My suggestion is to consult with the client to see how long she plans on wearing the design. Colored acrylic is a commitment, but you can plan out how the design is going to wear. If the client is only going to keep it for a couple of appointments, I suggest applying a transparent color at the cuticle; that way the growth doesn’t show as much and it’s easier to fill. Have a game plan. You can choose a color scheme that will be easy to fill. For instance, use a medium pink at the cuticle. Then when you do your client’s fill, you can use a light pink to extend the life of the design. With some of my clients, when they grow tired of the design, I fill it with transparent glitter and just let the design grow off. The other option is to polish or gel-polish over the design to hide it.
— MaeLing Parrish is the dean of education for Hand & Nail Harmony.
Technique
How do I change the art during an acrylic fill?
September 3, 2013
More FAQ
How do you do a backfill without using a drill?
Can you do a proper backfill without an electric file?... read more
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I recently tried out a UV light-cured gel system on myself. A couple of times, when letting the gels cure, I experienced a really intense burning sensation. What causes this and how can I avoid it?... read more
Can you use any primer with any acrylic?
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Is it true that when you remove calluses with a razor, they come back harder?... read more
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What can I do for a client who has a lot of cuticle growth but doesn’t like to have her cuticles trimmed?
What can I do for a client who has a lot of cuticle growth but doesn’t like to have her cuticles trimmed?... read more
How Do You Deal with Breakage Caused by a Bad Batch of Product?
How Do You Deal with Breakage Caused by a Bad Batch of Product?... read more
Clients Shouldn't Be Afraid Of Acrylics
Q. I had a client recently who said that, although she would like to wear artificial nails, she wouldn’t because she had heard they could cause cancer. Do you have anything to say about this?... read more
Could my nails have been damaged permanently by acrylics or electric filing?
I wore acrylics for about four years before removing them a year and a half ago. It took four months for my nails to grow out and return to normal. All but one nail is now strong and healthy. The bad nail (on my ring finger) is split vertically and there is a ridge where it splits. The nail grows slower on one side of the split than the other—it never grows straight and I have to keep filing one side down the nail is also still very weak. My nails were healthy and strong before I started using acrylics. Could my nails have been damaged by the acrylics or by the filling? Is this permanent or is there something I can do to bring it back to normal?... read more