Acrylic Nails: How to Know It’s Time for a Fill?
Acrylic nails have become wildly popular over the years, thanks in part to many celebrities and influencers flaunting their faux nail styles on camera.
If you’re impatient or unhappy with your nail growth or you simply want to change your nail shape, you may have wondered about getting a set of acrylic nails yourself.
However, before you commit to acrylics, you will probably want to understand how they work and how to maintain them. One of the main questions you might have is: how do you know when you need a fill-in on your acrylics?
Read on to learn all you need to know about having your own set of lovely acrylics and how to know when it’s time for a fill.
What Are Acrylic Nails?
Acrylic nails are a type of artificial nail that is made of a special kind of plastic to give the appearance of strong, healthy nails.
The plastic material is created by the nail technician by combining a polymer in the form of powder, and a monomer in the form of a liquid.
How Are Acrylic Nails Applied?
At your nail appointment, you will have your nails cleaned, trimmed, and buffed by the nail technician.
The next step is to dip a brush into a liquid monomer container and then the polymer powder and carefully apply it to your natural nails.
How to Maintain Acrylic Nails
- Be Gentle. Once you have decided to get a set of acrylics, be mindful of them. Don’t be too rough with them or do anything that can cause a break.
This is a good time to make adjustments to some of your current activities, such as washing dishes by hand or not using gloves. - Choose the Right Shape. Before investing in your new acrylics, make sure you carefully choose a shape and length that will complement that of your hands.
For example, rounded-out acrylic shapes such as oval nails work best if you have thicker or shorter fingers. A more squared acrylic nail shape works wonders on those with long or slender hands and fingers. - Stay Hydrated. Water intake is very important for nail health, and this holds true even for artificial nails.
Make sure to drink plenty of fluids and keep your diet balanced to avoid any unexpected breakage in your natural nails that could impact the way your acrylics stay put. - Keep It Clean. It may seem like a redundant statement but some things in life bear repeating.
Cleanliness is a crucial aspect of acrylic nail maintenance, not only to prevent issues like infections but to keep your nails looking shiny and new longer. - Pinpoint Issues. If you intuitively feel that something was done incorrectly during the process of applying your new acrylic nails, make sure to speak up and let the nail tech know. If you discover that the texture feels off later, go into the salon as soon as possible to get it fixed.
Neglecting an issue with your new nails could potentially damage your natural nails or in severe cases, cause an infection.
How Do You Know When You Need a Fill-in On Your Acrylics?
One of the most important parts of maintaining your new set of acrylic nails is ensuring you get a fill-in on time. So how do you know when you need a fill-in on your acrylics?
Generally, you will need to get a fill-in every two to three weeks. This is the typical amount of time during which you will see growth in your natural nails, resulting in a conspicuous gap beneath your acrylic nails.
When your nail bed is significantly showing underneath your acrylic nails, it’s time to head to the salon. Keep in mind that how soon you have to go in will depend on how well you have taken care of your nails. Also, how big you allow the gap to get between fill-ins will depend on your personal preference.
The process for getting your acrylic nails filled in is very similar to the one for having them put on the first time. Some buffing of your natural nail bed will take place, followed by the powder and liquid magic.
Lastly, if you choose a different design or color than you previously had, this will be changed at the end.
How Do You Know When It’s Time for a New Acrylic Set?
Acrylic fill-ins are generally inexpensive, which is great news. But if you’re wondering how many fill-ins to get before you opt for a brand set, the answer is between three to six months.
Again, there are several factors that will determine how soon you will need an all-new set, primarily how well you’ve taken care of your nails.
More specifically, you should get a fill-in on your acrylics a maximum of four times. The reason this is recommended is that your nails will maintain that shiny hard look more easily within this timeframe. After the three-month mark, you may lose some resilience.
