Throughout this article we are going to be discussing acrylic nails and why some people should avoid wearing them.
Acrylic nails can be a great way to take your nail game to a new level. For some people, it’s a way of covering up the poor condition of their nails, for others they prefer acrylic nails over other hassle-full trends. Regardless of whatever your reasoning for having acrylic nails is you should be aware of the risks that come with them as well as the downsides to them.
The thing is, while acrylic nails can look fantastic in the right setting, they’re far from perfect. They’re aesthetically pleasing although they can cause health problems, and in some cases, will worsen the health of your nails. In this article, we’ll be discussing exactly that.
What Are Acrylic Nails?
If you aren’t already aware of what acrylic nails are, they’re a form of fake nails which starts off as a liquid. The liquid is applied to your fingernails and dries within seconds of being applied. After it has dried, they will be shaped using a file and will then be painted accordingly.
One drawback to acrylic nails is that they will continue to grow as your nails do, which requires you to revisit a salon every so often and pay to have them touched up. If it’s a one-time experience, perhaps. If you’re looking to have acrylic nails for the long-haul, you might want to reconsider.
The Downsides of Acrylic Nails
Below we have detailed some of the reasons that you should avoid acrylic nails and why instead, you should focus on taking care of your natural nails.
Harmful Chemicals. The biggest thing about acrylic nails is that the liquid acrylic which is used to create the nails contains a lot of harmful chemicals. Chemicals such as ethyl methacrylate and dibutyl can be incredibly harmful to your natural nails when they come in contact with them, so avoiding them all together is important. These chemicals can destroy the natural nail, cause them to crack, and will even dissolve it.
Oxygen Deprivation. It should go without saying but your natural nails require oxygen to maintain their look and healthiness. When you have acrylic nails, your natural nails are completely covered and thus aren’t able to stay healthy. In the long-run this can be very harmful to your nails and on top of this, since your natural nails are covered, you won’t be able to moisturize them (another thing that you should do to keep them healthy).
Contact Lenses. That’s right. If you’ve enjoyed not having to wear glasses, then you’ll be sad to know that you’ll probably have to revert back to them. You can continue to use contact lenses however, you’ll be at risk of scratching your eyeball (incredibly painful!), breaking the surface of the contact lens, and you’ll struggle to get them in and out. The best approach is to avoid this altogether and either wear glasses or abandon your acrylic nails.
They’re Delicate. Going about your normal day will become very difficult after you get acrylic nails as they are very delicate and can break off easily. Simple tasks such as opening your car door, putting on a sweatshirt, or even just washing your hands will require you to be incredibly careful and make sure that you don’t snap one of them. Unfortunately, if you snap a nail then you risk snapping your natural nail too since the acrylic is attached to it – causing even more damage.
Broken Acrylic Nails Are Painful! Following on from the last point, if you break your nail then you’re going to experience a lot of pain and a lot of blood. Keeping in mind that once the acrylic liquid has dried the nail has the same consistency as a piece of acrylic, if a piece of broken acrylic nail catches in your skin or in the base of your nail, it’ll be incredibly painful.
Costly Maintenance. Acrylic nails are an expensive investment, especially with consideration to how many alternatives there are at a much cheaper price. As we mentioned towards the beginning of this article, after initially getting acrylic nails, you have to return to the salon to have them touched up every few weeks. This is because the acrylic nails will continue to grow at the same rate as your natural nails. For those of you who are on a tight budget, this could be the deciding factor on what makes or breaks the bank.
As you can see, it’s definitely not worth it when it comes to your nails’ health. After a few weeks of maintaining them you’ll begin to feel the pain and when you finally decide that enough is enough, you’ll realize that the acrylic nails have destroyed your natural nails – it can be difficult to get them healthy again, but it’s possible!
Treating a Broken Acrylic Nail
Breaking an acrylic nail is a traumatic experience and even the smallest break can result in a lot of blood. In order to minimize the blood and treat the nail appropriately, there are a few things that you should do.
First, soak your hand in warm water for a few minutes; this will relieve the pain and soften the nail so that you can easily cut it down and shape it back to normal. Unless you are confident that you will be able to mend the nail, go ahead and carefully cut off the snapped piece if it hasn’t fully snapped off. Depending on how badly the nail has snapped you may want to consider filing it down.
If the nail has cut your finger, make sure that you sterilize the wound to prevent infection, then cover it up with a bandage as an extra precaution.
This experience should make you realize that acrylic nails are no good and at that point, you should go ahead and soak them in acetone and get to work removing them. After removing them you will most likely find that your nails are damaged but fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to rebuild them. Treatments such as moisturising them, taking biotics, and keeping them clean will help them to regrow healthier than ever.
To Conclude…
Nail enhancements can look fantastic, no doubt about it. However, if you’re looking to have them for months on end or even years, it’s definitely not worth the trouble or the risk. A one-of occasion is fine and it’s understandable that every so often you’ll want to glamour up, and as long as you don’t invest your time and money into maintaining them, your nails will be as healthy as can be.
