Acrylic nails are a popular alternative to natural nails. They’re robust, durable and long-lasting, which makes them well-suited to any situation that requires your hands to be at work all day long. Acrylics like Kiss nails are versatile; they can be coloured and textured like regular fingernails or sculpted into artistic shapes using nail art techniques.
Acrylic nails are glued on top of your natural nails.
Acrylic nails are fake nails glued on top of your natural nails. Acrylic powder is mixed with a liquid monomer, which hardens when it dries. The final product is a nail sculpture made of acrylic (fake) and set by the polymerisation of the monomer (the chemical reaction that occurs when you put water in it). Once they’ve dried, apply one layer of clear nail polish to protect them from chipping.
Acrylics are about twice as thick as a human nail and strong enough to last for two or three weeks without breaking off at the tip, like human nails tend to do over time. They come in various lengths and shapes for both fingers and toes. You can even get them tinted to match your skin tone if you want them darker than their natural colour (usually white).
You can get acrylic nails done at a salon or DIY.
You can get acrylic nails done at a salon or do it yourself. Acrylic nails are long, hard and shiny, but they’re not for everyone. If you are interested in this look, read on to learn more about how to do your acrylics at home.
The first step is choosing the suitable nail polish for your needs. There are several kinds of formulas available: regular polish (gets eventually chipped), peel-off removal (works well with some colours), gel polish (long-lasting) or saran wrap technique where you apply gel and then layer on top of that with regular polish.
There’s a learning curve to getting your acrylics right
There’s a learning curve to acrylic nails. It takes practice, and this is particularly true if you’re doing them yourself regularly.
You may feel uncomfortable attempting to do your nails for the first time by practising on someone else’s beforehand, so consider practising on your friend’s or family’s nails. If you’re interested in becoming an experienced technician and saving money at the same time, here are some things you should know:
- You need basic nail knowledge before starting with acrylics; otherwise, it will be too difficult.
- Acrylics require more skill than gel polish, like Kiss nails and other types of manicures because they’re thicker than regular polish and can chip easily if not applied correctly (this means using thin layers).
- A learning curve comes with getting used to applying them and removing them. So, don’t expect everything will go smoothly right away.
A lot of work goes into maintaining acrylics.
The first step to maintaining acrylics is keeping them clean. You’ll need to apply a non-alcohol-based cleanser, which you can find at the drugstore. Make sure to wash your hands before and after using the cleaner so that you don’t accidentally rub it onto your nail or nail polish and ruin them. Cleaning also helps keep build-up from occurring on top of the acrylic powder and removes any bacteria or dirt on your nails that could cause infection if left alone long enough.
You should also keep your cuticles healthy and moisturised
Besides the several types of acrylics, there are also a few ways to help keep your nails in tip-top shape.
First and foremost, you should use cuticle oil (or cream) regularly. Petroleum jelly can work just as well if you want to save money on something other than a particular product. You can rub this into your cuticles using your fingers or a cuticle pusher. The latter is beneficial when working with acrylics because it will remove the dead skin around your nails without damaging them or making them too oily. In addition to moisturising and softening your cuticles, this will keep them from getting brittle or cracking as quickly over time due to frequent polish removals and reapplications during manicures/pedicures.
