Cleaning your acrylic brush is important…but surprisingly not always necessary. Acrylic nail brushes are made with natural Kolinsky fibers and work with the oiliness of the acrylic monomer. For this reason using acetone on the brush will damage the hairs. You also want to refrain from touching the acrylic brush with your bare hands to keep from contaminating the brush with your skin oils or lotions.
There are acrylic nail brush cleaners refrain from those that have a higher percentage of acetone. The best product to clean your brush is with the monomer itself. It you are noticing that you are getting a lot of product stuck in your brush check the paper towel that you are using to wipe your brush on. If it is too full of dried up acrylic. You also more than likely need to practice product ratio to make sure that you are using the products correctly. If you do find yourself needing brush cleaner this one from Tammy Taylor does a really good job of cleaning the brush without over drying the brush.
Understanding Your Acrylic Nail Brushes
Acrylic nail brushes are made from natural Kolinsky sable animal hairs. This is why they work so well with acrylic nail monomer. Using harsh chemical cleaners and tools to help you remove acrylic build up from the brush can damage the brush and frustrate you during the application process.
Daily Cleaning Techniques for Acrylic Nail Brushes
On a daily basis you should not have to continually clean your brush. You make sure that you circle the the brush in the monomer and wipe the brush clean when you are totally complete with the application process. You also should store the brush either laying flat on a paper towel in a drawer away from dust. This dust can contaminate your brush and lead to product lifting.
Deep Cleaning and Conditioning for Longevity
Brushes do not need a deep cleaning. Especially working with the brush daily there should not be any big build up of product in your brush. The worst thing for your brush is to leave it sitting in monomer or to leave it sitting in acetone.
When using the monomer you have sediment that will accumulate in the bottom of your dappen dish. Leaving your brush in the sentiment will cause that product to enter into your brush and harden there.
Drying, Shaping, and Storing Your Acrylic Brushes
Brushes should be whipped on a paper towel to remove and residue. If your brush becomes misshapen you will need to saturate the brush with acrylic nail monomer. After you remove the brush from the dappen dish gently wipe the brush towards you on a paper towel and remove the excess liquid. As you are dragging the brush towards you, shape it either flat or pointed based on the shape that you like the best.
Troubleshooting and Preventing Common Brush Issues
Your brush is one of your most important investments. For that reason it is very important to take really good care of your brush. If you are having trouble with lots of product build up in your brush re-evaluate your product ratio technique. Secondly make sure that you replace your paper towel often to keep from redepositing that acrylic back into your brush. Buying the cheapest brush is also not the best for product application. A good quality brush can pay you back in offering amazing service time after time.