How to Do a Full Set of Nails at Home

Brightly colored designs turn artificial nails into a fashion accessory.

Artificial nails -- also known as false or fake nails -- are a convenient way to achieve perfect nails instantly, especially if your natural nails are brittle and break easily whenever you try to grow them. False tips improve the appearance of bitten nails, while simultaneously discouraging the habit. Artificial nails are available in a wide variety of styles ranging from natural-looking French manicured nails to outrageously patterned, colored or jeweled tips that transform your nails into a fashion accessory. With practice, you can become an expert at applying your own artificial nails at home.

Things You'll Need

• Artificial nails set
• Nail glue
• Nail polish remover
• Hand soap
• Nail brush
• Towel
• Cosmetic cotton wool ball(s)
• Cuticle remover
• Cuticle pusher or orange stick
• Nail file or nail trimmer

Instructions

1. Remove any existing nail polish with nail polish remover.

2. Clean your hands and nails using hand soap. Use a nailbrush to scrub under your nails.

3. Rinse your hands and nails with clear water. Dry thoroughly with a towel.

4. Apply cuticle remover to the cuticle of each nail. Gently push back the cuticles and remove the translucent skin from the nail beds using a cuticle pusher or orange stick. Remove the debris with a cosmetic cotton wool ball.

5. File or trim each nail to a short, uniform length.

6. Select a set of artificial nails that are the closest in size to your natural nails. Lay them out in order on a flat surface.

7. Place each artificial nail tip on the corresponding natural nail to check the fit. Determine that the lower curve of the tip exactly follows the curve of the natural nail, and the side edges are perfectly flush with the natural nail edges.

8. Replace any individual tips that are too small with the next size up.

9. File down and re-shape the tips with a nail file as required.

10. Apply glue directly to the nail bed with a 'swirling' motion of the glue applicator nozzle. Add a drop of glue to the lower half of the artificial nail tip that will be in direct contact with your natural nail.

11. Hold the tip raised at a 45 degree angle to the nail bed and slide it along the nail until the lower edge meets the natural nail. Quickly adjust the position if necessary.

12. Push down on the nail for ten to 15 seconds to remove any air bubbles and encourage the tip to adhere to the natural nail.

13. Repeat until all nails are applied.

14. File or trim your nails to the desired length and shape. Apply nail polish if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• These instructions are suitable for use with most standard nail glues. The application technique for other types of adhesives such as acrylic beads and gel-based adhesives may differ so be sure to follow the application instructions supplied with your adhesive product.

• In most artificial nail kits, the nail tips are numbered by size. Keep a note of the numbers you use so you can quickly select the correct size next time.

• Apply the nail tip as soon as you have applied glue to your nails to give you time to make any adjustments before the glue dries. If the glue dries before the tip is position correctly, soak the finger in artificial nail remover for the recommended time to remove the nail and glue residue, then reapply.

• Avoid the practice of roughing up the natural nail surface using a grit buffer block for extra adhesion as this will damage your nails. A kinder way of ensuring your nails stay in place is to use an artificial nail primer, available from beauty stores, to temporarily dehydrate the nail before applying adhesive.

• Remove your artificial nails by soaking them in nail remover for 15 minutes or as directed by the manufacturer.

References

• Daily Mail: Home Beauty School
• Hooked on Nails: Acrylic Nail Preparation
• Beauty Den: Artificial Nails

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish