If you think there’s not much demand for artificial nails that last little more than a week, you’re wrong. Reyna Traywick, owner of True Exceptions nail salon in Schulenburg, Texas, gets lots of calls for “weekenders”--- nail extensions made to be worn only a week to 10 days at a time. Marketed primarily to younger women and teens who don’t want or can’t afford nails full-time weekenders are just right for special occasions like a prom or Sweet Sixteen party “We don’t want kids putting on nails and then tearing them off and damaging the nail plates, ” says Traywick . “With weekenders, $25 price includes a return visit to the salon where the nails are soaked off with acetone and the natural nail is rehydrated with oil. ”The hardest part of getting the weekenders concept off the ground was educating the kids mothers not to set a bad example, says Traywick. “Before we got to them they would wear press-on nails with Superglue. ”

Traywick describes her technique:

  1. Determine what type of look your client wants. I use natural tips for polished nails and French whites for a French whites for a French manicure look Size the tips.
  2. Gently push back the cuticle, making sure to remove excess cuticle from the nail plate.
  3. Use a buffer to gently remove the shine from the natural nail. Don’t over-file. Remove the dust.
  4. Apply a very thin coat resin (I use Backscratcher’s Stikr) to the natural nail a few nails at a time. Apply an activator (I use Backscratchers’ Kikr). Continue until all nails have been coated, then repeat this step.
  5. Apply the tips with Stikr. If necessary, customize the tips as you normally would Seal the well area with Stikr and mist Kikr.
  6. Cut the tips to the desired length the shorter the better, as the nails will not have the strength of reinforced artificial nails.
  7. Gently remove the shine and shape the nail tip, taking care not to blend the well out. Remove the dust and apply a thin coat of Stikr over the whole nail. Mist with Kikr. Repeat two times.
  8. With a 180/240 grit file do the final shaping of the nail. Buff the shine off very gently.
  9. Finish the nail using a 4-way buffer. You can polish as usual after your client has washed off the filing dust.

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