Applying Acrylic Nails
Sculpted nails do not use a machine and assembly line method of
production. Rather they are “sculpted” by a specially trained nail
technician. Every nail is handcrafted and created individually using a
specialized process. There are 5 basic steps involved in creating your
beautiful new nails. These are cleansing, priming, mixing, sculpting,
and finishing.
The cleansing step is a very important one as it must be done to
prepare your natural nails before your new nails can be created. To
completely clean the nail’s surface, it is best to use a nail bed
cleanser. Typically, the cleansers used are solvents like isopropyl
alcohol. This will work to dissolve any grease and oil from the nail’s
surface. In addition, they will remove any bacteria from this area which
will aid in reducing chances for infections to form. As they may cause
the skin around the cuticle area to dry out, these solvents must be
applied very carefully. The reason for this is that these solvents are
known to also absorb the skin’s natural moisturizers and oils.
Once the nail has been properly cleansed, it is time to prime it. To
do this, the nail bed has a primer applied to it in order to ensure that
the acrylic will stick as well as it is meant to. There are 2 types of
primers available for use. These are non-etching and etching. The
non-etching primer works similar to double-sided tape. One side of this
primer is excellent at sticking to the natural nail, while the other
side works equally well to attach to the acrylic polymers that are used
in the artificial nail. The etching primer contains acid like
methacrylic acid which will dissolve a thin layer of the nail. This
particular etching process will allow the acrylic to stick to the nail
more securely. Normally, the etching primers are used more often than
the non-etching ones. There seems to be a bit of a debate around how the
etching primers should be used. Some chemists say that the primer needs
to be completely dry prior to the acrylic being applied. Others argue
that the primer should still be wet when the acrylic is applied to allow
it to be pulled more deeply into the nail, thus anchoring it more
firmly.
Now the all important step of mixing takes place. After the acrylic
liquid and acrylic powder is mixed together, the resin is created. Once
this liquid and powder are mixed, the nail technician has to work very
fast with it. Otherwise, the resin will become hard before it can be
formed into a nail and it won’t be able to be used.
A form in the shape of a nail is put on each fingertip before the
resin is applied. This is done to keep the resin in place, thus making
sure it forms the correct shape and size. Some of these forms may be
plastic and others are made from foil. One of the more common types is
made of a thin metallic foil that also has an adhesive back to it. This
form peels away from a roll not unlike a self sticking label, and then
meticulously attached to the fingers. The resin is then applied to the
fingertips. This resin is formed to create a natural appearance before
the resin becomes hard. Then the form is removed.
Once the acrylic is dry, the brand new nails are then ready for a
finish of filing and shaping. Coatings and nail polishes are then added
which will complete the manicure process. As the real nail grows in
length, the liquid paste will need another application in order for a
regular contour to be maintained. Some people have an acetate tip
attached to the nails’ edges, as it provides a sturdier base to hold the
resin layers.
Now that the new nails are in place and looking all shiny and new,
there will still need to be some maintenance done to them periodically.
These can be filed just like real nails, but there is usually not a
reason to do so. If you damage your nail in some way, or it simply comes
off for whatever reason, it will be necessary to go back to your salon
and let your nail technician deal with the problem. If you have chosen a
skilled technician, though, these things are not usually a frequent
problem. In addition, most reputable nail technicians will do any
repairs to nail mishaps that were due to faulty application of the nails
without charging you extra.
Most people who choose to have acrylic nails applied seem to be quite
happy with them overall. They don’t have to worry about frequent
breaking or chipping, and the nail polish seems to hold for a much
longer time. While most women who wear acrylic nails on a regular basis
will normally visit the salon once a week to have them spruced up,
others get along just fine with going for a salon visit once every 2
weeks. How well your acrylic nails hold seems to depend on what sort of
lifestyle you lead. |
