An Education Classic
Re-released from the Archives of Scientific Expert, Doug Schoon,
"Don't Let This Happen to Your Clients"
Doug Schoon
Good rule to follow is,
"use the utmost care for 60 minutes after immersing natural
nails in any liquid for more than 60 seconds."
When small white spots appear on the nail plate after removal of the UV
nail color coatings, a likely reason is improper removal. Fortunately, the
vast majority of this type of nail damage is completely avoidable. How?
By taking the appropriate time, care and caution when removing UV nail
color coatings, precisely following the manufacturer's instructions, and
fully heeding all recommendations. That's good advice for removing any
type of UV nail coating.
How can nail damage occur? Soaking the natural nail for even a few
minutes in acetone or water will temporarily soften the surface making it
temporarily more susceptible to damage from any implements that pry,
push or force the remaining residual UV coating from the nail plate.
Instead, a good rule to follow is, "use the utmost care for 60 minutes
after immersing natural nails in any liquid for more than 60 seconds."
Below are four magnified images I collected, using a scanning electron
microscope, to show the result of natural nail damage caused by
improper removal of UV nail color coatings.
Image 1 is magnified over 3000 times and shows damage caused by
"prying" residual UV coatings from the nail plate. A large cluster of these
can create the appearance of white to off-white spots or patches.
Image 2 and 3 prove that even a wooden pusher can damage softened
nail plates and bunch up nail cells like a throw rug sliding on a slippery
floor. Look closely and you'll see where a wooden pusher created the
wide gouges leading up to these damaged areas that range in size from
one half to twice the thickness of the human hair and smaller. Imagine
the damage a metal pusher and heavy hand could do! The spots are
small, but many of them bunched together create the appearance of a
diffused white spot in the nail plate. Fortunately, this type of damage is
avoidable for most people if these coats are properly removed. UV nail
color coatings may not always be suited for every nail types, e.g.
problematically thin or weak nail plates. As always, nail professionals
should use their professional judgment when assessing a client's
suitability for any nail service.
Image 4 is a nail magnified almost 200 times to show a surface scattered
with islands of UV nail color coatings which were not properly removed.
This is often how the damage starts. Overly aggressively scraping with
any implement significantly increases the risk of surface damage. Filing
away the residual coating with an abrasive can lead to excessive nail
plate thinning. It's best to follow manufacturer's instructions and/or
always allow sufficient time to properly soften the coating with an
appropriate remover before attempting to remove it from the nail plate.
If the UV coating hasn't sufficiently softened, continue softening until the
coating may be removed without damaging the nail plate. Don't
rush! ALWAYS take the necessary time needed to completely soften any
UV coating before gently removing with a cautious approach and careful
touch.
Doug Schoon
Scientific Expert
For more information, visit www.DougSchoon.com