There are two types of nail tips available: ~ Pre - formed tips - these cover the entire nail ~ Ready formed extensions - these are applied to the tips of the nails & blended in
Temporary Nails (Pre - formed)
For some clients, nail extensions are not practical for everyday wear. Temporary pre-formed nails are effective for special occasions or one - off events. If applied well & looked after they can last 7 - 10 days. These are made of plastic. They are supplied in various shapes & sizes & can come in a variety of colours & patterns or simply plain for the application of varnish. They are applied with a nail adhesive & completely cover the nail plate. These are usually on sale in retail business.
Advantages: * Ideal for special occasions * Inexpensive * Can disguise a broken nail if varnish is worn * Does not weaken nails. * Quick application time.
Disadvantages * Least natural looking of all artificial nail systems * Temporary effects * Not very strong * Can detach easily - great care is needed when performing manual jobs.
Ready Formed Tips (semi - permanent nails)
The majority of tips are made from ABS plastic (a form of acrylic plastic) & some are made from a type of plastic called acetate (suitable for the retail industry but not for professional use). The tips come in a variety of sizes to fit most client nails; they are usually numbered 1 to 10, 1 being the biggest & 10 being the smallest. They are available in clear, opaque & white. Some tips have a reduced contact area & some have a full contact area. Different companies provide different shaped nail tips e.g. some have a more exaggerated curve.
These Are applied to the natural nails to add length for just a short while. These artificial nail structures appear very natural, but, because they are applied only to the tips of the natural nails, they are very strong. A seamless join has to be created where the artificial tip is attached to the natural nail. This is the weakest part of the nail extension.
Consider selling the application of nail tips as a temporary service. They are ideal for those who want temporary length for a special occasion, such as a wedding. These people might work in jobs where long nails are a hindrance or they may find that longer lengths do not fit their lifestyle, but they still want the look for a day or two. For these clients create a two - appointment service: during the first visit apply & paint the nail tips & schedule the second to remove the nail tips, then manicure & condition the client's nails. These tips can also be used with an overlay system too.
Advantages * Very natural looking * Ideal for one-off special occasions * Can be used to temporary disguise a broken nail varnish is worn * A good, short term solution for people who are not normally able to have long nails * Quick to apply * East to remove
Disadvantages * Weakest type of nail extension * Temporary effects (up to one weeks wear) * Easily damaged * Great care is required when doing manual jobs
Important Features of a Tip
~ Contact area or well This is a thinner area that is the part that is in contact with the natural nail.
~ Stop point This is the ridge that divides the contact area & the actual tip. The natural free edge should fit snugly into this without any gaps to trap dirt. When the tip is correctly blended this line will produce a natural looking smile line.
~ Side walls Tips either have parallel or tapered sidewalls to suit natural nail shape; good tips will have a reinforced side to the contact area to provide maximum strength to the venerable area.
~ Upper arch This is the arch on the top part of the tip, which you can see when looking at it sideways. There are different shapes available to suit different nail shapes from flat to very curved, The curve of the nail can be corrected with these.
~ Lower Arch This is the curved edge at the sidewalls & enables the tip to look like it has grown from the finger & not just stuck on top.
~ 'C' Curve This is the curve of the tip that runs across it. There are various shapes available to fit the natural tip. The tip needs to sit on the natural nail comfortably without distorting its shape. If the wrong shaped 'c' curve is applied it will apply pressure to the nail bed causing discomfort.
Sizing the Tip There are 3 main points to take into consideration when sizing a tip: ~ Match the 'C' curve with that of the natural nail.
~ Match the width of the stop point with the width of the natural nail at the smile line. If one size is too wide & the next is too narrow, choose the wider one & file away a small amount either side of it until it fits perfectly. If you are unsure of the correct size 'tuck down' one side of the tip into one sidewall & then check the other sidewall.
~ Check the upper & lower arches, to match the curve of the natural nail.
Pre - Tailoring the Tip prior to Application
You will need to pre-tailor the tip before applying it, the reasons for this area:
* To ensure thorough adhesion * To ensure that the tip does not cover more than 1/3 of the natural nail. Pre-tailoring a tip with a reduced contact area: There is a little pre-tailoring to do with these, usually reducing the width of the tip filling a little away at the side walls & sometimes the edge of the contact area can be pre-blended to help reduce the risk of buffing the natural nail.
Pre-tailoring a tip with a full contact area: The contact area will need to be reduced to cover just 30% of the natural nail & again the width may need to be reduced at the sidewalls
The Contact Area
There are two types of contact area available: ~ Reduced contact area ~ Full contact area
Reduced contact area: This is considered to be the fastest to apply because the area to be blended is much smaller. The advantages of this tip are: * Less risk of the natural nail being buffed * Less heat is created * Less chance of ghost shadows being left across the blended area * Less adhesive used * A larger contact area for the overlay thus creating a stronger nail extension
French or white tips: These require no blending, They are suitable for bitten nails because the nail plate are small & the smile created by the tips will be placed too low down, emphasising the shortness of the nails.
Full contact area You will need to reduce the contact area with these, as tips should never cover more than 30% of the natural nail as this will result in weaker nail extensions. The more area the overlay has in contact with the natural nail the stronger the nail extension. Disadvantages ~ More susceptible to air bubbles due to the larger area being bonded. This will show through the overlay & can also cause bacterial infections. ~The finished nail will not look quite as clear & defined as a tip that has been applied with a smaller contact area.
Advantages ~ They are beneficial for nails that have uneven sidewall lengths.
To remove the contact area
There are 2 methods:
1,Using a file; Using the end of a file & file in a downward motion (as you would for buffing a natural nail ). This will leave a curved edge to the contact area, which will provide extra protection & support at the sidewalls.
2, Using scissors or clippers: Scissors with a curved blade are ideal for following the curve of the stop point. Clippers can be used for cutting a 'V' in the contact area, which helps a tip mould to a flatter nail plate.
Applying tips to problem nail shapes
Fan - shaped nails This nail shape is wider at the free edge than at the base of the nail. It is important not to make the nails look very wide and clumsy. * Choose the tip to fit the width of the nail at the smile line only. The sides of the tip may need to be angled to fit the natural nail plate. * These nails tend to be quite flat so apply the tip to give a gentle arch by angling the tip slightly down * Keep the length fairly short & taper the sides of the tip to reduce the appearance of the fan shapes. * An oval shaped nail is the most appropriate shape for this shaped nail. A, Fan shaped nail: fit tip to width B Fan shaped nail with blended tip: at free edge. Tapered sides and oval shape.
Claw Nails This type of nail has an exaggerated upper arch & the free edge tends to curve over the fingertip. * Remove the free edge & choose a tip with quite deep 'C' curve * Apply the tip at the correct angle ensuring that no gap has been left between it 7 the natural nail on the underside. * The length of the nail should be quite short * Further correction of the curve can be made with the overlay
Spoon shaped nails. These nails curve upwards at the free edge. * Remove all of the free edge * Apply the tip at the correct angle so that it curves slightly down * Keep the length of the nails fairly short * Correct the curve with the application of the overlay
Bitten Nails These are probably the most difficult to apply tips to, as in some circumstances there may not be much nail plate for the nail extension to adhere. The cuticle tends to be thicker & the surrounding skin is usually puffy. The ends of the fingers are often slightly swollen & the nail plates soft & dented due to the damage caused by biting. Severe bitten nails would be contra-indicated.
~ It is advisable to recommend to the client to have several manicures and treatments to help improve the condition of the nails. ~ A flat tip needs to be selected ~ Most of the contact area will need to be removed ~ The sides of the tip from the stop pint towards the free edge will need to be carved out to allow the tip to fit correctly over the puffy finger tips. This will enable the tips to curve down instead of up.
~ Use an adhesive with a gel consistency to fill uneven surface & avoid air bubbles ~ The length of the tip must be short - just to the end of the finger. ~ A chemical blender would be advisable when blending the tips to avoid damaging the surrounding skin.
~ Keep the shape of the tip slightly square for extra strength A, Badly bitten nail B, Side walls of tip removed to form 'bridge' over end of finger ; contact area also dramatically reduced. C, Tip cut short and blended with overlay to compensate for poor shape.
If you wish to pay by Maestro please telephone your order between 9am - 5pm GMT
The advantages of this tip are:
Disadvantages
