Acrylic nail tips and nail tip glue. The tips are usually quite long, which allows you to trim and file them down to the shape and size you want. Acrylic nail clippers and files. Regular clippers and files aren’t as effective on acrylic nails. 180, 240, 1000 & 4000 grit should be enough. You might need an even coarser file than the 180 grit if the end result is very clumpy. Acrylic liquid and acrylic powder. These substances are mixed together to create acrylic nails. As said before, stay away from MMA monomers, go for the EMA (always read what ingredients is used!). Acrylic bowl and acrylic brush. You need these supplies to mix up the acrylic and apply it. Somewhere between size #8-12 might be a good choice. Training fingers or a training hand. You may be very eager to make your first acrylic nails on your own hands - or on someone else. But before that you should, and probably need, to practice on something that won’t harm you or anyone else. Remember these are strong chemicals which may cause allergies if you aren’t careful. Do your first (at least) 10 tries on a training finger or hand. When you are good enough so the material does not go outside of the practice nail, do a few more and then you can start to think about doing it on a real hand. Allergies are for life, if you are unsure, don’t do it on anyone else than on yourself.
Use a wooden cuticle pusher to push back your cuticles. Metal pushers can be used, but wooden are better for your nails. If you don’t have a cuticle pusher, a wooden popsicle stick can be substituted. It’s easier to push back cuticles when they’re soft and wet, rather than dry. Soak your fingers in warm water for a few minutes before using the cuticle pusher, and preferably work on them a few days before so that they are extra fine for your treatment.
Use a cotton ball or preferably a lint-free paper towel to carefully rub the surface of your nails with acetone. Nail primer with acid is made with an methacrylic acid, which can burn. Be careful not to use too much or get it on your skin. There are acid-free primers if you are unsure of the acid ones.
If you accidentally apply the nail tip crooked, soak it in water for a few minutes to remove it, they dry your nail and reapply the nail tip. Use only a small amount of glue so that it does not touch your skin.
You may have to practice a few times to achieve the correct ratio of liquid to powdered acrylic. The small ball of acrylic mixture should be moist and spreadable, but not too wet. The acrylic should stay on the brush, not drip off of the brush. Have paper towels handy in case you need to brush off extra moisture and to wipe the brush between strokes so the acrylic doesn’t stick to the brush.
Remember to wipe your brush on a paper towel between every stroke. When you get the hang of it you won’t need to do it as often. This is so the acrylic won’t stick to your brush. If it is still on the brush you could dip the brush in the liquid while the acrylic is still wet on the brush, and then wipe it off again. To avoid lumps in the acrylic, be sure to use small single strokes in the same direction Less is more! If you have too much acrylic on your nails, you’ll have to file for what feels like an eternity. Working with small beads is easier in the beginning. If you apply the acrylic correctly, there should be a gentle curve, rather than a harsh line, where the acrylic tip meets your natural nail. You may need to use more than one ball of acrylic per nail to achieve this. Don’t apply the acrylic to your cuticles. It should start a few millimeters above your cuticle so that it adheres to your nail, not your skin.
Remember use a small brush to dust off the excess nail dust made by the drill, so that it doesnt mix with the nail polish!
If your nails are green or yellow or in any other way looks unhealthy, DO NOT apply acrylic on your nails. Fungus and other nail conditions won’t go away and need treatment! It will get worse if you apply acrylic nails on it. Nail fungus is highly contagious so don’t use un-disinfected tools on you or anybody else.
