Why Is My Top Coat Turning Brown and How to Get Rid of It?
Introduction to the topic
Manicures done with gel last up to three times as long as those done with traditional polishes. They are also more expensive than acrylic nails because they are more pliable and less prone to breakage. That’s why it’s so discouraging when your gel nails turn brown or black.
Nails can change color within a few days or a few weeks depending on how long they’ve been painted. However, discoloration of gel nail polish should not occur under any circumstances.
Since gel nail polish turns brown or black, what is the reason for this phenomenon?
Over-curing or under-curing your nail polish during the drying process is the most common cause of it turning brown or black. When the gel nails are exposed to UV light to harden the gel, it is referred to as curing. Nail discoloration can also be caused by exposure to dyes, cosmetics, or skincare products, as well as contact with harsh chemicals like detergents or spices like turmeric. This problem can also be brought on by smoking.
Gel nails should only be done at a reputable nail salon, where the staff is familiar with the proper UV light intensity and drying time for gels.
In addition, poor-quality products are also a factor.
Why is my top coat turning brown?
For those who recently had a gel manicure, the browning of their nails can be disheartening. This can happen right away, or it can take weeks or months to develop. Both scenarios are bad and you’ll likely want to learn about the causes, the remedies, and the best practices for keeping this from happening in the future. I’d like to share with you today my recommended method for dealing with these issues.
I’ll start with a question: Why are my gel nails browning? The appearance of brown spots or discoloration on gel nails can be caused by a variety of factors. The most likely cause is a drying problem caused by UV light exposure that was either insufficient or excessive.
Overcuring at UV light can cause them to turn yellow in some cases. Other causes include contact with strong chemicals, such as cleaning agents, make-up products, and spices like turmeric, which can cause your nails to discolor. Smoking can also be a factor. Hair dye or skin care products may also be to blame.
Anyone who uses beauty products, whether for their hair, hands, face, or any other part of the body, is likely to see their gel nails lose their color. Many contain chemicals that land on the hands and come into contact with the nails.
Because we know how upsetting this can be, let’s take a closer look at some of the possible causes, treatment options, and prevention strategies for brown nail discoloration.
Brown nail discoloration: what could be causing it?
Brown nail discoloration can be caused by a number of different things.
1. Curing
In gel manicures, curing is essential. It is done to strengthen and extend the life of the gel nails.
There have been instances where the UV lamp exposure time was either too short or excessively long, causing damage to the gel nails.
Typically, 30 seconds is the ideal time to cure nails. The nails will become discolored if you don’t follow this rule.
In addition, it is a major factor in the fading of the color and luster of gel nails within days or weeks of application. It’s also the reason why most UV lamps now have a timer that shuts them off automatically after a predetermined amount of time.
2. Self-tanners and sunlight
Your skin and nails are both at risk when you spend a long period of time in the sun. The discoloration of the gel nails occurs when the nails are overexposed to sunlight.
A self-tanner that comes into contact with your nails can also stain them.
3. Smoking
The act of smoking is a third factor. It can turn your gel polish brown or yellow-ish if you continue this bad habit, in addition to making your teeth yellow, your skin dry, and your clothes smell.
Toxic chemical particles left behind by burning tobacco, such as nicotine and tar, stain your nails and even the skin around them.
Smoking also reduces oxygen supply to the fingernails, causing yellowing of the nail polish.
4. Chemicals
Continuing with the list of possible causes, strong chemicals may also be a contributing factor.
The chemicals in cleaning products can be dangerous. Gel nail polish reacts with this product, resulting in brown stains. Chemicals are also found in cosmetics.
It can be difficult to remove make-up stains from your nails if you stain them accidentally while applying it. As a result, brown spots are a possibility.
Some skin care products contain chemicals that can cause a reaction and cause discoloration.
Topical depigmenting agents like hydroquinone are commonly used to treat pigmentation.
5. Infections
Infections can spread and discolor gel nails if they aren’t properly cared for. Infections caused by bacteria are the most common type of fungus. Nail thickness and roughness are also increased, in addition to discoloration. It’s possible that the infection could cause permanent damage to your natural nails if you don’t get them treated right away.
6. Medications and Health Problems
Medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid, liver infections, and a deficiency in vitamins or nutrients can all lead to discolored nails. If you’re in this situation, your only option is to improve your diet and include more nutritious foods.
7. Bad quality products
Finally, the use of subpar gels can result in discolouration.
Gel nail polishes, in contrast to acrylics, have no pores. When they come into contact with chemicals or dirt, they soak up liquids and become tainted.
Because different salons don’t all use the highest-quality gels, prices will vary. After a few days, you’ll be glad you spent the extra money.
Brown stains on gel nails: how do you get rid of them?
It’s good news that brown or yellow stains can be removed effectively and cheaply at home!
1. Use either alcohol or nail polish remover.
As a result, you may be anticipating that the remover will simply pull the gel from the skin. It won’t, unless you coat your nails in a thick layer of it.
Dip the cotton end of a nose swab into the nail polish remover and rub it into your fingernails. Make sure the cotton isn’t completely saturated with the remover before dipping it for a brief period of time.
Once you’ve started scrubbing with the tip of the nose swab, keep going until the stain is gone. Dip again if you think the remover isn’t doing the job.
The stains can be removed with a very small amount of acetone, which will not harm your gel. Alcohol has the same effect.
My go-to nail polish remover is this all-natural product from Amazon, and it’s a great deal.
2. A mixture of baking soda and lemon juice
Take a small bowl, add one tablespoon of baking soda, and squeeze one whole lemon into it. Take a finger and soak it for 10-15 minutes, then remove it.
Rinse them off with water and a gentle scrubbing of the nails afterward. Due to the fact that they are both natural bleaching agents, lemon and baking soda will not harm your nails in the same way that chemical bleaches will.
3. Pick up a can of hairspray
To remove the brown stains from their gel nails, many people have used hairsprays. Spray hairspray all over your nails until they are completely saturated, then remove your hands from the cloth or towel. After that, try to remove the stains with a cotton bud or an earbud. Use a mild soap and warm water to wash your hands after scrubbing.
4. Essential tea tree oil
Another helpful natural agent. You can also use it if you have a fungal infection of the nail. It removes stains naturally.
Two tablespoons of tea tree oil can be added to a bowl of water to soak your nails. Remove the nails after 10-15 minutes of soaking.
Do not use soap to wash. The same can be done with castor or coconut oil. People have been using castor oil as a multipurpose vegetable oil for thousands of years.
5. Cream for Shaving
The bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide is found in shaving cream.
Scrub the stain with a cotton ball dipped in cream until it disappears.
6. Purchase a new set of gel nails
If that doesn’t work, I’d suggest investing in a new set of gel polishes, such as this 6 Colors Gel Polish Set. Use gloves when using detergent or harmful chemicals and avoid over-curing, as well as avoiding smoking. Gel nails that are applied in this manner have a longer lifespan and do not chip or fade in color over time.
In order to avoid the discoloration of your gel nails, what are the best practices?
Preventing gel nails from discoloration is all about avoiding contact with chemicals and harmful products.
Rubber gloves are a must when using cleaning products, so put them on. When opening detergent bottles, take care not to spill any of the liquid. Stop smoking and eat well for the health of your nails in general.
Go to reputable salons that know how long UV curing should last, apply a top coat, and moisturize your nails and cuticles.
Keep your hands clean and disinfect any nail tools you intend to use before using them for the first time.
Don’t worry if you decide to paint your nails with regular nail polish over your gel manicure. Using regular nail polish does not cause a change in color.
If you use tea tree oil, lemon and soda, vitamin E, vinegar, and other natural remedies on a regular basis, you can keep your nails from turning brown for a long time.
In addition to being safe, these ingredients also contain nutrients that nourish and moisturize the skin around your nails.
How to prevent nails discoloring with UV lamp?
After a few days, your nail polish may turn black if you dry it under a UV lamp for longer than necessary, which is one of the most common causes of this problem. The tar and nicotine in cigarettes can also cause discoloration, which is one of the main causes of black nails.
Understanding the curing process is essential if you want to keep your gel nails from discoloring. Over-curing and under-curing your nails can lead to long-term damage.
Apply the first coat of gel polish to your nails, then place them under the UV lamp for three minutes to fully cure them. To cure other coats, only allow them to dry for two minutes and not longer.
Watch How to repair clear coat fix 100% all types | Video
Top 5 FAQs and answers related to Top coat turning brown
What happened to the color of my top coat?
Brown stains on gel nails: what is the best way to get them out?
In a bowl, add two tablespoons of baking soda.
Add a few drops of lemon juice and a tablespoon of water to the mixture.
Make a thick icing sugar-like mixture by combining all of the ingredients.
Mix up a batch of nail polish remover and apply it to your stained fingernails.
Once the stains have been removed, don’t stop until they are gone.
What’s going on with my top coat that it turns yellow?
Why did my acrylic-treated nail turn brown?
Fungus can grow on artificial nails if they are not placed correctly. You may also contract a fungus from your manicurist’s unclean tools when getting your nails done. Nail fungus symptoms include the following: Nail blemishes (often green or yellow)
What does it mean if your nail has a brown stain?
Finally
To sum up, if you follow a few simple steps, you can keep your gel nails from turning brown for an extended period of time.
Nail stains are most commonly caused by strong chemicals, such as those found in cleaning products, make-up, spices like turmeric, skin care creams, poor quality gels, overexposure to sunlight, and self-tanning products.
Nails that are brown or that have unhealthy and dry skin around them can be the result of bad habits such as smoking.
Using nail polish remover or alcohol, soaking in lemon and baking soda, using your hairspray, applying tea tree oil, scrubbing with shaving spray, or getting a new set of gel nails if the stains are too stubborn are some of the methods that can be used to remove spots from your gel nails.
