Find out how long you should wait to get your nails filled to maintain a healthy manicure.
Getting your nails done for some people can be a one-time luxury, but it may be more of a regular thing for others.
If you do get your nails done regularly, maintaining them plays a big part in keeping your natural nails healthy and your manicure looking fresh.
A question that I get asked a lot is, how long should you wait to get your nails filled?
On average, you should get your nails filled every two weeks; however, this does depend on each person individually.
They may not need filling that often if your nails don’t grow out quickly, or in contrast to that, if they grow out quicker, you should look to get them filled sooner.
In this post, I will be giving you a few tips on helping your acrylic nails last longer and maintaining a healthy manicure.
What are infills? How do they work?
If you get acrylic nails or gel nails, something you always have to think about is getting your nails infilled. Infills is the process when your natural nails have grown, causing there to be a gap between your manicure and your cuticle.
The nail technician will buff and file down the nail where the old manicure stops, and the new growth begins so that it’s a smooth flat surface.
Then they will apply more gel over the new growth and blend it into the old manicure, cure it and buff the finished nail.
It would be best if you aimed to get infills every 2 to 3 weeks, to make sure they last as long as possible and remain healthy and safe for your natural nails.
If you don’t get them filled in the recommended time, it may cause issues to arise, such as your manicure breaking off. If they get too outgrown, they will eventually break off, which will cause damage to your natural nail.
Also, if you leave your acrylic nails on longer than you should, it will dry out your natural nails more. This means that most oils in your nails that keep them healthy will be removed, causing your nails to break or nail loss, and in serious cases, infections. So it is important to keep your nails maintained as much as possible.
A misconception about acrylic and gel nails is that you need to take them off and get new sets quite frequently; however, this is not the case.
If you maintain your manicure, your nails can last up to 3 months without damaging your natural nails.
How to maintain acrylic nails/ last longer
As said earlier, one of the best was to maintain your nails is getting regular infills; however there are other ways to ensure that your nails last as long as possible in the best condition.
1. Keep your nails clean
When you’ve had nails on for a while, you will notice that a lot of dirt builds up under your nail tips, which means there is a build-up of bacteria on your nails. To make sure you keep them clean, use something like a cotton bud to clean out your nails every day.
When you wash your hands, try to wash under your nail tips and make sure they are completely dry once you’ve washed them. Doing this will help ensure that fewer germs are building up, and also, it’ll give your nails a cleaner, fresher look to them for longer.
2. Keep your hands and nails moisturised
To keep your nails looking the best for as long as possible, it is vital to take care of your natural nails. Moisturising is a crucial part of doing this; if you build up a routine of moisturising your hands and nails daily, it’ll help to keep your natural nails healthy.
Applying a cuticle oil to your nails every so often will also be a good way to keep your manicure looking fresh and keep your cuticles from damaged.
3. Be gentle with your nails
It can seem like an easy option to use your nails to do certain things, but it is essential to remember that your nails aren’t that stronger. If you are always using them to open something, for example, or use too much force with them, you can break your acrylic nails.
Breaking your nails can cause a lot of damage to your natural nails, so it is important to be gentle with them and try to avoid using them for certain things.
4. Give your nails a break
Although you can wear acrylic nails on at once for a long time, it is still important to give your natural nails a break every so often. Acrylic nails won’t damage your nails as such, but you do need to give them time to repair and get stronger.
It is advised that after every two to three months of having acrylics on, you should provide them with a bit of time to grow naturally without anything on them to stay healthy and be ready for the next set of acrylics.
How to remove acrylic nails
It would be better to get your acrylic nails taken off professionally to prevent your natural nails’ damage. However, if this isn’t possible, you can remove them easily in a few steps.
Cut down your nails – Using a clipper cut your acrylic nails down as low as possible. Make sure you don’t cut your natural nail.
File down your nails – File down your acrylic nails as much as possible; this will help them come off easier. Again, be careful not to file into your natural nail.
Soak them in acetone – Put some acetone in a bowl, enough to cover your nails, and leave them in to soak for around 15-20 minutes.
Remove your nails – After the 20 minutes are finished, your nails should be soft enough to pull off; use a cuticle pusher to help prise them off. If they are still stuck down too much to pull them off, soak them for a further 10 minutes.
Summary
I hope this has helped you understand infills more and helps you keep your acrylic nails maintained for longer.
This is based on the recommended time so that it will vary for everyone, your nails may last longer, or they may grow out quicker. Just make sure you infill them and change them within a reasonable time.