Can You Use Substitutes for Liquid Monomer – Acrylic nails

Can You Use Substitutes Instead of Monomer Acrylic Nails
Can You Use Substitutes Instead of Monomer Acrylic Nails

In this article, we are going to be investigating whether you can use any other type of chemical instead of using liquid monomer to create acrylic nails.

What is Acrylic Monomer

Acrylic Monomer is the liquid that is mixed with the acrylic powder to create the acylic nail. The monomer is mostly made with ethyl methacrylate (EMA).

The monomer in the liquid reacts to the polymer in the powder to create long fibers that weave into a durable and very stiff netlike structure. This process is called cross-linking.

To learn more about What is Acrylic monomer and the Best and Safest brands to Use you can click here

If you don’t like the odor of acrylic monomer then you should use odorless acrylic monomer, click here to learn more.

Can You Use Substitutes Instead of Monomer for Acrylic Nails

No, you cannot use a substitute for the liquid monomer when using acrylic nails. If you attempt to use other chemicals instead of the liquid monomer either:

  • The acrylic nail won’t form properly
  • Or if it does it won’t be very strong and will fall apart easily.

This is because the liquid monomer is made to work directly with the acrylic powder. And this means that other chemicals just won’t cause the cross-linking chemical reactions to occur.

Related Article – How Acrylic Ruin Your Nails & Tips to Prevent Damages

What to Do If You Don’t Have Liquid Monomer

If you don’t have any liquid monomer then you can:

  • Mix any leftover liquid monomer with rubbing alcohol. If you don’t have much monomer left then Rubbing alcohol can help to stretch it out. And maybe give you one last set of nails.

Can you use alcohol instead of monomer for acrylic nails

You cannot use any form of alcohol as a replacement for monomer. Alcohol won’t cause the necessary chemical reactions to occur for the acrylic nails to form any durable and long-lasting manner.

But Rubbing alcohol can be mixed with liquid monomer as a filler to stretch it out.

Related Article – Allergic Reaction to Acrylic Nails- How to Spot & Treat

Can you use Water instead of monomer for acrylic nails

Water is one of the worst things you can use as a substitute for monomer. Water will just make your acrylic powder wet and when the water evaporates your acrylic nail won’t harden instead it will crumble.

Related Article – 6 Beginner Tips to Make Acrylic Nails Easier to Apply

Can You Use Nail glue as Monomer

Nail glue can’t be used in the same way like liquid monomer to form a bead to build your acrylic nails.

But Nail Glue can be used to make the acrylic powder stick onto your nails like a form of dip powder.

Now making nail glue work with acrylic is extremely difficult since the glue would dry really fast. So you would need to apply the powder almost as soon as you apply the glue.

Related Article – Acrylic Nails turn Yellow or Brown: Causes & How to Fix

Can You Use Acetone as Monomer

Acetone will not work as a monomer. Instead, it will break down the acrylic powder.

Can You DIY Make Acrylic Monomer at Home

You cannot safely make acrylic monomer at home. Monomer uses a lot of industrial solvents and attempting to make it at home is very risky.

Citation

What is an Acrylic Monomer, Properties & Uses

Acrylic Monomer

The Chemistry of Acrylics