Nail biters are tricky because it is hard to build something out of nothing. First of all, you have to be meticulous in your prep work. In order to remove all of the shine in the hard-to-reach nail grooves of a nail biter, I like to use the cone bit of my electric file to get into the places where my hand file won’t fit. Be sure to remove all dust, oil, and shine before applying product. Because nail biters are not accustomed to having long free edges, you don’t want to give them a free edge that will get in their way. Instead of using forms or tips, I build the French white on the end of their finger. This way there is no free edge beyond the end of their finger. In other words, you are using their finger as a form rather than using an actual nail form. I recommend that they schedule a fill in two weeks at which time they will have a free edge to place a form under. —Rheanne Thackeray is a nail tech and esthetician at Kenneth Blair Salon & Spa in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada.
Technique
More FAQ
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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
