It is such a dopamine rush when you get your nails done! Artificial nails look so pretty and professional even when you DIY them using press-on nails. Manicures also feel therapeutic when you do it in the comfort of your home.
But sometimes, the happiness is short-lived if some small accidents occur that affect your skin and cause a lot of pain. Especially when using incorrect products or not following the correct methods to do things, it can become painful to treat skin and nail problems. When applying artificial nails, make sure you do it carefully and methodically to avoid any of these mishaps.
One of the problems is getting nail glue stuck on your skin and wondering how to remove it without causing further damage to the delicate skin. Read on to understand …
What is a Nail Glue?
Nail glues are nothing but adhesive chemicals used for sticking artificial nails to your fingernails. Whether you’re getting acrylic or gel enhancements, using press-on nails, or even getting some cracks fixed in your natural nails, nail glues can come to your rescue.
However, these are made of harmful chemicals and are designed to be used specifically on the nail surface. If you happen to get nail glue stuck on your skin, it may cause reactions and other problems like skin burns, extreme dryness, peeling, etc. These glues are high in chemical properties to become quick-drying and strongly adhesive substances to hold the fake nail tip on the natural nail for a long time.
Why and How to Use a Nail Glue?
Invest in good-quality nail glue if you are someone who loves doing press-on nails at home. This will be a boon for your manicure kit and will give you wonderful results when used correctly. But for that, you need to swear by using it in moderation.
You can use nail glue for sticking your press-ons or embellishments on your nails or for even fixing small cracks. However, using too much or too little of it will cause problems in your manicure. To use it correctly, first, make sure your nails are prepped well and your press-on tips are ready to be stuck after shaping and filing.
Different kinds of nail glues are available as per your requirements:
1) Dropper Glue – this has a packaging that allows you to press the bottle to dispense one drop of the product at a time
2) Brush-On Glue – this has a nail-polish-like brush to apply a thin and even layer or glue on your natural or fake nail
3) Adhesive Tabs – these are a set of stick-on tabs, pre-glued on both sides, to be placed on the nail surface for sticking the fake tip.
Adhesive tabs are quite safe and problem-free but they don’t provide as much longevity and are used with press-on nails to last for a maximum of two weeks. The liquid nail glues are the ones that are strongly adhesive and provide great longevity for your fake manicures. These are to be used carefully as they can easily ruin your work by overflowing in the cuticles or even having your fingers stuck to each other.
How to Avoid Nail Glue Getting Stuck on Your Skin?
When working with nail glues, remember ‘less is always more’. It is always easy to add more product but removing it from the nails and skin can be a nightmare!
So, to avoid the nail glue from getting on your skin, it is always advisable to use smaller amounts and apply them correctly on the nail surface not going too close to the cuticle. If you are a beginner or if you are not confident about using dropper glues, it is better to opt for a brush-on applicator to control the quantity of the product being used.
Always work in thinner and smooth layers of glue on the natural nail. Avoid flooding your nail bed with so much glue that when you press the fake tip on it, the excess glue bleeds into your cuticles and the surrounding skin. When using a brush-on glue, apply a thin layer on the entire nail but not too close to the skin. When using dropper glue, apply a thin line only on the center of the nail so that when you press the fake tip on top, the glue can spread out and take its place rather than oozing out from the edges.
How to Remove Dried Nail Glue from Your Skin?
Despite being very careful with your application, if you happen to get some glue stuck on your skin, the first thing to do – DON’T PANIC! Don’t be in a rush trying to remove it using a cotton ball or a tissue. Doing this, you are only going to spread the glue around worsening the situation for yourself. Just be calm and follow some steps to remove nail glue from your skin once it gets dried:
1) Wash the affected area with some warm soapy water and try exfoliating the dried glue using a nail file or a buffer. Be careful not to be very harsh on it as you may hurt your skin around and cause more harm. Gently try to get rid of dried glue by repeating this process 2-3 times.
2) An even simpler way is to use the good-old petroleum jelly to remove the glue painlessly. Simply apply the petroleum jelly to the affected area and let it sit for a few minutes. This will soften the glue and then you may gently scrape it off using an orangewood stick.
3) If the above ideas don’t work for you, you may also use cuticle oil and a brush to exfoliate. The oil will loosen the bond of the glue and the brush will remove the dried glue. Using cuticle oil will help keep the skin soft and avoid causing dryness or heat due to the exfoliation with the brush.
4) Other than all these home remedies, you can always rely on 100% pure acetone or acetone-based polish remover to break the bonds of the nail glue and dilute it for easy removal. You can either massage the dried glue with a soaked cotton ball or soak the affected area in the liquid. This is a sure-shot way to remove nail glue from your skin but it can be very drying and can cause burning sensation or redness.
How to Recover Your Skin After Getting the Nail Glue Off?
It has been said many times to avoid nail glue getting stuck on your skin because that can cause a lot of harm even if you successfully remove the glue residue using any of the above methods. This is because you might strip off your skin layer while scrapping off the glue and this will cause dryness and minute tears in the skin.
When you remove the dried glue, make sure you rehydrate your skin properly with cuticle oils and hand creams. Make sure you do this for a few days regularly to regain the nourishment and moisture of your skin in the affected area.
Learn to be gentle and careful with your glues going ahead and control the application so you don’t harm your skin adversely now and then.
Wrap-Up
Knowing how to safely remove nail glue from your skin is essential for maintaining healthy nails and skin. By understanding the types of nail glue and taking precautions to prevent the glue from sticking to your skin, you can minimize the risk of irritation or damage. If you get nail glue stuck on your skin, we suggest some removal methods in this blog that can help you safely and effectively remove dried nail glue without harming your skin. Remember to follow up with proper skincare to help your skin recover and stay healthy. With these strategies at your disposal, dealing with nail glue mishaps becomes a simple and manageable task, allowing you to enjoy beautiful nails without the worry of sticky situations.