There are many options available for nail treatments these days, although acrylic extensions remain a firm favourite!
Although a popular choice, there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding the effect they have on your natural nails and also the quality of the treatment.
To put both areas of concern to bed, as long as you are using a fully qualified and experienced Nail Technician, with proper application and removal techniques, there is no reason why your nails should suffer damage from acrylic nails and the quality of the nails should be high and they should last.
Having said all this, how long they last is not an easy question to answer. It all depends upon a few factors, some of which you can control, which I will now go through…
Natural nail health
This is a factor which effects the time your nails will last for different reasons. If you have strong, long and shiny nails, you will have a good basis for the extension to attach, however, if your nails grow quickly, they will grow out rapidly and may needed infilling sooner. If you, like me, have what I lovingly call “rubbish nails”, that are short, brittle and don’t grow past the end of my finger, you will not only have a good connection between the acrylic and your nail plate – as a dry nail with minimal oil retains adhesion for longer – you will also get away with not having an infill for longer because they won’t grow as quickly!
Style of nail
We have been firmly in the grasp of a nail wave during the next decade. If you cast your mind back to the noughties, nails were all quite similar and the French tip was queen! But this decade has seen an influx of many designs, styles, techniques and mostly, lengths! With any extension there is always the risk it will come off and sometimes this can happen as an accident. Obviously the longer your nail the more chance of it becoming caught and coming off, so bear this in mind when selecting your style!
Cuticle care
This is a habit I try to get all my clients into. Your cuticle is largely responsible for the health of your nail, a hydrated cuticle creates a hydrated nail bed and a hydrated nail bed is a health nail bed. Rubbing oil into your cuticles twice a day can not only improve the appearance of your manicure as it will rid you of jagged cuticles and dry skin, but it will contribute to the health of your nail and the longevity of your treatment. Any oil will work for this, use olive oil or coconut oil if you have it in your home! I recommend putting the oil next to your toothbrush then when you brush your teeth you will be reminded to apply the oil twice a day. I also like this oil, which is natural and smells amazing!
Job type
It goes without saying if you have a job which is heavy in labour intensive tasks, your nails will likely not last as long. However, some of the worst damage and change to shape I see in clients’ nails is with those who work in offices and type a lot! Wear and tear can’t be helped when it is part of our job, however, some allowances can be made, such as gloves or fingertip guards. This leads us on to the last factor…
Jewels not tools
I send all my clients away with this same warning, your nails are jewels not tools, meaning you must not use them for picking things or scraping this, and it is advised you take care to protect them when cleaning your home, by wearing gloves. If you over burden your nails it is likely they will snap, bend, change shape or lose their colour/shine.
Hope this helped answer your questions about acrylics! Check out my other blogs HERE!
Lots of love,
S&G x
