Nail Preparation and Manicure Longevity – Expert Insights from Monika Mielniczuk
Proper nail preparation is one of the most important stages of any nail service, yet it remains a topic that raises plenty of questions. In this interview, we go back to basics with Monika Mielniczuk to explore what really affects retention, why understanding product chemistry matters, and how everyday experience behind the nail desk inspired IZOTON® – a solution designed to simplify natural nail preparation without skipping the essential steps.
IZOTON® is your best-known product and one of our bestsellers. Imagine you're speaking to a nail technician who's never heard of it before. How would you explain what IZOTON® is and where it fits into a nail service?
There are three essential steps in chemically preparing the natural nail: removing oils, dehydrating the nail plate and promoting adhesion. Traditionally, each step involves a separate product. IZOTON® is a prep solution that streamlines the process by combining all three steps into one. It helps remove oils and moisture from the nail surface and prepares it for optimal bonding with the products applied afterwards. It can also be used to remove the inhibition layer, clean stamping plates and carry out an initial clean of nail drill bits.
What first gave you the idea for IZOTON®? Was it a solution to something you were dealing with in your own day-to-day salon work?
As a nail technician, I always had so many bottles of different liquids on my desk. They would run out at different times, so I was constantly having to restock. I started looking more closely at the formulations, and with my knowledge of product chemistry, I identified the two ingredients that mattered most. Then I began experimenting with their proportions. I knew what those ingredients did and how they worked, so I was confident the idea had real potential. And it worked.
How has your approach to natural nail preparation changed over the years? Is there anything you do differently now compared with when you started?
Compared with when I first started 22 years ago, my preparation process is completely different. These days, I use no more than two drill bits, a nail file and IZOTON®. It saves me time and gives me confidence that I've prepared the natural nail as effectively as possible.
How important are proper cleansing and dehydration when it comes to nail retention? Are there situations where these steps become particularly critical?
From a chemical perspective, preparing the natural nail is the same whether you're working with UV-cured products or acrylic. Neither removing oils nor dehydration should ever be skipped. Both steps are essential for eliminating substances that can interfere with polymerisation. With IZOTON®, you only need to wipe the nail plate once to complete both the cleansing and dehydration stages.
Which properties of IZOTON® surprised nail technicians the most during product testing or training sessions?
Getting used to the idea of replacing three products with one was probably the biggest hurdle. When you've been using three separate products for years, it's difficult to trust that one solution can do the same job. During the first few days, technicians tested it carefully to see whether it really worked or whether the claims were too good to be true. Within three weeks, large numbers of nail technicians had come around to IZOTON® after seeing that their clients' nails weren't experiencing lifting.
You've often said that IZOTON® can't do the nail technician's job for them. Would it be fair to say that it supports their technique rather than replacing it? What does that distinction mean in practice?
Every stage of nail preparation matters, and doing each one correctly makes the next stage easier. It's like changing a tyre on a car. If you don't tighten the wheel bolts properly afterwards, you're not going to get very far. Even the best tyre won't perform as it should if the wheel isn't secure.
IZOTON® cannot replace mechanical nail preparation. You first need to thoroughly remove the shine from the natural nail plate. Only then does IZOTON® come into play. It helps prepare the surface, but it's just one step in the overall process. If you apply a base coat and fail to cure it properly, IZOTON® won't make up for that mistake.
You've been closely involved in the nail industry for years, including as an educator. How has nail technicians' understanding of natural nail preparation and the role of prep products evolved?
For more than 18 years, I've been actively educating nail professionals and helping them navigate the complexities of nail product chemistry. One of my greatest achievements has been raising awareness of how these products actually work.
I'm also very aware that new generations of nail technicians are constantly entering the industry. Just as I did when I was starting out, they're looking for answers and practical solutions. Education is the only solid foundation. A product alone doesn't guarantee success, but knowing how to use it properly makes all the difference.
If you could recommend just one change that every nail technician could make to their preparation routine tomorrow to improve the quality of their work, what would it be?
Less is more. IZOTON®.
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