burning sensation if you have a weak or thin nail bed because of the glue’s contact with the nail bed. Nail glue can cause a burning sensation if applied to a thin or weak nail bed because the nail glue curing process may emit heat.
You should use medium viscosity glue on a thin nail bed, and you should wait for your weak nail bed to strengthen before applying acrylic nail polish. Make sure the nail technician doesn’t touch your skin while applying the nail glue.
5. Thick acrylics
The thicker the acrylic nails, the more pressure is put on your natural nail bed, which can cause a burning sensation. Nail technicians should buff the acrylic nails so that they are thin enough to avoid bleeding from the pressure of the acrylic nails, which can occur if they are too thick.
How to tell if primers are causing your nails to burn?
Primers should be used sparingly and allowed to dry completely before acrylics are applied to the nail surface.
If you use too much primer, it will soak into the nail’s surface and into the cuticles, which are very thin skin layers. Because it’s stuck between the acrylics and the nail, this overly saturated primer can etch the nail even if your cuticles aren’t sensitive to strong chemicals or your nails aren’t thick. When acrylics are applied to the nails, the person will feel a burning sensation.
Furthermore, the acrylic liquid will prevent the primer from drying away from the cuticles if too much primer is applied to the cuticle area and it is not allowed to dry completely before acrylics are applied. This acrylic liquid will then interact with the thin and sensitive skin. Acrylic nail primer contains an additional chemical burn that will exacerbate the burning sensation.
Unless the acrylic nail primer completely dries out, the burning sensation will not go away. This means that even after the application of acrylic nails, you will continue to feel this discomfort for several hours or even days. This burning sensation is more likely to turn into a severe itch at some point in the future.
Stop your acrylics from burning by using these tips:
1. Alcohol or lukewarm water
If your acrylic nails start to burn right after you’ve finished applying them, try dipping them in some lukewarm water or spraying some alcohol on them. This will help reduce the stinging sensation caused by the nails’ acrylic material.
2. Wash your nails before going for acrylics
Shorter acrylic nails require less acrylic powder because they are shorter. To avoid the risk of infection, wash your nails with warm water before going to bed.
3. Avoid direct contact with glue
Avoid having your skin come into direct contact with the nail glue by using a medium-viscosity nail glue instead of your regular one.
4. Avoid nail drill
Using a nail drill can cause a burning sensation because it can leave a dent in the nail bed. Nail technicians should only use a nail file.
Do not hesitate to inform your nail techs if you experience any pain or discomfort during the course of the service.
How to tell if thick acrylics have caused your nails to burn?
If you feel a burning sensation on your nails right after acrylics are applied, you can be sure that they are being burned by acrylics. Acrylic’s exothermic reaction generates a heat spike that’s transferred directly to your nail surface, making it uncomfortable to wear.
Even though the heat energy will dissipate in a few seconds and you will no longer feel the burn, sometimes your nails get so hot that it surprises you.
What to do if your nails are burning after using acrylic primer?
There are two simple ways to avoid a burning sensation from acrylic nail primer.
1. Avoid saturating the nail surface with primer: use it sparingly.
If your cuticle lines are flooded with primer, you’re overdoing it.
The liquid primer will continue to etch your nails and seep down to your nail beds if you don’t wait for it to dry completely. Primer burning after acrylic nails can be avoided if you allow enough time for the primer to dry before applying the second coat.
Your nails will appear chalky white and matte when the primer is completely dry. Do not use acrylics if they are shiny and wet.
2. Using a heater fan
Using a heater fan to dry acrylic nail primer on one hand while I prep the other hand’s nails is a method I use to avoid burning sensations on my customers’ nails. Allowing the primer to dry for a few more minutes will ensure that it doesn’t burn your skin or cuticles.
You will need to do more to remove the burn/itch caused by acrylic primer misuse if your nails continue to burn even after acrylic application and it is usually late at night when you are at home. In order to treat this itch or burn at home, I’ve written a detailed guide.
Acrylic nail issues that can happen due to
1. Acrylic that’s too runny to paint with
Upon application, the acrylic bead should retain its shape. When the acrylic appears to be melting, getting an even application becomes a race against the clock. Aside from posing a significant challenge, this can also lead to unsatisfactory results in the days to come.
Due to a miscalculation of the liquid to powder mix ratio
An overly wet brush and too much liquid are the most common causes of runny acrylic.
As a general rule, a ratio of 1.5 to 1 is ideal for mixing liquids and powders. Seasonal changes in humidity and temperature may necessitate an adjustment to your liquid to powder ratio.
Uneven Temperatures
If you have a temperature-controlled salon, your customer’s fingers may all be different in temperature, and each degree can make a difference in your setting time. The curing time decreases as the temperature of the liquid and powder increases. The curing process takes longer to complete when the product is colder.
2. Acrylic is breaking down
An acrylic enhancement should be able to resist cracking in most cases. Your enhancements should not crack or break, but having an enhancement crack is preferable to having a natural nail break or split.
MMA monomer-based nail enhancements, for example, can cause damage to the natural nail if the impact is strong enough. But there are a few reasons why your enhancements may be cracking if you are using EMA monomers (which you should be).
Due to a miscalculation of the liquid to powder mix ratio
– Too Wet can create excess shrinkage, weakening the balance between strength and flexibility.
This results in a lack of internal adhesion and a decrease in the overall strength of the enhancement because not enough monomer is used.
3. Yellowing Acrylic
You don’t want your hard work to turn yellow after you’ve put in the time and effort to ensure it’s done to the best of your ability. Having acrylics turn yellow because of something you could have prevented is even worse. To learn more about why acrylics, turn yellow, click the link.
Contamination of a product
– Yellowing can be caused by contamination in a salon, among other things.
Keep liquid and powder separate by separating them by a distance of at least a few feet. Be sure to keep your acrylics in the proper storage conditions, clean and maintain your sculpting brush for use only with acrylics. Your dappen dish should be cleaned between each service to ensure that each client receives a fresh supply of monomer.
An Acid-Based Wet Primer
In some cases, the liquid and powder components of an acid primer can become tainted, resulting in yellowing of the finished product. Discoloration can occur if acrylic is applied to the nail before the primer has completely dried.
4. Bubbling acrylics
In the same way that runny acrylics can be a problem, bubbling can be an issue. Bubbles in acrylic can be extremely frustrating, even if you believe you’ve done everything correctly. Check out our blog on Bubbles in Acrylic Nails for more information about the most common causes of bubbling in acrylic nails.
Due to a miscalculation of the liquid to powder mix ratio
When applied, Too Wet creates small bubbles that slowly grow in size.
It is common for the initial application to be too thick when the powder is too dry, which causes air to be trapped in the dry powder.
As a general rule, a ratio of 1.5 to 1 is ideal for mixing liquids and powders. Seasonal changes in humidity and temperature may necessitate an adjustment to your liquid to powder ratio.
Using the Wrong tools
An airy application can be achieved using brushes, which whip air bubbles into the liquid that are then picked up and mixed with nail powder.
This can cause air bubbles in the finished enhancement if the product is overworked after it is applied to the nail.
You should always submerge your brush hairs to the bottom of your liquid dish to get rid of any air bubbles that may have accumulated. Remove trapped air bubbles by pressing and smearing the product.
Premature healing
It is not always the case that faster equates to better. It’s possible that the top layer of acrylic will plasticize if it dries too quickly, trapping any trapped air bubbles beneath the cured surface.
Watch How to apply acrylic for beginners | Video
Top 5 FAQs and answers related to Why do my nails get hot when I get acrylics
Is it normal for acrylic nails to be burning?
Are acrylics able to get hot?
What’s the matter with my nails?
As Cooper points out, using a nail file that is too coarse can cause a burning sensation. When applying a nail tip, Petersen warns, “Using glue that is too thin and too much of it can cause a heat sensation.
My nails burn when I apply gel. What’s going on?
Why my acrylics hurt?
Conclusion
It’s difficult to predict who will have a severe reaction to acrylic nails because they’re made with powerful chemical solutions, and each person’s tolerance for these solutions varies widely.
When you get acrylic nails, it’s normal to feel some mild burning at first, but that should subside quickly.
A burning sensation after applying acrylic nails is a sign that the primer is still on your nails or skin, and it will also itch, so you should try to remove the primer so that it doesn’t irritate your nails or cuticles any more.
