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Acrylic nails are a mixture of powder and liquid monomer, combined to make a blob of dough and shaped onto the nails with a brush, followed by air-drying. Acrylic nails are one of the most popular ways of giving a lengthy and beautiful look to the fingers. They are the best for those who want to maintain an ideal nail length but can’t on their own.
Even though getting acrylic nails sounds easy and hassle-free, they come with a price tag and damage the natural nails when not done correctly.
If you have recently got acrylic nails for the first time, you may notice your nails growing faster than usual. The normal growth rate of nails is 1/8” in a month, whether you have artificial nails like acrylics or not.
When a strong and hard layer of acrylic lies onto the normal nails, it protects them from daily wear and tears; however, they do not let them grow faster. As nails remain well-protected, especially the tips more prone to damage, acrylic nails give a false impression of normal nails growing faster than usual.
Acrylic nails put a protective barrier over the natural nails and keep them under a shield while they continue to grow.
Will Acrylic Help My Nails Grow Faster?
The growth of nails is a natural process, and putting acrylic nails over them will not help in faster growth. However, acrylic nails protect natural nails from daily wear and tear. When a tough layer of a product is applied to the natural nails, the additional thickness makes them stronger. It is the reason why they do not break or wear out.
Once you remove the acrylic nails, the normal nails will be exposed to wear and tear due to daily activities. A number of activities involve our fingers, due to which breakage of nails and their wearing out is normal, especially if your nails are weak and have a tendency to break.
Can I Get Acrylic Nails Onto Short Nails?
It’s a misconception that you must have long nails to apply acrylic nails. Even if your nails are small and bitten, there is no issue in getting acrylic nails. So, the answer is yes; you can get acrylic nails if your nails are short.
However, if you are getting acrylics on short nails, make sure you get it from an experienced technician. Do not perform it at home, as in the case of short nails, the chances of acrylics falling off prematurely are high. Also, acrylics on short nails require more aftercare.
In general, the lifespan of acrylic nails is two weeks but if you have applied them on short nails, go back for fill-ins in 10 days. It will prevent the chances of premature breakage.
Can I Shorten My Acrylic Nails?
If your acrylic nails are longer than you wanted or if they have grown longer over time, you can shorten them in the following way-
1. Shorten Your Nails at Home
Take an emery board and use its coarse side to file the nails. Since acrylic nails are harder than normal nails, it will take time to shorten all the ten nails. Once you have filed the tips of the acrylic nails, they will look thicker at the tips.
When you file your acrylic nails, put a paper towel below them so that all the dust from the filing process gets collected there. Never clip your acrylic nails, as clipping the artificial nails is not recommended. If you clip, you may ruin the shape of your nails. Also, when clipping is not done properly, it may create breaks or cracks in acrylics.
2. Get Your Acrylics Shortened from Nail Technicians
It is the best and most secure way of making your acrylic nails short. You may see that they are clipping your acrylics, despite us telling them that it is not a good idea because they are the nail expert and know how to do it correctly without causing any damage.
Once you visit the nail technician, he or she will do it precision. Nail techs may also apply a polish seal around the tips to make your nails secure for the future. Also, they will sharpen the tips, making them thin, and put a seal back n using a topcoat. So, getting the acrylics short from nail technicians is the best idea.
Acrylic nails look beautiful and enhance the overall look of the hands. But, they do not help the natural nails to grow faster. All they do to natural nails is provide protection and safeguard them from daily wear and tear.
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