Question:
I understand that acetone and other prep products dehydrate the nail plate only temporarily and that nail oils counteract the effect quite well. Does nail polish or UV gel polish dehydrate the nail at all?
Answer:
Acetone only dehydrates the surface of the nail plate, and these nail coatings do the exact opposite for the natural nail, they hydrate. Every nail coating from nail polish to UV gels will temporarily block the passage of water at the upper surface of the nail plate, causing higher levels of moisture to build up underneath the coating. This increases the water content of the nail plate from typical 15% water up to 25% water when coated with an enhancement or natural nail overlay.
Nail oils work in a similar fashion. These oils contain NO water, so they cannot add moisture to the nail plate. Instead, the oils slow down the passage of water moving from the nail bed upward to the surface of the nail plate, which increases the nail plate moisture content. The same thing occurs when anything covers the nail plate, including artificial nails of all types.
