If you are a press-on nails queen like me, you know about the removal situations where you want to take your nails off because they are grown out, or feel a bit on the way when typing or using your hands, or simply because you want to rock a different style, and that's totally doable. After all, that is a big pro about press-ons, being able to change them often!
Taking them off? Easy! Just soak them in warm soapy water with a few drops of your fave oil, and these babies will pop right off! Mmm...yeah...no, it depends.That is the case if you use sticky adhesive tabs or soak them off patiently if you use nail glue and are on your third week of wear.
The truth is, press-ons are not damaging our nails; we damage our nails ( friends keep it 100, okay friend? Love you, bye) when we are not that patient or committed and want to remove our press-ons after three or four days, soak them for a few minutes and end up ripping them off the natural nails. Ouch! Then we need to take a break to let our nails heal or not wear nails at all.
There's no way around it...
If you use nail glue when you decide to remove press-on nails with the least damage to your natural nail, you have to wait a few days, at least five days, before trying the soaking method for removal. Also, you will need to soak them off longer, okay? That's just how it is, so sit back and enjoy the ride ;)
Press-on nails are super easy and quick to use, but the trick to a salon-looking mani is prepping and applying the press-on nails. Don't worry; nothing too complicated, just a list of a few steps, and you'll be glamorously pointing at everything in no time.
Today, I will give you three tricks and tips for long and short wear of your press-on nails and a bit of nail knowledge so you can proceed confidently and know that you can wear salon manis at home AND have healthy natural nails.
Trick #1: Prep the press-ons.
Before filing and gluing, the first thing you do after opening your Nail Fabs package is to shape the press-ons.
Before sticking them on, you must shape the press-on nails to match your cuticle area. This step is THE trick to make your press-ons like you just came from the nail salon and will lessen the chances of lifting or getting bacteria under them.
Full-coverage nail tips are shaped to fit most fingers, so you want to customize them for the perfect fit.
Take the nail file in your prepping kit and do a few passes on the edge that matches your cuticle area. You want to do this slowly, do one or two passes, then place it on your nail to see if you need to take more off. Remember, you can always file off more but not less; you don't want to make them too small for the nail. Most of the time, this means rounding the edge a bit, so file n check.
I assure you that shaping the cuticle edge of the press-on nails to fit your cuticle area will make your press-ons look so much better and last longer.
Before prepping your natural nails, you must decide: How long do I want to wear these nails? Am I using the sticky adhesive tabs for 1-2 days or the nail glue for 2+ weeks? Do I want to wear them for only one week? Here's what you do:
To prep the natural nails, you will use the nail file, buffing block, wood stick, mascara want, and alcohol wipe.
- Use the wood stick to push up the eponychium (the skin around the nail) and scrape the cuticle off the nail plate (the cuticle is dry skin on the nail plate).
- Grab the nail file and file the free edge of the natural nail. Please give it a general shape. Move slowly and file in one direction; resist the urge to file back and forth; that only opens the keratin layers and leads to breakage. Also, be super gentle with the side folds, use a very light touch, and let the file do all the work.
- Very gently buff the nail with the buffing block. The goal is to create texture on the nail, so move slowly and do one pass at a time, no more than six passes; again, if you start buffing rapidly back and forth, you will be thinning down your nails and making them smooth, you don't want that.
- Use the mascara wand to brush off all the nail dust and follow with an alcohol wipe. Wipe in a downward motion to remove all dust and dehydrate the nail at the same time.
- This next step is completely optional, but some people use primer and bonder on their natural nails for even stronger adhesion. I recommend only doing this if you know you will wear the nails for more than two weeks and know that removal will be longer. If you are using a non-acid bonder, apply the tiniest amount to the free edge of your natural nails, the bonder tends to weaken the nails over time if applied on the entire nail.
2+ weeks of wear
If you are ready for your nails to stay longer than life, after all the detail prepping, you move to nail glue. Apply glue on the entire natural nail and the press-on nail, then place the tip and hold it with a bit of pressure for 10+ seconds.
1-2 days of wear
Opt for the adhesive tabs if you want to wear your press-on nails for a special occasion or a couple of days. Before trying press-ons, I was also skeptical, but they work if you prep the natural nails correctly and fit the correct sticky tab on the nail.
When applying the adhesive tabs, ensure the adhesive tab frames the cuticle area. You need to seal the cuticle area to prevent substance leaks or objects from getting caught in the nails.
Trick #2: Not prepping = less wear time.
If you want to use nail glue but are still deciding whether to make a 2+ week commitment, then you skimp on prepping the natural nail. Yes, you read that right; little to no prep at all.
I wash my hands before starting, apply cuticle oil, rinse with water, dry my hands, and glue the press-ons to my nails. That's it!
The point of roughing up the natural nail surface is to create texture for the products to adhere better. Shiny and smooth do not stick to shiny and smooth, so you need texture for a strong bond.
Trick #3: Using products with acetone for removal
I recently tried products like the KISS Glue Off False Nail Remover, which worked. These removal products are usually a mixture of acetone, alcohol, and essential oils and will pop off the press-on nails; however, you might not be able to reuse your set.
The other big pro on press-on nails is that they are reusable, meaning that you can wear them 3 or 4 times before they give out; if you use an acetone product, it can damage the press-on nails and end up in the trash after one use.
I wanted to mention it in case of an emergency and the nails must go.
If you are ready to start your nail glam life, start ordering your sizing kit here! As a thank you for hanging out with me today, shipping is on me ;). Once you have your sizing kit, send me a message or mail so we can start creating your nail vision.
I hope I was able to teach you something today and ease your mind from worrying about nail damage or wear time. Have you tried any of these tricks? Which ones worked better for you? I would love to hear from you.
Also, if you need help sizing your nails, please feel free to reach out! I would love to help you create the nails of your dreams. Thank you for reading! I'll catch you on the next topic...
Adiosito!