Hi
I've just recently gone back to acrylic after 12 years of gels.....can I ask what MMA and NSS salons mean??
MMA stands for Methyl Methacrylate and has been around in nail salons since the seventies and the liquid monomer has a distinctive strong smell. As a previous poster has mentioned, it needs the nail plate to be very rough to adhere to and so if you file it off (soaking won't budge it), you will discover that the natural nail is very weak and damaged underneath. Once applied, it forms an incredibly strong bond and you're more likely to rip your nail off than break the artificial nail.
MMA is banned for use in artificial nail products in many countries around the world because of it's well documented risks to health. Unfortunately, some clients love the indestructible quality of their nails and will happily return to salons that offer it even when they become aware of the associated health risks.
EMA stands for Ethyl Methacrylate and only requires the nail plate to be lightly buffed in order to adhere and soaks off relatively easily. It will also chip and break away from the natural nail if hit hard enough such as banging the nail on the edge of a car door. Leaving the natural nail intact.
NSS stands for Non Standard Salon.
It's generally used as polite shorthand for salons that offer MMA acrylic nails. MMA products are much cheaper to buy compared to EMA products and easily obtained via the Internet so Salons using it are often viewed as discount salons.
MMA is still commonly used in South East Asia and unfortunately here in the West, any salon staffed by Asian nail technicians, particularly if they offer discounted services, can attract rascist comments from some quarters regardless of what products they use.
In reality, some of the most sought after manicurists in the world are of Asian origin so you can't make a value judgement based purely on ethnicity.