First Time Getting Acrylic Nails – What to Expect
Are you looking forward to having your first set of acrylic nails? Then read on to know more about them!
Most women consider acrylic nails as a beauty treatment especially those doing them for the first time. We tend to daydream about the final outcome once the nails are done and different accessories that can make them stand out.
However, there are a few things that you should have in mind for a seamless experience. This article highlights all the details you need to know and what to expect if you are planning to go the acrylic way for the first time.
We cover everything from booking an appointment at the salon to get acrylic nails to aftercare.
Choosing the Nail Salon
There are different nail salons you can choose from. However, you need to remember that they all have different standards and use different products. The only mistake that most women do is choosing the nail salon as per the location and price.
Saving money and convenience is paramount but there are other factors that you need to consider for the first time getting acrylic nails. The most important thing when choosing a nail salon is looking at the reviews. What the clients have to say about the place and the services they offer.
When checking out the reviews, don’t just go through the five-star ratings. Give the one-star rating equal attention since its important to get a clear picture of both sides of the coin which means going through both the positive and negative feedback. You should especially pay attention to comments about the salon’s sanitation and any complains about contracting fungus. Also, confirm if they are listed with the BBB – Better Business Bureau and if there are any complaints.
It’s normal to find a complain or two since you can’t satisfy everyone even if you try. However, check the nature of the issues and how the nail salon resolves them. All these information is important to avoid any health issues that might arise when the right process is not followed to the latter.
Don’t shy away from asking the hard questions and requesting for certain things. Ask what they use to sterilize the equipment such as nail file and clipper before using them on a client.
Ask the nail technician if they normally use Autoclave machine to clean their tools. If in doubt, ask them to use a new pair for safety purposes. Asking them to use a new pair shouldn’t be a problem if the nail salon is good enough since they are probably used to customers requesting for such services.
Always arrive 30minutes before your nail appointment to get a feel of the place as you look around. This way, you’ll have enough time to scout for a new place if the surrounding doesn’t impress you. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have an awful experience but you want your first time to be amazing.
During the Appointment
Exercise patience especially if your appointment wasn’t definite. Some nail salons accept walk-in customers but you might have to wait longer or you can be rushed or squeezed in. Your first appointment getting acrylic nails should not be rushed. You can be squeezed in when you visit for a fill in after a few weeks if your schedule needs that.
However, it’s always advisable to make an appointment when getting acrylic nails for the first time. You don’t want the nail technician rushing through the entire process since small injuries and accidents are bound to happen. Plus, you might end up with not so good acrylic nails or even fills.
You are going to pay handsomely for the service so you deserve great your nail technician’s undivided attention. You need to be assertive about some things.
Ensure you know the total cost of everything, inclusive of tips. This also includes nail clipping and the type of nail polish and powder. When it comes to the beauty industry, upselling is quite common since business is business. They may not always tell you that clipping your nails to a particular length, the gel powder or nail polish is expensive but it certainly is, more often than not.
Most nail salons usually invest in their products and they are usually quite pricey. Don’t think you are getting ripped off since the salon is also trying to make some profits just like any other business. The salon can also advise on products that can work well for you.
Ask questions if you don’t understand and inquire about the products, they are suggesting to you as well. You can politely decline and ask them to use the products that you are conversant with if you are not comfortable with their suggestions.
You should also know your desired length of the acrylic nails before the technician starts working on them. Give the nail technician clear instructions especially if you are looking to have perfect manicure but still need to function or type. For instance, you have to make your fist comfortable enough ensuring the acrylic nails don’t jam into your palms if you type for a living.
Exercise Patience
This type of nail appointment requires you to exercise some level of patience. It takes a lot to get the nails done correctly as the process is quite involving. You should know that it can take up to an hour or more. However, some nail technicians are a bit fast but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality is compromised. Generally, getting acrylic nails takes an hour inclusive of the time it takes to dry up using the UV lamp.
The nail technician will clean up the nails and do manicure especially if your cuticles and natural nails need some toning up. The tech will also trim away hangnails and dead cuticles. It’s its your first tie getting manicure and acrylic nails then you might find the steps that follow somewhat uncomfortable since it entails roughening up the nail surface. This process helps the nail powder and acrylic tips adhere properly on the nail surface for long-lasting durability. A buffer, nail file and Dremel as used in this case. Different salons use different tools for the process but what matters is the end result since the latter is a typical setup.
Electric files can be heat up quite fast owing to friction and fast rotation. After cutting to size using a nail clipper and gluing the nail tips on the original nail, a liquid adhesive is placed on top of the nail running all the way to the tip and sides.
The nail powder application process then follows and this is where your patience comes out to play since it’s super slow. It can be a bit uncomfortable especially if you get fidgety. The nail technician has to finish off the process by shaping and painting on the powder to your nails.
Th nail powder is usually mixed with some liquid adhesive. Plus, it tends to harden fast so the tech has to shape it precisely and repeat the process using a drill. You should expect some heat, not too much though as there are a number of factors that influence the amount of heat emitted. We are only mentioning it so that you can go for the nail appointment ready and aware.
After the nails are hardened and done, the nail technician will use a paintbrush to put some oil on the cuticles and nails as it helps catch dust resulting from the shaping. This mostly happens when a drill is involved. You can then wash your hands with a nail brush without damaging what’s done. Rinse off your hands at least three times using mild soap and water for best results.
Washing your hands is important as it helps remove any debris adhered to the cuticles and nails. When your hands are dry, you’ll be ready for painting.
Paying Before Painting
Don’t fret, paying before painting is the norm in some nail salons. It’s not that they think you’ll walk away without paying. Clearing the bill before painting your nails helps avoid smudging, you don’t want to spoil your nails as you fumble around your wallet looking for money. You can even volunteer to pay first if they don’t ask.
Drying the Acrylic Nails and Aftercare
Once the tech is done painting your nails, you’ll have to wait for them to dry up under the UV lamp. Most salons use the UV lamp for drying but in some isolated cases, they use the drying spray. However, they can’t just spray your nails and let you go as you need to allow the spray settle in that means a couple of minutes. This is because the nail surface might feel dry and appear slick, but can smudge or crinkle when you push the nail a little.
Removing the nail polish and redoing the acrylic is time consuming for this type of nail enhancement. However, if this happens before you leave the premises, then the nail technician will fix it for free.
Always remember to exercise patience.
Getting Used to Wearing Acrylic Nails Takes Time
You might feel uncomfortable for a while if it’s your first time getting acrylic nails. But the discomfort wears off once you acclimatize this is after you get them filled. You’ll feel like your natural nails are weighed down since the acrylics are a bit heavy. It might also feel tight around the cuticles as the chemicals and glue tightens when dry resulting in that particular feeling.
In addition, the glue seeps through the skin underneath the finger and the cuticles causing the tightness. This can go unnoticed which means the nail technician can forget to pull the cuticle properly on the nail.
Acrylic Nails Can Get in the Way of Your Day-to-Day Activities
With acrylic nails, you’ll notice that there are a lot of things that you do using your fingers that you normally take for granted. For instance, using the bathroom can be tricky depending with the length of your nails. Same applies to putting on make up as you might have a few cases where you nearly put out an eye.
It sounds funny, but it happens! Typing and writing will not be the same for you. If you type for a living you might want to rethink the length of your acrylic nails especially if you are getting them for the first time. These are some of the things that you need to put in mind when considering to get acrylic nails.
Professions like graphic designers and artists are equally affected. Getting acrylic nails affects anything that entails using your hands precisely. Also, putting on and taking out contact lenses without poking your eyes can be a challenge with acrylic nails in the picture.
For the most part, you’ll need a little practice and you’ll get a hang of it before you know it. In this case, patience is a virtue since most physical stuff will only bother you for a while.
If you are fond of the acrylic nails, then you might want to consider getting a reasonable length so that they don’t get in the way. Adjusting the length of acrylic nails is quite easy since you can visit the salon and ask the nail technician to shorten them and reshape to your personal specifications.
Don’t do it yourself at home. But if you must, don’t cut or clip the acrylic nails but file them instead. Cutting and clipping needs to be done professionally for safety purposes and that means going to the salon.
Clipping your acrylic nails at home tends to weaken them resulting in premature breakage.
Getting Acrylic Nails Has a Monthly Cost
You might have to fill your acrylic nails monthly depending on the growth rate of your nails. It’s not advisable to leave your nails unfilled for more than four weeks. At this time, the half moons at the base of the nails will be already showing. If you don’t fill your nails regularly, they might break, or even worse, damage your natural nails. The cost varies from one salon to the other depending on a number of factors.
As earlier mentioned, the price should not be the determining factor of the nail salon you choose to visit since we are looking at strength of the nails and quality. The cost of filling acrylic nails varies depending on the salon but the standard price ranges from $ 40 to about $ 60.
You can set aside $280 for the entire year since that’s what you’ll spend on filling the acrylic nails in the course of the year. However, you’ll need to get a new set after every three months since the nails tend to weaken and break easily.
You can plan between $300 to $400 per year for unforeseen development of fungus. However, you can give your nails a break for a month or two to keep them healthy and allow them to grow back to normal. During this time, you can opt for other seasonal nail enhancements like gel polish.
If You Change Your Mind
Some people get acrylic nails for the first time, they find them beautiful and attractive but can’t seem to keep them on for long term. If you can relate to this, you should know that you are not alone. In most cases, they were looking to experiment only to find them uncomfortable or incompatible with the type of work they do.
If you change your mind and want to remove the acrylic nails, you can make an appointment to get them removed when the half-moons start showing at the base of the nails. The nail technician will soak them for ease of removal.
Conclusion
First time getting acrylic nails can go both ways as it can be fun or not. Acrylic nails are a great way of enhancing the beauty when it comes to your hands.