For example, if you work a job that requires you to make things with your hands, such as in manufacturing, then you may need to choose a shorter length acrylic, such as 0. 5 in (1. 3 cm) past your fingertip. If you do household chores on a daily basis, then long acrylics may also interfere.
You can find this product in the beauty supply section of a drug or grocery store.
For example, put on a pair of vinyl gloves before you wash the dishes, scrub the bathtub, or clean your kitchen sink. Make sure that you wash and dry your hands thoroughly after doing chores as well to prevent the spread of bacteria. You may also want to swipe each of your nails with an alcohol swab after doing chores to ensure that they are clean.
Never try to fix a broken acrylic using nail glue! Not all types of nail glue are water resistant, so this may not be effective.
Spend 20 seconds washing your hands. This is the same amount of time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song 2 times. [5] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
Avoid warm air dryers. Use a paper or cloth towel to dry your nails.
This will help to keep your nails healthy by creating a protective barrier over your skin and cuticles. The extra moisture may help to prevent your skin from cracking, which is how bacteria make their way in. You can also use cuticle oil to keep the skin around your nails moisturized, which will help prevent hangnails. [8] X Expert Source Mia RubieNail Artist Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.
A nail infection will compromise the strength of your acrylic nails, and you will likely need to get them removed to allow the infection time to heal. Always use clean nail tools to trim and file your acrylic nails to ensure that you are not spreading bacteria to them. Never share nail tools, even if they are clean! Sharing tools may lead to an infection. Ask your nail technician how they clean their tools to be sure that they are cleaning them properly before doing your nails. Also, make sure that your nail technician is licensed and that the salon has a current license as well.
You or your nail tech can apply cuticle oil and push back your cuticles instead.
Try to see the same nail technician every time you go to the salon so that they will know the situation with your nails and you will get consistent results. Choose an experienced nail technician to care for your acrylic nails. When done properly, you might go 2-4 weeks without seeing any breaks or cracks in your nails, and sometimes longer. #*You can also use cuticle oil to keep the skin around your nails moisturized, which will help prevent hangnails. [11] X Expert Source Mia RubieNail Artist Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.
Never try to pull off your acrylics! You will pull off bits of your natural nails along with them and this will weaken your natural nails.
During this time, you may want to keep your nails short and evenly filed to prevent breakage. Keep in mind that acrylic nails stress your natural nails, so the longer you can wait between reapplying them, the better! It is important to give your natural nails plenty of time to regenerate before reapplying acrylics.
