Q&A for How to Do Acrylic Nails

You'll need to buff your nails so the acrylic nails adhere better. Otherwise, they may not stick as well.

Look for a kit that contains basic acrylic nail supplies, such as: a nail brush, acrylic liquid, and different types of acrylic powders (ie: clear, pink and white). Some kits may also include a glass to hold the acrylic liquid in, which is even better.

You can use normal nail polish, but use a top coat to seal it and make your nails shine.

First, file the sides of the nails to create a sharp point on the end. Then, flatten the sharp point to a flat edge until it looks like a coffin shape.

Avoid lumps on your acrylic powder by trying only singular strokes in a particular direction. Do not go back and forth with the brush while applying. Remember "singular strokes in the same direction."

It is harder to manoeuvre away from the cuticle. If you put near the cuticle and push down, it should start going near the cuticle.

Let your nails rest, put a nail hardener on them and possibly take vitamins that are good for skin and nails. When you do put on another set (if you do it yourself) have any oils on your nails before applying. This is why most nail places ask you to wash your hands and then they use nail polish remover on your nails before starting to apply acrylic. Maybe your nail beds are naturally too oily, this will make the nails fall off because the acrylic has nothing to hold onto.

Age doesn't matter; beauty supply stores don't ID or require you to be of a certain age to purchase materials. Just remember that this is an involved, somewhat difficult, and also a very smelly process. And make sure to discuss it with your parents first.

Use forms. They are a sticky paper that goes under your nail so you can shape your own acrylic nails, and then take the paper off when you are finished. You can also use forms to make your nail longer with the acrylic.

Soak them in nail polish remover. You'll be able to scrape them off. Once you have them off, use a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to wipe off any residue.

It's called just that, glitter acrylic powder. You can get it from pharmacies, online and makeup suppliers.

A dehydrator just takes the moisture out of your nails and makes the acrylic last longer.

To dry it faster, apply thin layers of the acrylic mixture (putting on too much will slow down the drying process). It's just like nail polish -- if you add another coat before the previous one dries it will take forever. Try waving your hands back and forth or putting them in front of a fan.

It all depends on the kind of shape you want.

It is most likely going to snap off. Using acrylic on top of tips sort of seals the nail on.

That's a UV machine and it's used when using gel polish to dry it. It's not needed for applying acrylic tips.

Once the acrylic powder has dried, you apply a top coat as if it were glue. Immediately sprinkle the glitter on and it will stick. If you want to just apply color to your nails, wait for your acrylic powder to dry and then paint your nail polish onto the nail. You can get the jewels to stay on by getting professional nail glue from drug stores or online.

You can be any age, but your parents might not want you getting acrylic nails depending on how young you are.

No, you only need it if you are applying gel or shellac polish. The acrylic will air dry.

Use a primer. Also, before you get started, make sure you file your nails really well. This will allow the tips to stick better.

Yes, you need to get your nails filled every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how fast your nails grow. If not, you run the risk of them lifting, which can lead to infection. The prices will vary, depending on where you go.

You can use either one. Any kind of polish lasts longer and shouldn't chip with acrylic nails.

Doing nails for profit without a license is illegal and you can get in a lot of trouble for it.

This is the problem with nails and sports. You need to keep your nails at a length that's best suited for your lifestyle. For someone like me who plays flute, piccolo, is very involved in theater, is constantly doing makeup, and is doing homework and typing up papers all day, I can get away with long nails (and I do). But for someone like you who plays sports, or a string instrument (including guitar, ukulele, and so on), or you have a very professional job, long nails probably aren't the best choice.

It's not so much making them thin, as it is making them short. If your client had trouble picking things up with long nails, make them shorter. Picking up paper, cards, napkins and other thin objects off of a flat surface is going to be hard for anyone with long nails.

Dills are expensive and made for salons. A buffer is cheaper and easier to find.

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Yes, this could be due to your nail polish being old. It could also have resulted from over-shaking the polish before applying it.

A dehydrator is not essential, but it is useful. As long as you're using a primer/bonder, you should be fine. If your nails are getting thin, it's likely an issue with your filing.

This is called lifting, and while nail glue will help temporarily, the best thing to do is file away the lifting portion and re-apply.