What are acrylics? 

Acrylic nails are nail enhancements made by combining a liquid with a powdered acrylic product. The two products (known as a monomer and a polymer) together they form a soft ball that can be fashioned into a nail shape. Once  applied, the material hardens and becomes much stronger and then it can be buffed and filed to the customer’s requested shape. 

How are acrylic’s applied? 

After you choose your nail shape and length your technician will begin your acrylics by cleaning and filing your natural nails. If you wanted length added to your nails, they’ll add artificial tips after that. Next, our technician will apply an adhesive before attaching the acrylic to all your nail beds. Then, they sand down and shape the acrylics. Finally, they add any additional polish, accessories, or nail art that you asked for. 

Gel vs. Acrylic: Should I get acrylic nails? 

If you’re considering getting acrylic nails, you’ve probably heard some suggest that you get gel nails instead without the acrylic base. Gel nails are often categorised the same as acrylic. It’s easy to confuse the two, or even mistake them as terms that could be used interchangeably. In reality, they’re quite a bit of difference. While acrylics are nail enhancements made by combining a liquid acrylic product with a powdered acrylic product, gel nails are part of a more homogenous gel product that needs to be “cured” or “sealed” onto the nail with the use of a UV light between each layer.  

While acrylic are stronger and more durable than gel nails, gel can be used to strengthen the natural nail and helps protect it as it grows. 

The majority of our clients who get acrylic have them sealed with a gel colour on top instead of clear acrylic or acrylic with nail polish as gel is generally anti chip and less maintenance than just standard polish. 

How long do acrylics last? 

Acrylics vary widely from person to person. If someone uses their hands for work quite a bit that person might learn pretty quickly that acrylic’s won’t last too long compared to someone who uses their hands for typing. But how long do acrylic nails last in a general sense? Experts say you need to return to the salon every two weeks to fill in the gaps that appear as your natural nails grow.