I get asked by my clients frequently the things that they can do to make their enhancements last longer, or what they can do to help prevent lifting. While accidents happen, and lifting can be caused by MANY different things, there are several things you can do to reduce the chance of lifting and lengthen the life of your enhancements. Here are 5 ways to help make your enhancements last longer:
First and foremost, nails are JEWELS not tools! A major factor that can play into the longevity of your nail enhancements can depend on how rough you are on them. Things like opening a can of soda, or using your enhancements to scrape things like stickers off of surfaces can increase the risk of lifting (separation of enhancements from the nail plate). This ultimately will effect the longevity of your set. Be cautious with your enhancements; use something like a butterknife or a bottle opener to pop a tab, and something like an exacto knife to scrape labels or stickers.
Secondly, use cuticle oil OFTEN. Healthy cuticle results in a healthy nail bed, which then in turn results in a healthy nail plate! Once the enhancement is adhered, it's important to use cuticle oil because not only does it keep your cuticles healthy and moisturized, it can add flexibility and strength to your enhancements resulting in less lifting and longevity of your sets.
Another good way to increase the longevity of your enhancements is to get regular infills. This is INCREDIBLY important. When your nail tech performs an enhancement service on you, they build what's called an "apex". An apex is the highest or "thickest" portion of the enhancement, and is placed at the weakest point of the nail. The placement can depend upon the length and shape of your enhancements. The apex gives the nail strength and balance. Once this apex begins to grow outward, there's no longer strength at the weakest point and this can increase the risk of breaking your enhancement. Infills are recommended at 2-3 weeks but varies depending on how quickly your nails grow, how rough you are on your enhancements, etc. In my opinion, 2 weeks is ideal.
This next tip is something that seems pretty simple, but when I ask my clients they admit they never actually thought about doing it: wearing gloves while washing dishes. Lengthy exposure to water, dish detergent or any other chemical can cause enhancements to lift or separate from the nail plate. Always wear gloves when doing dishes or housework and try and reduce the length of time your enhancements are exposed to water or harsh chemicals!
Last, but CERTAINLY not least, avoid biting or picking at your enhancements! Nervous habits are hard to break, and a lot of people actually turn to enhancements to help keep them from biting their nails, HOWEVER, sometimes our anxiety can get the best of us. Picking and biting your enhancements can cause lifting or can forcefully remove the enhancements which can seriously damage your nail plate.
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