First, I love having fake nails. It makes me feel more put together. When I get them done, I get a longer, almond shape. Second, the part that I don’t like is removing them.
For some reason, I thought it would be better to remove them myself. Two of my nails broke (which has never happened), so I wanted to remove them all. It took me three hours; they looked worse. And I couldn’t get all of the acrylics off. So, if you want your fake nails off, please get them removed at a salon, or make sure you know how to do it correctly.
As I write this, I can’t stop looking at how I butchered my nails. I began using my friend’s nail drill to get the color off, which I did successfully. Then I soaked my nails in acetone, even though I knew I should’ve wrapped each finger with a cotton pad infused with acetone covered with tinfoil. I did this later when I realized my technique wasn’t quite working. I regret not doing this earlier. I also tried clipping my long fake nails, which were still connected to my real nails, which made it extremely difficult and kind of painful.
I began to think my nail tech used Methyl methacrylate, a bonding agent used in artificial nail products, which is now banned by the FDA. Now, I’m not sure if this was actually used, but I have never seen my nails in such condition after getting acrylics. The many times I’ve gotten them removed, it was an easy process. I thought it would be the same.
Kandalec is a celebrity nail artist based in New York City.
I think my nails have suffered a lot of damage and will probably take weeks, hopefully not months, to return back to normal. It’s like my real nails fused into the fake nails. So, be mindful of what you’re putting on your body. Now, I would instead take the months of having imperfect-looking nails over perfect-looking nails. For me, I think having nice nails is important, which both means doing them yourself or getting them done professionally.
Acrylics shouldn’t, and rarely, ruin nails, but sometimes the application and removal can. So if you plan on getting them done, or already do, ensure the ingredients being used are safe!