Artificial Nails: Frequently Asked Questions

5 Frequently asked questions covered in this post. Have you got a question which is still left unaswered? Leave a comment here!
Q: Does Gel / Acrylic / Porcelain etc. damage my own nail?
A: ALL artificial nail systems do some "damage" to the natural nail, but no more than when you cut, file, use nail polish remover etc. etc. at home! Real damage is caused either through incorrect application technique, inferior product, or by the wearer. There are many women out there who wear artificial nails regularly without any problems at all. Find somebody you trust to do your nails, look after your nails properly, and you shouldn't have any problems!

Q: Which Artificial Nail System is Better?
A: This very much depends on personal preference. However, there are some factors one should consider when deciding which system to go for. Are you very active? Do you type a lot at work? Do you have "green fingers?" Do you do a lot of housework? Are they temporary (for a special occastion,) or do you want to keep them for a longer time? If you give all this information to your nail technician, she will be able to help you choose the most appropriate product.

Q: What is the difference between Gel and Acrylic?
A: Not a lot, and plenty! For starters, Gel is a type of acrylic; it just has a different molecular build-up. This makes them look and wear differently from Acrylic, and application and removal is also different. Originally, Gel looked more natural, was thinner, more flexible and has a "natural" glossyness about them. However, they are also more fragile than acrylic, and some complain of discolouration after a short while. With the new Porcelain System, both the benefits of Acrylic and Gel have been combined into one product. Gel nails are "baked" or cured onto the natural nail on application, where the acrylic system is two products combined, and then applied onto the natural nail, and air-cures very quickly.

Q: My (artificial) nails are lifting / chipping / bubbling - what's wrong?
A: Either the product, the application of the product, or your own body is causing the issue. Lifting may occur when there is something caught between the artificial nail and your own nail. Some medications can also cause this. If you suffer from any of these issues, you should contact yor nail technician immediately.

Q: How long do Artificial Nails Last?
A: This depends on many factors. If you look after them, you could wear the same set for a very long time. The time between fills depends from person to person, but you can normally count on about 2 weeks

Have more questions I haven't covered here? Please feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to add it here :)

Read more!

How to Look After Your Artificial Nails

Here's a few tips to keep your nails looking their best and lasting longer.

• Visit you nail technician regularly. Your nail technician will schedule appropriate appointments for you, although you can more or less count on bi-monthly visits for fills and maintenance.


• Let the Professionals do it! If a nail breaks, or starts to lift, rather schedule an appointment to have it fixed than try and and fix it yourself! Glueing or bandaging a loose nail down can cause moisture to get caught between the nail and the extension and could cause an infection.


• Your nails are a beautfiul accessory, not tools! Wear gloves when doing any kind of work involving chemicals or dirt (gardening included.) Avoid opening soda cans with your nails.


• Use a sealer or top-coat every second day or so to help prevent chipping and yellowing, especially if you're in the sun frequently.


• Choose a nail length which suits your lifestyle. If you're an active person, work on a computer a lot, or do heavy work, shorter nails may be better for you. Use lotion once a day and / or apply cuticle oil. Here's a tip: If you apply lotion before putting on your gloves to wash dishes, the heat of the water helps teat of the water helps the skin absorb the lotion.


• Be aware of possible allergic reactions. An allergic reaction is generally identified by redness, itching, swelling or irritation around the nail, eyes and / or mouth. If you develop any of the above symptoms, call your nail technician immediately to try and determine the cause of the reaction and take steps to help stop and avoid them in future.


• Don't want your nails anymore? Have you technician soak them off! Pulling the nails off or using chemicals can damage your natural nails. Your nail technician will know exactly what to use to safely remove your extensions.

Read more!

What the Heck is Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) anyway?

Often when asked, a nail or beauty technician will tell you that they don't use the product because it's toxic. If that were true, then why was it used as a human bone repair cement in surgery?Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) was commonly used in the nail industry until it's use was banned it in the late 1970's. Many rumours have come about due to lack of knowledge on this topic. Often when asked, a nail or beauty technician will tell you that they don't use the product because it's toxic. The truth is that, while MMA should not be ingested (much like many chemicals we use externally every day,) it does not absorb through the nail plate, is not dangerous to inhale in a normal salon enviroment, and is not a cancer-causing agent! In fact, for many years MMA was used as a human bone repair cement in surgery. However, this does not condone it's use in the nail industry, and here's why:

1. MMA doesn't hold very well to the nail plate. This is why old-school nail technicians tend to over-file the nail plate, as they used to roughen it up in order to get the product to adhere. This of course thins the nail plate and makes it much weaker.


2. MMA becomes very hard, and hence when the nail is caught or jammed, rather than the extension breaking, the weakened nail plate breaks underneath it, causing serious nail damage.


3. MMA is very difficult to remove, as there are no solvents for it. Hence another bad habit some technicians have of prying off the extension was born, which of course can be very damaging.


4. Because of so many complaints caused from above, many regulating authorities have banned its use.

MMA was simply an inappropriate product for nails, and it was removed because of this. It had very little to do with it's toxicity. In fact, as explained earlier, it has been widely used in the medical field.

Read more!

Types of Artificial Nails

It seems that there are very few people who actually know what Gel / Acrylic / Silk etc. really is, how they are applied or even how they look & wear! Well, I've cleared that all up once and for all!Porcelain Nails: The term "Porcelain Nails" was the original name given to Acrylic Nails, and it's use was discontinued when one of it's ingredients called MMA (methyl methacrylate) was banned in the late 70's (click there for more information.) Since then the Porcelain System which no longer contains MMA has been re-introduced, and is regaining popularity. Unlike it's predecessor, it has been designed to minimise damage to the nail plate and enhance natural nail growth. There is a distinct difference between the current Porcelain Nail System and Acrylic Nails of today, in that it has been processed further to create a finer powder, and has a finely ground, glass-like material (known as glass-glaze) and pink silica incorporated into the Porcelain powder, which gives it a beautiful glossy, natural-looking finish, whilst retaining the strength and durability associated with Acrylic. Speculation has it that some salons offer "Porcelain Nails" as simply Acrylic Nails with a Gel top-coat. This is NOT the true Porcelain Nail system, and does not have the same look, or wearing characteristics!

Acrylic Nails, like Porcelain Nails, are probably the strongest and last the longest of the various systems. Unfortunately, if the system is not applied correctly, they can look very thick and artificial. The misconception that the Acrylic Nails System itself is more damaging than other systems on the market is simply untrue! Some people who have had Acrylic Nails complain of the damage done by nail technicians using an incorrect / antiquated filing technique, which can leave the client bleeding, or over-filing has left almost no natural nail, and burns or "hot spots" are left in the nail bed, which can be very painful. The Acrylic Nail System is not at fault here, but in fact the technician applying it!

Gel Nails: Gel nails are made up of a thick viscosity gel acrylic. It is a one-part system in which the Gel is applied, and then 'cured' or 'set' under ultraviolet light. Although Gel and Acrylic are both actually acrylic, the molecular structure is different, the application procedures and curing methods are different, and hence they apply and wear differently. They tend to be quite soft, and a lot of people complain of discolouration of the nails within a few days. Acrylic-Gel nails, where Gel is applied over Acrylic, does not make your nails "Gel Nails."

Silk, Linen and Fibre Wraps: Pieces of silk, linen or fibreglass are cut into shape and glued onto the nail plate. Silk is the most natural-looking, and quite flexible, but is also not very strong, and may not be suited to active people. Linen is stronger, but doesn't look very natural, and tends to appear thick. Of the three, fibreglass is probably the better option, since it has the natural look of silk, with the strength of linen.

Read more!