Acrylic struggle

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emmalounewt

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Hi, im still newish to acrylic and i am still really struggling on getting the acrylic like a hill shape on the nail. My acrylic nails are just flat!! How did you all practice? I practice on my sister atm cos i feel i am too nervous to do anybody elses! This is a set i did the other day (please dont laugh, i still need so much practice!) any advice is welcome! Its my tidyness im struggling with! ImageUploadedBySalonGeek1417471856.013002.jpg
 
Hi hun

Firstly I would be very disappointed if anyone laughed at you and being as we all love nails and like helping people I seriously doubt anyone would give you anything but kind advice :hug:

Nail nails love em hate em lol. Ok the hilly bit you are talking about is the apex where the strength of the nail lies. I too had problems with apex shape and placement so my trainer told me to do My nails then if needed add a small bead of acrylic roughly where the apex should be and gently fan out. Until you get used to applying your three beads correctly.

From your picture it looks like you might be touching the sidewalls a little bit, be careful this will cause lifting. But if you had seen my first nails yours are a lot better.

If you are really struggling perhaps a 121 or training session with the brand you use would be advantageous. They can watch you work and advise and help with filing into shape. Xxxxxxxx
 
Thankyou k-nails thats lovely advice!! What kind of nails do you do? Should i try and do acrylics on my hand do you think?
And yes i do hit the walls of the fingers, acrylic just dries so fast and at the min im not quick enough!! Would you recommend buying one of them hands to practice with?
Xxx
 
If your product is touching the skin, even just a tiny bit, it will lift. Make sure your beads aren't so big or so wet that you can't control the product. Getting a trainer hand is a fab idea and just spend as much time as you can practicing....you'll get there :)
 
Pure's advice is spot on. I would also practise on your own nails it can give you an insight into how hard to press the acrylic down. You need the acrylic pushed firmly onto the nail.

If the acrylic is drying too quick then I think you might actually be working too dry. My teacher Liza Smith always said I was strange like that and worked too dry not giving enough time to work the acrylic. Lol. Most people work too wet so the acrylic runs into the side walls.

It is just practise and good training. You need someone to watch you sometimes because although practise is very important if you aren't doing it right in the first place then you will never do it right. Xxxxxx
 
Yeah i think i do put it over the walls of the nails which is silly! Ugh its actually so hard but i wanna do this is as my main career!! Im gonna have a look at getting a hand trainer! I might also go and get my nails done and watch somebody closly! X
 
Where are you from hun and what system are you using. Different systems often work differently.

Nail trainer is brilliant for shape etc. lifting problems tho you need real nails as nails don't lift on a nail trainer lol xxx
 
I live in darwen lancashire! I also use nsi products xx
 
Shame I'm from Essex if you had been closer I would have tried to maybe help you by getting together.

But on a bonus side I use NSI. Ok firstly use small beads even if you use more than three it's better than doing big beads and getting it on the skin.

Secondly definitely get the NSI royal precision brush it really is the best brush I have ever used. When doing a bead keep an eye on room temperature hotter means you will need more liquid for your bead as the heat will evaporate the monomer quickly. If the room is cold you will need less monomer.

You will know when your beads are right because you will have time to work them and smooth them onto the nail plate before they go hard.

I press the bead down firmly in my chosen zone then smooth the bead towards the free edge. Be careful not to make your sidewalls too thick as this will definitely cause sidewall lifting.

I do three beads zone 1 2 3 then if my apex looks a little flat I do an extra bead in zone 2 to build it up a little. Xxxxx
 
Getting my beads right is my problem defo! It is a shame we live so far away it would be good to get some advice by watching you! I love doing them, just when i see the finished product im like 😡😡😡!!!
Do you use the tips? Xxxx
 
I use both tips and sculpting depends on what's best. Personally for you until you get your mix ratio spot on I would use tips. Once that is sorted get some training on sculpting xxx

I promise you get those beads right and you will fly. Press and smooth if you can't smooth (but I don't mean really watery tho) then you are working too dry. It will make your nails lift cos they aren't sticking to the nail bed properly. You need to press cos the acrylic sort of bounces back up. Get a pice of plastic place a bead, press it and watch what it does.

This is where the nail trainer isn't vey good. Peoples hands are all different temperatures. The hotter their hand the quicker your beads will set. If my clients hands are really cold I often get them to place them on a hot water bottle otherwise the acrylic runs everywhere.

Xxxxxxxxx
 
Yeah i remember being told that at college about peoples hands being hotter and colder. Can i see a picture of your nails if you don't mind? Do you recommend me putting a set on myself?? Or going somewhere to have mine done and watch them do their beading?? I just want to get them right because i really do love doing nails! And i have just trained in harmony gelish too. I have all the training just no practice!
Xxx
 
You say you use NSi, did you train with them? :)

Having your nails applied in a salon MAY help but then that's literally like 10 minutes of applying acrylic and usually training would demonstrate for longer than that so I'd imagine it not to help a great deal.

From looking at your picture, some of the area touching the side walls/cuticle area needs refining more with a file, this would also help with lifting issues.

As has been said already, watching other people isn't always the answer, you'd be better with someone watching you - could you not ask your trainer at all? :)
 
No i didnt train with nsi i went to a college and trained there?!
Yeah, i dont really know anybody around here who could watch me! Its a pain!!
 

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