Acrylic nails first timer!

[MissClarke86]

Hi ladies,

I went into a nail place today (first time!) and asked for gel polish. I came out with some kind of fake tip, then they used a powder/liquid combo that went solid on the rest of my nail - presumably these are acrylic nails!? They weren't very chatty but seemed to have done a good job!

Anyway I just wanted a bit of advice. How long do they last? How do I eventually get them off? What do I do if I break one?

They are lovely and I can't stop looking at them, but I didn't really intend to come out with false nails

[thestarryeyedsurprise]

From my experience they will last a good couple of weeks, probably longer, to get them off, soak them in acetone, do not pick or bite them off, you will ruin your nails!

[ThreeStripe]

I think you may have got acrylic nails with a gel powder.
I have them permanently, they will start to grow out and look awful after 3/4 weeks and eventually may start to lift off. The nail shop soak them in hot acetone (acetone in a bowl, in a bowl of hot water) to get them off. Don't pull them as they will rip your natural nails off underneath! Your nails will probably look awful afterwards, it's a vicious cycle!

[poisonedbypen]

They might be SNS? Did they dip them in the powder. You are stuck with them now! It's addictive having nice shiny nails.

[MissClarke86]

Thanks! I did wonder if I'd now got myself into a vicious cycle...!

What does SNS mean?

[SweetChickadee]

You'll need to go back for a fill every 2 weeks (a lot cheaper than the initial full set application). They basically fill the grown out gap with a new powder/liquid combo and make them all beautiful again.

If any need changing they'll do so then, and if any feel a bit loose let them know and they can fix or replace.

They will stay looking lovely with no varnish chips - very hard to break, esp when new you'll rip your own nail off before they break

I had them for years - loved them

[MissClarke86]

Okay thanks :)

The place I went to wasnt local - it was near my parents.

If I go to a different place that's more local and they don't have the same colour to touch up, what happens? Do they have to start again?

I'm so naive about this whole process!

[ThreeStripe]

If you get infills, they usually use the drill to take the colour off. Pop some more acrylic over the top and then paint them again so doesn't matter if they don't have the same colour.

[JackandDiane]

i love the powder nails - our local Vietnamese place does them.
they last for ages and my nails underneath have never been so long

[JackandDiane]

start each thing with a pale colour, each infill ( ie top up) go darker , you can change the whole colour.

then every three times start again

[MissClarke86]

That's good advice, wish I hadn't gone got dark green now!

My thumb feels a bit throbby - is that normal?

[JackandDiane]

have you whacked it? if you hit or knock it it feels WAY more sore for longer

[Equiem89]

If it was a Chinese place and they used a drill they might have taken off too much of your nail before they applied the acrylic and this causes nail ache.
I always used to go to one of these places until a few years ago when my nails got drilled down too much. I have recently started going to a proper beauty salon, they only lighten roughen the nail with a nail file and I haven't got nail ache

[JackandDiane]

Meh. I'm surprised how good my nails are underneath. Was a chronic biter

[JackandDiane]

but in reality - who gives a fuck
they look great on top

[Bananajam]

I have had shellac from the local beauty salon and some kind of powder gel in the Chinese nail salon. Both times my fingernails ache for a few hours afterwards. I love my shiny nails though. It is addictive!

[MissClarke86]

They don't ache today Still loving them!