A Question about nails...

[cheryl1035]

I was wondering how everyone does their nails. I have been using the KISS One easy step nails that do not require glue and can be removed easy. I have heard in a chat room that you can use the glued nails by using only a small drop so they can come off easily. Does anyone have some advice here? The glued nails are so much prettier. Thanks!

[JennMW]

Send a private message to DanaJ asking to join the Beauty forum

She has a some threads about this very subject that are very good reading.

[DanaJ]

My main advice was to go to a nail tech and get your nails done :)

But since I know a lot of us can't do that, if you do the actual glue-on nails, be careful when prying them off. You can do damage to your actual nailbed which may not be apparent at the time by prying off nails that are glued. The trick is to put just enough glue to hold the nail (sometimes difficult if you have typical flatter male nails) but not so much that the nail will not "pop" off easily.

I am sure you will get advice that will tell you to pry them off no matter what, don't worry they do it all the time. Only you can decide if you want to risk your nail health.

The Kiss One-Steps are actually great nails, I use them sometimes myself. Can't you get a set that you can polish however you want?

Another suggestion is to get whichever glued-on nails that you want, but instead of using nail glue (which is super glue) use the double-sided nail tabs (I can provide a place to get these).... they will hold on fairly well, and come off very easily.

[Christina Nicole]

I use the Kiss Active Oval full cover nails. They work fine and look pretty. Professionally applied full acrylics or gels look better, but they are very difficult to remove. I have also applied my own acrylics, wraps, etc. They look pretty, but they are much more time consuming to apply and they take far longer to remove. For example, plan on an hour or two of soaking your nails in acetone to remove sculptured acrylics. I understand that gels are even harder to remove.

You can remove the glue on types by pulling them off if you applied them with a tiny amount of glue. However, you will probably also remove a thin amount of your nail plate too. It's not pleasant, but it can be done if you are in a rush. If you do not apply an acrylic overcoat, the Kiss nails, which are made from ABS plastic, dissolve readily in acetone. The best method for removing them is to first remove your nail polish. If you don't remove the nail polish first, soaking will free the color and allow it to migrate under your fingernail and into your cuticles. It's very difficult to remove the color once that occurs. Next cut the plastic nails short, down to the level of your natural nails. This reduces the amount of plastic to be dissolved. Finally, dip your nails into acetone and soak for a minute or so. Wipe the nails with a cotton pad that's wet with acetone. Repeat the soaking and wiping until all of the material is removed. It happens pretty quickly.

The Kiss nails are so easy and quick to apply that I never go out without first putting on a full set. You may wish to consider buying the fast drying nail polishes and a can of the nail drying spray. It does help to speed things up a bit since polish drying time is the longest step in the application process.

Warm regards,
Christina Nicole

[DanaJ]

I use the Kiss Active Oval full cover nails. They work fine and look pretty. Professionally applied full acrylics or gels look better, but they are very difficult to remove. I have also applied my own acrylics, wraps, etc. They look pretty, but they are much more time consuming to apply and they take far longer to remove. For example, plan on an hour or two of soaking your nails in acetone to remove sculptured acrylics. I understand that gels are even harder to remove.

Warm regards,
Christina NicoleChristina, I agree that professionally applied acrylic nails are harder to remove, but it really shouldn't take any longer than 30 - 40 minutes. I have an illustrated photo thread in the Beauty Club showing the procedure. Gels cannot be soaked off, they are impervious to acetone. The only way to remove those are to file them off.

[JoAnnDallas]

I would go down to a Nail Salon and get acrylic nails. I have had mine now
for a couple of months and NO one has said or commented on them. Mine are about 1/4" longer than my finger tips. I go in every 2-3 weeks for a fill. I did it not only so I would have longer nails when I'm dressed but I also
have very bad nails that split, crack, and break. I have not had a bad nail
since I got my arcylics.

[MichelleH]

My favorite nail kit is Nailene's Quick Gels. It comes with 60 nail tips, 20 each of plain, clear, and french, along with gel overlay and activator. It takes a little practice, but I've been able to get really nice results. You first glue on the tip of your choice, then file the edge smooth. Then you apply the gel and activator. Since I'm hard on my nails, I usually apply 3 to 4 coats. It gives a really glossy finish, so sometimes for everyday wear I apply a coat of OPI Matte Nail Envy. The nails take about 15-20 minutes to remove with one of those jars specially made for artificial nail removal. I think the Cosmar brand works best.

Good luck with your nails,

Michelle

[Ashley in Virginia]

Getting the super glue off your nails isnt bad. Acetone will loosen the nails up in about 15 minutes of soaking. and then you just peel them off. Afterwards, using a light emery board soaked in acetone buff your nails to get any residue off.

If it gets on your fingers, you can just peel it off, just dont stick your fingers together while it is drying.

[MarinaTwelve200]

Seriously, I go to the "Dollar Tree" store and buy the 120 pack of white acrylic nails. Since Nail glue is Cyanoacrylate, the same thing as SUPERGLUE, I use the liquid (Better than the gel) superglue, using a drop or two smeared across each nail to glue it on.---Then I apply polish to the nail--It holds really good.

To remove . I found that they will pop off surprisingly easily simply by prying along the SIDE of the nail, and near the cuticle---(so you dont exert excessive leverage and possibly damage your nail bed). For a really stubborn one, you can soak the nail in Polish remover (it disolves the glue).---I then take the polis remover and wipe off the superglue and residual polish that might have gotton on me.---Takes only a minute or two from start to finish.

[cheryl1035]

Thanks for all the tips! I will try them to see what works best for me. I usually can only have them on for the day/evening

Cheryl

[Rikki Elisabeth]

I have soaked my nails in acetone for hours. I have gone to salons to have them soak my nails in acetone. I discoverd, by accident, that if you use the Kiss glue [or any other nail brand glue] AFTER using hand lotion, your nails will pop off with little effort. The self stick nails are nice but....

[DanaJ]

Rikki, unless you have gotten MMA acrylic nails (a banned substance done in discount nail salons), acetone will take off any quality acrylic in about 30 minutes. And if you are talking about nail tips (or "full cover" nail tips), they come off really quickly, 10 - 15 minutes the plastic turns to goo.

[Rikki Elisabeth]

Rikki, unless you have gotten MMA acrylic nails (a banned substance done in discount nail salons), acetone will take off any quality acrylic in about 30 minutes. And if you are talking about nail tips (or "full cover" nail tips), they come off really quickly, 10 - 15 minutes the plastic turns to goo.

I am willing to give it another try but my experience has not been that easy. Maybe I am just not doing it properly.

[Drucilla]

Another suggestion that I don't think has been mentioned is to apply several coats of clear polish BEFORE you apply the artificial nail. When you remove the nail and the polish with Acetone there is very little residue on your real nail. You need to allow time for the clear polish to dry and "cure" before applying the glue and artificial nail. This also works if you are applying color polish to your natural nail. Will prevent the color from permeating your natural nail and staining it.

[Wenda]

good info, just wondering if the Kiss brand come in sizes large enough for my thumb nail. I dont have especially large hands, but have still had challenges finding nails large enough. I have also found that applying a clear coat of polish prior to gluing the nails makes it easier to remove glue residue, and I also have found that soking them in palish remover for a few moments, then prying from the side, is the easiest way to remove them without damaging the natural nail.

[Christina Nicole]

Dana,

I "know" that it should not take that long to remove acrylics, but it does take that long for me. I do it the way it should be done, as you describe in the beauty club posting. It still takes me well over an hour and sometimes close to two hours. I suppose I could have filed the tops first to make the acrylic layer thinner, but I did not. Even the acrylics that I apply myself don't come off that easily. Since I know that I bought EMA, I don't think MMA is the problem. Maybe next time I have a chance to spend a few days en-femme, I will try a better salon for my acrylics. Maybe the places I was going to were using MMA. I doubt it, as I know the difference in odors for the various chemicals. There was a time when I could id a lot of organics by their odor. Well, at least the ones that do not require a fume hood or respirator.

Wenda,

I am cursed with overly large thumbs. (And hand. And feet. My feet are a couple of sizes too large for my body.) I found a quick method that works for me. I cut the largest kiss nail down the center about 2/3 of the length of the nail starting from the bed toward the tip. I then apply glue to my nail and press the split kiss nail into place. Apply enough pressure to force the split to open up and the edges of the fake nail will spread outwards to the edge of your thumbnail. Once the glue sets, you'll have a gap that can be filled either with acrylic powder and EMA monomer, or with nail glue and powder. Both filler methods work fine. Overfill the gap and then file smooth. Once you get the hang of it, it takes only minutes.

Warm regards,
Christina Nicole

[Wenda]

Thanks for the tip Christina.

[Christina Nicole]

You are welcome. But try two tips, Wenda. On on your left hand and one on your right.:D
Warm regards,
Christina Nicole