sculptured nails

[ellymaemom]

How long can someone wear sculptured nails? It is the first of Jan. 09. I had mine done October 23, 08. I've had them refilled when needed. I like them a lot, but I'm worried about my original nails getting too thin. If I need to remove them, how long should I wait before having them done again? Thank You

[jen78]

I only tended to have mine infilled once before having them redone so they got a bit of care and conditioning inbetween.

When I finally gave them a proper break my nails were quite dry and had ridges in them so haven't had them on since to grow the ridges out.

[Le Chat]

It depends whether any of the nails have come completely off during that time, as obviously they will be newer than the rest. I am speaking as a beauty therapist now and in general, all types of false nails are bad for the natural nail underneath. That being said, people who wear false nails are not happy with their natural nail anyway! There are steps you can take to minimise damage to your natural nail.
1. Don't have the false nails too long. The extra free edge of nail creates a lifting effect on the nail plate underneath and causes damage.
2. Always have your infills done regularly. Any longer than 2 weeks, then you have an uneven balance between the base and tip of the nail, causing pressure and damage.
3. If your false nails have a tendency to lift, then go back to the salon earlier, for maintenence.
Lifting enables water (from washing, showering etc) to get under the false nail, where it can encourage a fungal infection. If you see any yellow/greenish tinge on the nail, then have them removed immediately.
4. Do not pick at the edges of the false nail, no matter how tempting!
5. Always have them removed properly. This means soaking them in acetone (either bought from the chemist, or done in the salon) It takes quite a long time for all the layers to melt and should not be rushed.
I would say a complete whole set should be removed and replaced after 3 months maximum. After removal, you should wait for 1 week before having a new set applied.(If you can wait that long!)
False nails take alot of maintenance and upkeep. After the initial set, the fortnightly infill can cost from �20-�30, so is a committment. Many people budget for the initial set but then begrudge paying for infills and try to spin it out an extra week...then problems begin.
Hope all this helps.

[dustinmyeye]

im sorry to but in on your question ellymaemom but can i just ask le chat , how do you go about using the acetone to remove the nails. last time i tried this it just didnt seem to work for me and i ended uo kinda ripping my own nail underneath which was quite painful.

[tansor]

I used to keep having mine done for about a year then get them soaked off and have a new set put on. Your nails will be like tissue paper any way when you take them off. but if you having a new set on dont worry. but if you not havin any back on it will take about 6 months for them to get back to normal. just make sure they dont go green under the nails, that bad take them off right away

[Le Chat]

Dustinmyeye - Sorry for delay. First, scuff up the nail exterior with a coarse nail file. Then soak in acetone for 10 mins. Using the nail file again scruff up the nail exterior. At this point the false nail will have started to melt , so gluey strands will start to life away with your file.
Continue this process until the false nail has completely melted off.
Kerris x

[ellymaemom]

Thank you all for your answers. I've had them removed at a salon a few days ago. My own nails are thin and rough. I will wait a long time before I do them again. I can grow decent enough nails so I might just start taking better care of them and let my natural nails grow out. Thanks again for all your advice.