Who does not want to look beautiful? Every person wants to look their best, irrespective of their age, gender, or occupation. When you look presentable, you like yourself even more. The feeling of self-love gives a boost to your confidence and self-esteem.
As a result, you can accomplish challenging tasks in your professional life, and thus, progress in your career. The effects are also noticeable in your personal life. You maintain healthy relationships with your loved ones when you are happy with yourself. We are not saying that your inner beauty and inner peace don’t affect your life, and only external beauty matters. In fact, inner peace and inner beauty are vital to lead a satisfying life.
But you cannot ignore the fact that even a small touch-up or a slight change in your looks can improve your mood significantly. Every time you try a new hairdo, wear a new dress, or put on new heels, you must be feeling better than before.
Therefore, many women spend a lot of time achieving the desired appearance. They spend hours choosing the right dresses, footwear, and accessories. They visit a beautician on a frequent basis to receive beauty treatments. If you can relate to it, you must be aware of the latest trend in decorating nails. We are talking about short acrylic nails.
As the name suggests, short acrylic nails are nothing but small in size compared to regular acrylic nails. Those who have worn acrylic nails are aware of the fact that it can be challenging to manage acrylic nails as they are quite long.
However, you can fulfill your wish of wearing acrylic nails without excessively worrying about maintenance with the help of short acrylic nails. These nails are also a perfect solution for every lady who wants to get acrylic nails but doesn’t like long nails. Long nails can create trouble while you are doing certain tasks. So, some women stay away from them. Such women can wear short acrylic nails.
What Exactly are Acrylic Nails?
If you have never been a fan of nail art before, it’s quite possible that you might not know what acrylic nails are. Well, acrylic nails are artificial nails. Ladies who are not able to grow their nails or whose nails are not naturally strong opt for artificial nails.
What are Artificial Nails?
Artificial nails are a fashion accessory that is placed over your real nails. They are similar to hair extensions that are added to natural hair to make it look fuller and longer. Artificial names make your fingernails appear longer, stronger, thicker, and more beautiful. You can get the designs of your choice on your artificial fingernails. Artificial nails are also known by other names, such as nail extensions, false nails, synthetic nails, and fake nails.
Now, it’s worth mentioning here that you can apply artificial nails or fake nails yourself or visit a nail art technician who can help you out. The decision you make should be based on different factors, such as the type of nails you want to wear, the shape and design of fake nails, and your comfort level in applying the nails yourself.
If you are not sure that you will be able to place artificial nails on your real nails, you should book an appointment at a salon. Similarly, if you are comfortable placing fake nails yourself but want a unique design on them, it’s in your best interest to get professional help.
Which are the Different Types of Artificial Nails?
After reading about the aforementioned factors, you might be wondering, “Is there more than one type of artificial nail?”. Worry not, as we are given an answer to your question. There are mainly three different types of fake nails. These types are acrylic nails, gel nails, and silk nails. Silk nails are also known as silk nail wraps because they essentially mean real fingernails getting wrapped with pieces of silk. Other materials that are used to wrap nails include linen, mesh, paper, and fiberglass.
Hence, nail wraps are also considered to be one of the types of artificial nails. Dip powder nails are also a type of fake nail. They are known by other names, too, such as a dip powder manicure. Nail tips and full-coverage nails are also types of synthetic nails. These nail types are different from each other in various ways. Each of them has its pros and cons.
If you wish to apply fake nails on your fingernails yourself, you can buy the fake nails of your choice from an offline or online store. Artificial nails are available in different lengths and shapes. They are available in plain and pre-painted forms. In simple words, you can buy plain fake nails or fake nails that are painted with designs in different colors. If you don’t want the hassle of making designs on fake nails, you can buy pre-painted ones. If you have some lovely designs in mind, you can purchase plain ones.
However, if you want to get synthetic nails applied by a professional, you can visit a nearby salon or a salon that is known for providing the best service for artificial nails and nail art. You can select the nails from the options available over there. It’s important to mention here that artificial nails are available for both fingernails and toenails.
Short Acrylic Nails: Explained in Detail
Now that you know what acrylic nails and short acrylic nails are, let’s learn some more details about them. But we must start by stating the fact that the process of applying acrylic nails is quite tricky. Although you can easily find relevant guides on how to wear acrylic nails on the Internet, it’s not easy to perfect the method quickly. Most women approach a nail art technician whenever they have to get short or long acrylic nails. Usually, manicurists at beauty salons carry out the task of applying acrylic nails.
Acrylic nails are made by combining acrylic powder and liquid monomer. The mixture thus prepared is bonded to your real nails with the help of a brush and other tools. It is given the shape desired by you. The mixture is air-dried. No special heating equipment or method is used.
The technician will paint your acrylic nails in the color you want. They can even make simple or intricate designs that have various patterns, shapes, and color combinations on your fake nails. Acrylic nails fulfill the purpose of artificial nails. They make your nails look thicker, longer, and stronger.
If you are someone who has heard of acrylic nails and other types of false nails, you might be aware of the fact that nail tips are also referred to as acrylic nail tips at times. In such a case, you might be having the same confusion that many other ladies have. This confusion is regarding the similarity or difference between acrylic nails and nail tips. If you are wondering, “Whether acrylic nail tips and acrylic nails are one and the same”, let us give you an answer.
Nail tips are made from acrylic plastic, to be more precise, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a commonly used opaque thermoplastic and amorphous polymer. It is used to make a variety of molded products, such as keyboard keys, 3D building materials, automotive body parts, pipes, fittings, and protective headgear.
Applying acrylic nail tips is easy because all you need to do is stick them to your nails with the help of adhesive. On the other hand, as we have mentioned earlier as well, applying acrylic nails involves a complex procedure. Another main difference between the two is that nail tips are premade, whereas acrylic nails appear as a result of the mixture of acrylic powder and liquid monomer.
How Long Do Short Acrylic Nails Last?
If you are planning to get acrylic nails, the question about their durability might be lingering in your head. Short acrylic nails can last six to eight weeks, provided you take sufficient care of them. Just like any other fashion accessory, artificial nails, too, require maintenance. If you are applying artificial nails like nail tips for a special occasion like a party or celebration, you don’t have to worry about it a lot. You can remove them once the event or celebration ends.
But since acrylic nails require a time-intensive and labor-intensive process for correct application, ladies get them for a longer duration. They have to carry out personal tasks and professional duties when they have worn artificial nails. If you don’t take care of your acrylic nails, they might soon start to chip or break.
So, maintenance becomes necessary. You can make your short acrylic nails last as long as possible by caring for them. If you want to increase the duration for which your acrylic nails last, you can opt for a touch-up. During the touch-up session at a salon, the technician will fill the gaps and perform other activities to ensure that your acrylic nails last longer. Some experts recommend that you should go for the touch-up session every two to three weeks after getting the acrylic nails.
The gaps we have referred to in the previous paragraph are the gaps that occur due to the growth of your real nails. Your real nails keep growing, and thus, your acrylic nails lift. You can have a look at your cuticle beds to check whether your real nails are growing or not.
The lifting of acrylic nails leads to a small gap between natural nails and acrylic nails. If the gaps are not filled, they can become a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria, which can harm you. This is one of the reasons why some women don’t get acrylic nails and instead opt for some other type of fake nails. Even if they do get acrylic nails, it’s only for some special occasion. This brings us to the points we have discussed regarding acrylic nails in the next section.
Short Acrylic Nails: Advantages and Disadvantages
Just like we mentioned before, every type of synthetic nail has its pros and cons. Let’s learn about the pros and cons of acrylic nails in a little more detail.
Advantages
-
High Durability
Acrylic nails are highly durable, as you must have read in this blog post. They can last for six to eight weeks. They last longer than gel nails and other types of artificial nails. You can extend their lifespan by following the necessary care measures and taking some precautions.
-
Glamorous Look
Your acrylic nails can look glamorous, and thus, make you look amazing. They can take your overall appearance up a notch. Hence, acrylic nails are the first choice of ladies when it comes to getting fake nails for special occasions and events.
-
Difficult to Chew
It’s difficult to chew acrylic nails due to their strength. Therefore, if you have a bad habit of chewing your nails, you should go for acrylic nails. Once you get these nails, you will slowly get rid of your habit upon realizing that you cannot chew them off.
Disadvantages
-
Maintenance is Hassling
By now, you must have become aware of the fact that maintaining acrylic nails is not an easy task. They can chip or break if not cared for. Broken acrylic nails can affect your overall appearance. You might need to visit a technician if your acrylic nails start chipping.
-
Overall Cost Can be High
Acrylic nails seem less costly than other types of artificial nails to people because they cost anywhere between $50 and $100. The cost depends on factors like the type of beauty salon and the city where the salon is located. But considering the fact that you have to go for touch-ups every two to three weeks, the overall cost can turn out to be high. The cost of a single touch-up or a fill-in session is around $55. Painting or polishing your acrylic nails during the fill-in session costs extra.
-
Provide Damage to Nails
It’s a known fact that acrylic nails can provide damage to your natural nails. The process of application and the process used during touch-ups can make your nails rough, dry, and weak. Getting acrylic nails can also lead to infection if your technician uses unclean instruments.
If you don’t go for touch-ups, bacteria and fungus can grow in the gaps between your real nails and fake nails. You might experience allergic reactions on your skin due to the chemicals used during the process of bonding acrylic nails. You should be extra cautious if your skin is too sensitive.
-
The Application and Removal Process is Tricky
Application process you have to undergo in order to get acrylic nails is quite tricky. You cannot carry out the process at home unless you are an expert. You must take the help of a professional. Similarly, the process of removing fake nails is also tricky. If you decide not to get the nails removed by a technician, you have to soak them in acetone. Acetone can cause dehydration and irritation in your nails and skin.
Having knowledge of the pros and cons of acrylic nails will help you make a better decision whenever you want to get fake nails. Some other details that might help you include the prerequisites for getting acrylic nails and the care measures for maintaining acrylic nails. We have shared those details in the following sections. But before that, let’s understand natural nails properly.
What are Nails? What is their Structure?
A nail is a horny plate found at the tip of each finger and each toe. It grows on the back of fingers and toes at their outer end. Nails are made from keratin, which is a type of protein. Keratin belongs to the family of naturally-occurring structural fibrous proteins, which are also known as scleroproteins. It is also responsible for the structure and growth of hair, skin, wool, feathers, horns, claws, and hooves. Keratin also maintains the lining of the internal organs.
The technical name for the part people usually refer to as a ‘nail’ is the ‘nail plate’. The nail plate is slightly curved. The part located beneath the nail plate is known as the nail bed. Both these parts get separated at the tip of a finger or a toe. The average rate at which fingernails grow is 3 millimeters per month. The average rate at which toenails grow is 1.5 millimeters.
In order to grow completely, fingernails require three to six months. Toenails require twelve to eighteen months to grow completely. The growth rate is not precise, as various factors affect it, for example, genetics, age, diet, exercise, season, and gender. Fingernails protect the fingertips and the surrounding soft tissues from potential injuries. They help you in performing several activities, such as scratching, scraping, and cutting.
Some Interesting Facts Related to Nails
- Ever wondered, “Why doesn’t it hurt when you cut your nails?”. Well, the answer is simple. The visible part of your nails is made up of dead cells. In simple words, the nails you see are actually dead. New nails grow under your skin as the new cells develop under the skin. The new cells push the old cells out. Therefore, you don’t get hurt when you cut your nails.
- Generally, the nails of men grow faster than the nails of women. The only exception is pregnancy. When women are pregnant, their nails grow faster than the nails of men.
- One of the factors that affect the growth of your nails is the activities you do. If you perform certain activities on a routine or repetitive basis, such as typing and playing music on a keyboard, the blood circulation in your hands improves. An increase in blood circulation promotes the growth of nails.
- Stress is a crucial factor that determines how much your nails will grow. If you are stressed out, the growth of your nails will become slow. In some cases, the growth might stop altogether.
- You might be surprised to know, but nail beds do not contain any sweat glands. Most people fail to notice that fingernails never sweat, even if the whole body of a person is sweating. Sweat glands are tubular structures of the skin that regulate human body temperature and produce sweat.
What to Consider Before and After Getting Short Acrylic Nails?
You should take care of some points related to acrylic nails whenever you think about getting them. These points include the prerequisites before getting acrylic nails and care measures after getting acrylic nails. We have explained them in the following paragraphs.
Women who have strong and healthy natural nails should go for acrylic nails. If your nails are brittle or weak, you should wait for them to get repaired before wearing acrylic nails. Brittle nails can’t handle the process of application of acrylic nails. You should also wait for your natural nails to become longer if they are too short currently. It’s hard for the technician to apply acrylic nails on short nails. If you want, you can rub a lemon slice on your nails a week prior to the day of the salon appointment.
Once you get short acrylic nails, you should take care of them. You need to wear gloves while conducting household chores like cleaning the house, washing dishes, gardening, etc. You have to keep your acrylic nails dry because moisture can lead to fungus.
You should clean your acrylic nails regularly as they can harbor more bacteria than your natural nails. You can wash your acrylic nails with lukewarm water. Pat them with a dry towel immediately after washing them. You should keep your real nails healthy to keep your acrylic nails healthy. You should moisturize your fingers with cuticle oil or any other oil that serves the purpose of moisturization.
What is Nail Art? How Old Is It? What Does It Involve?
Acrylic nails are just one element of nail art, which is an art that comprises a wide range of methods. Nail art is the art or practice of decorating the fingernails and toenails of a person. It involves making different types of decorative designs on nails. Nail art is not a new art, unlike what you might think. The origin of this art dates back centuries ago. It is believed that nail art was started in the 13th century. It began in East Asia, Europe, and South America around the same time.
The first nail polish originated in ancient China around 3000 BC. Women in ancient Egypt used to apply henna on their nails from 5000 to 3000 BC. People in the Inca Empire used to paint eagles on their nails. A variety of materials and methods are used to decorate nails.
Nail polishes, topcoats, fake nails, glitters, and manicure treatments are a part of nail art. Manicurists or nail art technicians use numerous tools like a dotting tool, glitter nail polish remover pads, nail polish correcting pen, striper brush, foil paper, and striping tape to perform nail art on the nails of their clients. The materials they use include but are not limited to nude nail polish, glitter nail polish, pastel nail polish, jewel tone polish, vibrant shade nail polish, metallic nail polish, glitter, and 3-D embellishments.
Whenever you visit a salon to get short acrylic nails, you should discuss with the technician some important points like the shape and design of nails and the topcoat on nails. You should choose the salon carefully because only experienced technicians can carry out the procedure of applying acrylic nails properly.
Conclusion
Keeping your nails well-groomed and decorated can make you feel good about yourself. Posting pictures of your beautiful acrylic nails on social media and receiving compliments from people is a bonus. If you don’t like long nails, short acrylic nails are a perfect option for you.
