TIP OF THE WEEK #36 Primer Burn
By Vicki Peters 

We have all experienced primer burn and there has been some recent chat on 
the list lately.
Primer is a dangerous chemical when mis-used and a good chemical when used 
properly. It should be used with acrylics only, not gels or fiberglass or 
any other enhancement. Primers come in different strengths and are not all 
exactly the same, however many appear to be the same and need to be used 
cautiously. 

Primer is an acid based product that dissolves molecules of residual oils 
from the natural nail. Nail primers must be used with caution because some 
are very corrosive to the skin and will burn if it gets on the skin. Nail 
preparation prior to application of the primers is very important for the 
adhesion of the product and if the nails are not prepped and cleaned properly 
may cause product breakdown later. Primer works like double-sided sticky 
tape, kind of like an anchor for the acrylic. For a simple description - 
one side sticks to the nail and the other to the acrylic you apply on top. 

When applying primer you should apply it sparingly. When I first purchase a 
primer I pop the brush right out of the inside of the cap because I feel the 
brush is too big and holds too much primer. I prefer to use a small nail art 
brush that I usually cut the tip off of to make it shorter and gives me more 
control. After dipping the brush into the primer I dab the brush onto my 
table towel to remove any excess primer out of the brush before application. 
I also apply the thumbs first because they are the biggest when I have the 
most primer in my brush. 

Because I believe primer knows north, for the fill, I apply slightly below 
the cuticle area allowing it to flow towards the cuticle instead of from the 
cuticle down. I also make sure the fingers are bent down a bit as I apply so 
the primer runs down not up. For a new nail I apply the primer in the center 
and let it flow before I get closer to the cuticle. I also believe that two 
coats of primer is enough, more than that your flooding a flood. The nail 
can't absorb any more than two coats. And if you have a client that barely 
lifts try one coat, a more gentle primer or no primer at all. 

Let the primer dry completely. If you work in wet primer I believe that it 
can yellow the acrylic because if you apply acrylic in wet primer your 
contaminating the acrylic as well as the acrylic application brush, 
depositing primer back into your liquid, contaminating it. 

Another way of effectively contaminate primer is to continue to use the 
original primer bottle for application until it is empty, picking up nail 
dust and depositing it into your primer bottle. Now what I want you to do is 
pick up your primer bottle and hold it to the light and tell me there is no 
nail dust in there! I can see you smiling right now! Get yourself a new 
bottle of primer and another empty smaller brown bottle (maybe at the 
pharmacy?). Pour in enough for the week. Two things here - if you spill it, 
as we have all done, your only spilling a little. By pouring in enough for 
the week and using it up your always using fresh primer that will be more 
effective that that bottle full of nail dust. (Same thing goes for your 
dehydrator bottle as well). 

If you apply too much primer it can run up to the cuticle or down the 
sidewalls and underneath the natural free edge, causing burning on the skin. 
If for any reason a client complains that her fingers are burning it is 
because you were sloppy with the primer. Some say baking soda and water will 
stop the burning action. I don't have any remedies myself other than being 
careful. You can spray the nails with alcohol or water, but you have to 
re-prep the nail all over again once you do that. Bottom line is if you're 
careful you won't burn the client. I know this first hand and here is why: 
When I first started getting my nails done I went to a tech for about a year 
before I decided to get my manicuring license. So thinking I knew what I was 
doing I ripped my nails off and slapped primer all over all ten of my nails. 
Needless to say they burned for almost 24 hours. I never knew primer burned, 
because my manicurist never burned me or educated me. Lesson learned.

Another thing you need to know is that for the liquids that call themselves 
"primerless" they do not have the primer built into the liquid. They have 
other properties that adhere to the nail better and require good prep work to 
work. And they don't all work for everyone so if your loosing nails to 
lifting you may want to go back to using primer. Primer can be a crutch but 
it can also be an asset when used properly. So treat your primer with respect.

DISCLAIMER
Any products mentioned in the "Tip Of The Week by Vicki Peters" is not an 
endorsement of any kind.