Anita Lime: Fiberglass Is Her Forte

"I’ve built my business doing fiberglass nails,” says Anita Lime, co-owner of Totally Together Hair and Nail Associates in Albany, Ga. “When I moved to Albany from California about 10 years ago, acrylic nails wore just becoming popular. I had a captive audience with fiberglass because the service was so new.” Back then, fiberglass nails looked much more natural than acrylic nails did, she says. Today, Lime still has an ardent following for fiberglass nails. “I have clients who drive two hours just to get their nails done,” she says.

Lime also puts her fiberglass skills to good use at nail competitions, where she has won numerous awards. She began competing about seven years ago, and for the past three years has been traveling the competition circuit around the United States.

The NAILS photo shoot was a first for Lime. “It was wonderful, exciting, and I enjoyed every minute of it,” she says. Lime did a white tip with a fiberglass overlay on the model’s nails. “Most of the NAILS covers have polished nails,” she explains, “but I was thrilled to do the nails without polish.” Because the nails were polish-free, they had to look perfect so no flaws would show up on camera. It took Lime three hours to complete the impeccable set of nails.

When she’s not busy doing nails at her salon, Lime enjoys traveling to shows and competing. “When I’m in another city, I like to ‘do as the Romans do’ and take part in the fun. I love meeting new people.” Lime plans to travel abroad in the future to see what’s happening in the nail industry overseas, as well as make connections.

Her career goals are unlimited. “Maybe I’ll own my own product line or be president of a nail manufacturing company,” she says. Lime recently finished state instructor’s school, and is toying with the idea of opening her own nail school or a chain of nail schools. “If you are a highly motivated person, there are no boundaries. You have to reach for your goals.” And Lime should know.

A Dozen “Dos” For Flawless Fiberglass Nails

1. Use a self-adhesive fiberglass for easy application.
2. Buy several samples of fiberglass from various manufacturers to find the clearest material.
3. Build the nail as if you were doing a sculptured nail, taking into consideration the arch, the stress point, the C-curve, and the smile line.
4. Apply the resin in thin, even coats.
5. Spray the catalyst with a very fine mist.
6. Cut the fiberglass 1/16-inch away from all edges of the nail — the cuticle, sidewalk and free edge.
7. Always make sure to seal all the edges of the fiberglass with the resin.
8. Quickly saturate the fiberglass with the resin to make the wrap transparent.
9. Since the product is thin to begin with, file softly so you don’t file through the product.
10. Always use extra coats of resin to build the nail in the stress area.
11. When working on your clients’ nails, put extra fiberglass on the stress area to give it more strength.
12. Don’t spray catalyst on the last coat of resin. Let the resin dry on its own for a sooth, glassy finish.