I’ve fallen in love with acrylic nails. I’ve been getting them done at least once a month since May, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. The nail techs at Best Nails in Chesapeake Square Mall do a great job filling, shaping, and painting my nails; I wouldn’t go anywhere else – and I don’t. I get compliments and questions all the time, and everyone assumes that the nails I have right now are my real ones… and they are, but they weren’t always that way. So, today, I’m going to transport you into my world of acrylic nails, because I’m always asked if they’re worth getting.
Make no mistake, acrylics aren’t for everyone. My mom, who’s a “domestic engineer” as my father calls it, constantly has her hands in water or food, so she never gets them. My goal here is for you to understand the good and the bad of acrylics. I definitely don’t want you going out and wasting your time and money on nails that you’re just going to want to soak off (Pro tip: using floss underneath them is actually better/faster).
As a little kid, I was that girl who would spend my Christmas money on the press-on nails Wal-mart sold like crazy. As I got older, I realized my skills at painting my own nails were a bunch of crap, but my mom never wanted me around all the chemicals in a salon because I have asthma, so I was never able to get acrylics. Then, when I started high school, I was in competitive marching band, and we weren’t allowed to wear nail polish, have crazy hair colors, or wear makeup (everyone had to look uniform). So, I still couldn’t get them. At the end of my junior year of high school, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (which means that my body doesn’t absorb the chemicals my thyroid produces, so I experienced a lot of health issues, but that’s a story for another time), which explained why my nails were so brittle, flimsy, and short.
Finally, my mother gave in.
It was two days before my best friend’s prom that I was her date to and four days before I left for Maui with my father (he earned an incentive trip through his company and chose to take me instead of my mom because he wanted to go hiking and ziplining). My mom and I both didn’t want one of my whole nails being ripped off doing those activities, so we went to the nail shop we would always go to for pedicures to see what their nail techs’ opinions were. All of the techs there agreed: shellac would withstand anything. At first, my mom and I thought that they were just trying to get more money out of us (and they did; for my mom’s toes, my nails and toes, the total was $90… without a tip).
But boy were we wrong.
Not only did my nails withstand shuffling carry-on luggage from plane to plane to plane, they withstood hiking six miles in the Maui rainforest, climbing ropes and ladders on a zipline trail, and a week at my fast-paced job at JJ’s before I had to decide whether to remove them or get them filled in again.
I chose to get them filled in… and cut down.
In fact, I always get them short. They’re long enough that I can be that annoying person who drums her fingers on the table, but they’re short enough that they won’t pop off when I’m working. I’ve only had two of them pop off once, and that was because I waited four weeks to get them done instead of three, like I usually do. Practicality is always important.
For the people out there who swear that getting acrylics is expensive, time-consuming, destroys your natural nails, and the whole bit, you’re definitely right. My nails average about $35 whenever I go get them done, and I spend a good hour at the salon (two if it’s a Friday night when they’re the busiest). When my two nails popped off, the natural ones were super brittle (but, mine are also hella brittle from having my thyroid condition). And, yes, sometimes it hurts, but that’s all part of the process.
How can you avoid these things? For me, what keeps me from spending $50 every time I get my nails done is 1) I stay away from designs, 2) I only get one color, and 3) I only go to one shop. Your payment breakdown goes pretty much like this: labor, cost of utensils (electricity for the filer, paint brushes, etc), cost of chemicals (acrylic liquid, acrylic powder, etc.), and nail polish. Sure, shellac costs more than your average polish, but it lasts much longer and doesn’t chip.
Take it from the girl who works in two different food service businesses and an arts center: shellac rocks.
Loyalty is key when it comes to getting your nails done. The more you go to one place, the more the employees get to know you. Sort of like going to your local Starbucks: they remember your order and usually have it finished for you before you even get to the register. With salons, the techs know what types of colors you normally get, and they know the length you usually do, so the process goes much faster. When my two nails popped off, my nail tech didn’t even charge me to replace them. In fact, I spent less money than the last time I went.
You also have to communicate. If the particular nail tech you have one day files too roughly and part of your cuticle splits open, tell him or her. The shop I go to is very flexible and will often give me a discount because I was honest and told him/her what was wrong. Even simple conversation and getting to know your tech helps.
If you’re going to CNU and you live far away, chances are you’re not going to want to get your nails done. Nail maintenance requires you to get them done every two/three weeks, and you can’t be loyal to a shop during summer and winter breaks if you live in another state or even three hours away. But, if you want to get them for an event, then it’s totally okay. If you want to make sure your natural nails stay intact after you’re done with them, go back (to the same shop) and have them removed. Sure, you’ll probably have to pay $10, but the shop I go to always makes sure to massage your hands and nails with oil to make sure that they are rehydrated.
Side note: Tip your techs well! I always tip $10. It seems like a lot, but I’ve saved more than $10 in comparison to the people that go with me for the first time and get acrylics… The more you tip, the more careful attention they pay to make sure your nails are even, the polish stretched across your whole nail, etc. A lot of times, they will even give you a discount the next time you come in.
For me, acrylics work wonderfully. They make me feel sophisticated, which also gives me a confidence boost. If you’re thinking of getting acrylics, hopefully this article helped you make a decision. And, remember: always research something you want to do before you do it.
Stay classy, Captains!