The major mistakes you’re making with your acrylic nails
Getting your nails done every few weeks can be an expensive habit – and it can also wreak havoc on your nails.
Turns out, it’s not getting acrylics that’s so bad for your nails. It’s the cheap nail salon you’re going to.
I got an insanely good fill-in at Le Luxe Nail Salon in Brooklyn, and I don’t know if I can ever go back to my old go-to salon. I also talked with the nail tech – @krystalizednails – about the mistakes most nail techs make (especially at inexpensive salons), not to mention the mistakes you may be making with your own nails.
READ ALSO: These Afro-boho hairstyles will make your inner goddess jump for joy
Nails by Le Luxe
Mistake #1: Not giving your nails a break
At every single salon, it’s more expensive to get a full set than it is to get a fill-in, plus it takes way more time. Since I get bored sitting in the nail salon for hours and love to save money, I just kept getting a fill-in rather than taking my nails off at any point to get a fresh set. I didn’t realize that was such a big no-no until the staff at Le Luxe explained it to me.
According to them, you should take your nails off every two months and give them a break – even if it’s only for 24 hours or so. Not only will it give your nails room to breathe, but it’ll make sure your nails always look fresh and that the acrylic doesn’t get old and gross.
READ ALSO: What it’s really like to run an independent beauty brand
Mistake #2: Taking your nails off the wrong way
When I went to get my first-ever set of acrylic nails taken off, I went to an expensive salon that legit slid a MetroCard under my nails to lift them up. It fucking hurt – not to mention I wasn’t sure how sanitary it was. Other salons used sharp tools to cut and yank the fake nails off of my natural nails – not much less painful.
Shockingly, neither of those are the correct way to take off acrylics. The ladies at Le Luxe explained to me that you’re supposed to soak your nails in hot water and acetone and they should come right off. Naturally, this takes time, time that an inexpensive nail salon isn’t going to waste when you’re only paying $20 for a set of nails. But you pay the price with the damage that occurs to your natural nails!
READ ALSO: Why you should be investing in UV protection for your hair
Mistake #3: Making your nails too thick
As someone who always has fake nails on, I constantly get people asking me, “How do you go about your daily life with those things?” Well, if your nail tech is doing your nails correctly and you’ve gotten used to having long and pointed (or square) nails, you shouldn’t be having issues. If your nail is so thick that you can’t even itch yourself? That’s a problem with the nail tech, not with acrylic nails in general.
