Gel and acrylic nail extensions can be done both at home and in a beauty salon. Gel extension is the most popular among similar nail care procedures. The composition of the gel is selected in such a way as to maximize the structure of the nail plate.
- Which is better: gel or acrylic
- Types of gel for nail extension
- The best gel for nail extension
- How to remove gel nails
- How to remove acrylic nails
- Contraindications to building
- Is it possible to build up nails during pregnancy
- Rules for nail extensions
- First time build-up
- Build errors
- How long does the procedure take
- How long will the extended nails last
- Is it possible to build nails without gel and acrylic
- Nail extensions for herself
- Gel incremental at home
- Step-by-step acrylic extensions at home
- Workplace organization
- Essential Tools and Tools – List
- Preparation for building
- Tips extension
- On top forms
- To lower forms
- Base extension
- UV-free extension
- Nail care after extension
- How to build nails at home: video
Which is better: gel or acrylic
Benefits of gel extensions:
- Natural look.
- No smell.
- The inability to develop fungus.
- Multifunctionality (decor, French manicure, modeling).
- Able to attach very well to the nail plate.
- Significant strength, elasticity, so the nails are not prone to cracking, do not break even with strong mechanical stress.
- Easy correction (new extension, silk stripes).
- Protection of the surface of the natural nail from the harmful effects on the environment.
The disadvantages of gel building:
- It does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature.
- The removal process takes a lot of time.
Advantages of acrylic extensions:
- strength,
- hygiene
- flexibility,
- ease of care
- resistance to chemicals
- easy correction and removal (you need to hold in a special solution that does not contain acetone),
- diverse design.
Of the disadvantages:
- smell;
- the coating does not let air in to the nails, because of which their condition and appearance worsen after removal;
- less natural than coal.
Prepared from acrylic powder and a special solution, the acrylic mass hardens very quickly in air, so experts advise making an acrylic extension with an experienced craftsman. Acrylic nail extensions can be done on tips and nails.
The choice of material should be based on an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each material, as well as customer requirements for the final result.
Types of gel for nail extension
A gel is a polymer with a porous structure. Safer than acrylic due to its ability to pass air. Gels, depending on the technology of building, are single-phase, two-phase and 3-phase.
Single-phase gel is convenient to use at home , because it serves as a base, fixative and is suitable for modeling. It is well distributed over the fingernail, the gloss does not fade over time. It can be applied to tips and forms. Dries in a few minutes in a UV lamp.
For nail extension using two and 3-phase technology involves the use of two and 3 types of gels, respectively. It takes much more time to work than when using single-phase technology.
There are several types of sculpted gels that will also be needed when building nails:
- Transparent gel, with the help of which the necessary shape, length is created.
- Camouflage or camouflage gel, having a shade identical to the color of a natural nail, extends the nail bed.
- The gel for French manicure is white and is intended for application to the edge of the nail.
The best gel for nail extension
Good material meets these requirements:
- Viscosity. The gel should not be too thick or too liquid. In the first case, it will not work to make a smooth, even surface of the nail. In the second case, the gel will spread very much, which can lead to cracks in the nails.
- The certificate of quality is the guarantor of quality and product safety.
- Freezing For the solidification of some preparations, special catalysts are required. The complexity of working with such catalysts lies in the density, which is why it is quite difficult to apply them to the surface of the nail. Experts advise using materials that harden with an ultraviolet lamp.
- Lack of smell. Quality gels are odorless, can not cause allergies.
The most popular products of such companies:
- IBD
- Ezflow.
- Formula Profi.
- Global
- BBWT.
- Nubar.
- CNI.
How to remove gel nails
Gel nails can be either increased or removed at home.
To remove gel nails without visiting the salon, you will need acetone, cotton wool, foil, petroleum jelly, a fine-grained nail file and a file for polishing.
There are two ways to remove gel nails at home:
- Soaking.
- File cutting.
To soak, you need to pour acetone into the container and heat it in a water bath. So the liquid will turn out to be more concentrated, due to which it will better react with the gel and weaken it faster.
It is better to smear the skin around with petroleum jelly or a product containing it, so as not to dry it. Cotton swabs are impregnated with heated acetone, applied to the nails and wrapped with foil. Leave a compress for at least half an hour.
After half an hour, the foil and cotton wool are removed from one nail. If the gel has dissolved and is easily removed from the nail, then you can remove lotions from all fingers. Otherwise, you need to hold the compress with acetone for another 10 minutes. Next, the remnants of the gel from the nails are removed, the nails are filed, polished and lubricated with a moisturizer or milk.
Removing nails with a file cut is a more dangerous , traumatic way. This is done very carefully so as not to damage your nail.
To begin with, artificial nails are cut with tweezers, then gently, layer by layer, a coarse grained file (at least 150 grit) is cut off the gel. When the artificial nail is completely cut, the remaining gel is removed with a fine-grained file and the nails are polished. To moisturize and nourish the nails, oil or lotion is applied to them.
How to remove acrylic nails
Having built up acrylic nails at home, you also need to know about how to remove them. For soaking, it is better to take not acetone, as is the case with gel nails, but AcrilikRemover, which does not contain acetone and is available in various forms: liquid, spray, patch and is used in the same way as acetone.
Contraindications to building
Contraindications to nail extensions are:
- Herpes virus.
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Diabetes.
- Thyroid disease.
- A recent chemotherapy course.
- Disorders in the hormonal sphere.
- Antibiotics.
- Pregnancy.
- Allergy.
- Stress.
- Injuries to the nail plate.
- The presence of fungus on the nails.
If there are any contraindications, there is a high risk that the extended nails will not hold, although these diseases themselves are not absolute contraindications.
Is it possible to build up nails during pregnancy
The opinions of experts were divided: some believe that the building does not pose any danger either to the health of the mother or to the health of the child; others advise to abstain from this procedure during pregnancy.
Neither chemists nor doctors can say unequivocally whether the components that make up the nail extension products have a negative effect on the fetus, because There are no unambiguous studies in this regard.
Rules for nail extensions
To nails last a long time after building
at home, you need to know what rules to follow:
- On the day for which the procedure is scheduled, you can not smear your hands with cream.
- Before the procedure, circumcised manicure is done, dirt and cuticle are removed.
- Experts recommend taking vitamin complexes, as well as calcium preparations, in order to minimize the harmful effects caused by this procedure.
- In order for the tips or forms to be better bonded to the nail plate, it is necessary to degrease the nail with a special solution.
- Design should be universal – both for output and for everyday life.
First time build-up
For the first build-up, the most important thing is to successfully choose a master. The surest way is to recommend friends. If the procedure will be carried out at home, then for a successful outcome, you must strictly follow the instructions.
Build errors
Errors:
- Excessive use of primer.
- Strong filing is the result of an improperly selected nail file.
- Incorrectly selected architecture (shape, length).
- Air pockets are the result of applying the base with a very thick layer.
How long does the procedure take
On average, nail extension takes 2.5-3 hours. If the client has chosen a rather complex design, then the procedure will last a little longer.
How long will the extended nails last
The grown nails last, as a rule, 2-5 weeks.
After this period, a correction is required.
In rare cases, artificial nails last no more than a week, which is due to the specific structure of the nail, in which any materials are rejected.
Is it possible to build nails without gel and acrylic
If there is a desire to have beautiful nails, but there is no way to build them with acrylic or gel, for some reason, you can easily make a beautiful manicure at home without using these materials. To build nails without gel and acrylic, you need tools for edged manicure, glue, nail tips and auxiliary fluids.
First you need to do a manicure, file the nails and slightly cut off the top layer of the nail. Treat the surface of the nail with a degreaser or primer. Gently apply glue to the tips and apply it to the nail, pressing firmly. When the tips grasp well with the nail plate, you need to cut them to the right size and shape with a nail file. Tips are varnished on top and then cured. However, the service life of such nails is no more than 4 days.
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Nail extensions for herself
To build your own nails you need:
- purchase all the necessary materials;
- clearly follow the sequence of actions;
- to practice.
Gel incremental at home
How to build nails at home know the master of nail service. They advise using tips for building to avoid bumps and adjustments that occur when building on special stickers that form the nail.
Instruction:
- The first and very important stage that should not be missed is the disinfection of the hands of both the master and the client, regardless of where the extension takes place, at home or in the salon.
- Selection of tips. The size and width of the nipples should be fully consistent with the client’s nail plate.
- Be sure to remove the cuticle and make the nails of the desired length. The free edge must be at least a inch.
- The top layer is sawn off with a highly abrasive nail file (180 units).
- The nails are cleaned with a dry brush and covered with a gel base. The gel is blotted with a napkin, but the nails should be slightly moist.
- Tips are laid on the nails in such a way that there are no gaps or gaps.
- Using a special brush, the shape and length of the nail is formed. This layer is fixed by placing your hands under an ultra-violet lamp for about 30 seconds. In order for the arch to form properly, the gel, after the UV lamp, should be a little soft.
- Next, the nail is covered with gel from the so-called stress zone, which is the highest point of the artificial plate and is located above the border of the natural nail. Wrong choice of a stress zone threatens with many problems in the future – fragility, fragility of an extended nail and, accordingly, damage to the nails of a plate of a natural nail. A small amount of gel is applied to the stress zone and, when it spreads a little, evenly distributed over the entire surface (provided that the extended nails do not have a jacket, because the extension technology is different).
- Nails are placed in a UV lamp for several minutes.
- After the completion of the build-up process, modeling is done. To do this, use a sapphire file with a stiffness of 150 grit to remove excess gel from the nail and periungual areas.
- At the last stage, the nail is varnished and decorated with various decorative elements.
Step-by-step acrylic extensions at home
For the procedure to succeed, you need to know what to do and how.
To grow nails at home with acrylic will be easier, knowing the main stages:
- The first stage is the preparation of the nails.
- Next, tips are glued onto natural nails with glue. It is important that the tips are not glued at the very base of the nail.
- Cut the tips to the desired length and adjust the shape.
- Tips are processed on top with a special nail file, removing the shine.
- Remove dust. Apply primer.
- Dip the brush in monomer and acrylic powder. It is necessary to get a ball that is applied to the entire surface. Carefully distribute this base so that the layer is thicker at the tips and thinner near the cuticle. It is important that there is no difference in the location of the nail tips.
- The brush is cleaned or another one is taken, a monomer is applied, with which the corners are smoothed and the acrylic layer is polished.
- After drying, acrylic is treated with nail files of various degrees of rigidity, shaped, polished, giving shine.
- The final stage is the application of colorless varnish, processing of the cuticle with special oil.
Workplace organization
The room in whi
ch the master works must be bright, with good lighting and ventilation. The desktop should be well lit by both natural light and equipped with artificial light sources that are sent directly to the client’s hands.
The master must always have the following materials and equipment:
- UV lamp for drying the gel, tools for manicure (nail files of various stiffness and purpose, tweezers, orange sticks, buffs, scissors, spatulas, sterilizer).
- Forms and tips, varnishes, gels, wipes, nail polish remover, disinfectants.
- Creams, lotions, oils for skin of hands and nails, cuticle softeners.
All accessories that will be needed during the work must be prepared in advance so that they are always at hand.
After each client, not only the tools are disinfected, but also the surface of the desktop.
Essential Tools and Tools – List
In order for the work to go quickly and easily, the master must have special tools, tools and equipment in his arsenal.
Equipment:
- UV lamp . It is used for nail extension gel, as well as for drying acrylic paints. With its help, the material hardens faster and is distributed evenly. A timer is optional, but desirable.
- Mini vacuum cleaner for the table – to remove small particles, dust. It is necessary to maintain cleanliness in your workplace.
Materials (acrylic building):
- Colorless acrylic and white powder, camouflage and colored powder.
- Special fluid.
- The fluid drying the nail plate (dehydrator).
- Antiseptic liquid for disinfecting hands and tools.
- An acid-free product for applying it in the first layer as a primer under acrylic.
- Nail remover without acetone.
Tools:
- Tips, forms.
- Special file (buff) for grinding and adjusting artificial materials.
- Several files with varying degrees of abrasion for polishing and grinding.
- Bowl for mixing materials.
Materials (gel extension):
- Disinfectant.
- Means that prevent the separation of nails.
- Means for fastening nail tips.
- Tips and shapes.
- Degreasing agent.
- Moisturizing cuticle oil.
- Different types of gels – camouflage, finish (for glossy shine), base (colorless), multi-colored.
Tools:
- Hard brushes.
- File for grinding (buff).
- Nippers and scissors for manicure.
- Special wipes to remove the sticky layer.
- Nippers for cutting tips.
- A special tool for removing rough skin, ingrown nails, and also used in the design is a pusher.
Preparation for building
In order for extended nails to last as long as possible, immediately before the procedure, thorough preparation of natural nails is necessary.
Hands are washed with soap, wiped and treated with a disinfectant, if any. If the old coating remains on the nails, then it must be removed with a liquid without acetone.
The cuticle is softened using a special tool and after 20 minutes it is pushed back by an orange stick. Better to crop it, but not necessary.
When building on tips, the protrusions of the nail are slightly removed by a nail file. When building on the form, the protrusions are removed completely.
A special nail file removes the shiny layer. Dust is removed, a degreaser is applied to the nails.
Tips extension
Instruction:
- First, the preparation of the nail plate is performed.
- The glue is applied to the tips, which is applied to the nail and pressed tightly for 15 seconds.
- Excess glue is removed.
- Tips are given the desired length and shape.
- The connection line of the nail tips and the nail is sawn off, and the entire surface is processed with a buff to a visible shine.
- Next, a primer is applied and the modeling gel is evenly distributed over the nail. In order for the solution to lie evenly, the arm must be turned over. The gel is applied in two layers and dried in a UV lamp.
- The sticky layer on the nail is removed with a cotton pad dipped in a special solution.
- The top layer is sanded with a nail file and polishing block.
- The third, last, layer is applied to the polished nail and dried.
On top forms
The upper forms are reusable blanks similar in appearance to tips.
Benefits:
- ease of use;
- low consumption of materials;
- no need to file for a long time;
- reduced time for the procedure;
- large selection of designs;
- natural look of finished nails;
- both gel and acrylic are suitable for work.
To lower forms
The formation of the nail is carried out on special paper forms.
It is worth considering this technology:
- Perform antiseptic treatment of the hands.
- Pusher lift the cuticle and push it towards the base of the nail.
- A file of 240-120 grit is shaped into the free edge of the nail, thinking about the convenience of fixing the paper form.
- The nail is cleaned with a file from the cuticle in the edge.
- The paper form is cut out under the shape of the nails and with the help of an adhesive layer is fixed on top and bottom.
- Smear the nail with a degreasing agent, then with a primer.
- The gel covers the entire surface of a natural nail.
- Dry the coating in a UV lamp for 1 min.
- Without removing the sticky layer and controlling yourself along the lines on the form, extend the edge of the nail to the desired length.
- Dry the nail in the UV lamp for 3 minutes.
- The constructing gel is applied in the direction from the cuticle to the nail extension line.
- You can repeat the application of the gel.
- Then a C-bend is formed and the nail is again dried in a UV lamp for 3 minutes.
- Take off the mold and sticky layer.
- The nail is filed with a buff, giving it the desired shape.
- Remove dust with a dry brush.
- Apply a finishing gel for a glossy shine.
- Fix the gel in the lamp for 1 minute. Remove the sticky layer.
- Apply a care product for the cuticle.
Base extension
You can build up nails with a base coat. The stages of work are almost identical to the stages of building on tips. Removing nails that have been built up with a base coat is only possible by soaking in a special solution.
UV-free extension
A UV lamp is not required if you purchase gels that are not sensitive to light.
They are divided into two types, depending on the type of drying:
- Drying occur
s due to the application of a catalyst – cyanoacrylate monomer. - Drying is done by lowering hands in cool water for 7 minutes.
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Nail care after extension
After removing artificial nails for natural nails, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive care:
- If the procedure for removing artificial nails was carried out in the salon, the master will suggest applying a special nutritional composition to the nail , which operates on the principle of sealing, i.e. protects the nail until it is fully restored.
- If artificial nails were built up and removed at home, then products that include nutrients and herbal extracts can be bought both in pharmacies and in specialized stores.
- Massage . It must be carried out every day, using creams, oils, lotions with a high content of vitamins. Oil has a good regenerative effect – burdock, vegetable, olive. Before applying the oil, slightly warm it up. Vitamin A and E are often added to the oil. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will help to remove the yellowness of the nails by rubbing it every day in the nail plate.
- Baths . It helps to restore nails after building up the bath with sea salt and a decoction of chamomile. To prepare a bath with sea salt, you need to take 6,76 fluid ounce of boiled hot water and pour 3 large tablespoons of salt into them, lower your hands for 15 minutes. The procedure is carried out every day. To prepare a decoction of chamomile, you need to take 3 large tablespoons of the flowers of this plant, pour them with boiling water and insist for 30 minutes. Strain, dip your hands in the bath for 20 minutes.
After nail extensions, in addition to carrying out the above procedures in the salon and at home, it is also necessary to adhere to such rules as:
- Performing all household chores that involve the use of harsh chemicals in rubber gloves.
- Use of nail polish remover that does not contain acetone but is enriched with vitamins.
- Use acetone-free nail polish.
- Frequent application of nourishing cream for hands and nails, especially after contact with water.
- Application for filing nails not with iron, but with a glass nail file.
Knowing the technology of nail extension with gel and acrylic, women save money and successfully carry out this procedure at home. Gel and acrylic nail extensions allow you to enjoy the perfect manicure for 3 weeks.
How to build nails at home: video
How to build up nails with gel, on tips, find out in the video clip:
How to make acrylic nails at home, find out in the video: