If you are someone who loves to get your nails done regularly or for special occasions, you are surely aware of how expensive and time-consuming can it be to visit nail salons and get acrylic or gel extensions. However, if you still want to get stylish and professional nails but do not wish to spend so much time and money on nail salons, then press-on nails can come to your rescue. You can do your manicure in the comfort of your home and at a lot less expense as compared to nail extensions.
What are Press-On Nails?
Press-on nails are nothing but ready-to-wear acrylic false nails that have been predesigned and can be used to stick directly to natural nails. If the correct steps are used to apply press-ons, they can look and feel a lot like acrylic extensions. These kinds of nails are designed to be user-friendly for the nail lover in you to affix them easily to your nails even without any knowledge about nail extensions. For beginners also, these are a great alternative to false acrylic nails as press-ons can be applied and removed way more easily and cost-effectively. They resemble acrylic extensions in terms of appearance and durability but are quite more convenient and inexpensive.
There are many press-on nail kits available in the market including all the tools and essentials needed to DIY your at-home manicure in minutes. The ready-made press-on kits generally include a cuticle pusher or an orange stick, a nail file, glue tabs or nail glue, and a set of nail tips in different sizes. If you size your nail correctly and choose the tip properly, you can make the most out of your press-ons kit because there are multiple tips available in different sizes for various nail shapes and lengths.
Why Use Press-On Nails?
Considering your nail health, the benefits of using press-ons overextensions are multifold:
1) Safe for Natural Nails
Press-on nails are comparatively less harmful to your nail health than acrylic or gel extensions. Talking about extensions, there are a lot more steps that involve soaking the nails in acetone or buffing the nail bed with abrasive tools quite a few times. Also, many chemicals tend to sit on your nails for quite a long time allowing for the dirt and gunk to accumulate underneath. Thankfully, all these steps get eliminated when you opt for press-ons. Other than the nail glue, no other chemical is out on the natural nail surface and there is no exposure to tools which may eventually make the nails thin and fragile. Besides if you use traditional nail polishes, you would be aware of the staining and chipping which is a common issue in most products. This can also be resolved when using press-on nails as they are custom professional acrylic nail tips for your at-home manicure.
2) Time-Saving and Inexpensive
As mentioned above, using press-ons instead of acrylic or gel extensions can cut down on the precious hours you spend at nail salons to get your favorite designs. Along with saving time, press-ons are also comparatively light on your pocket as professional nail studios charge heftily for acrylics which wouldn’t be preferred by many of you especially if you want to get your nails done regularly. Press-ons are also a more user-friendly DIY alternative for you to style your nails at home if you are a busy professional or a stay-at-home mom and it isn’t possible for you to get your nails done by the nail technician every single time. They can also come to your rescue when you urgently need to get your nails done for that unplanned girls’ night out or a sudden party invitation and can save you from the nightmare of dirty, boring nails by giving them a quick makeover.
3) Customization
Despite being easy breezy, press-on nails aren’t made on the concept of one-size-fits-all. Press-ons can be customized as per your needs in terms of shapes, sizes, lengths, and even designs. Many nail salons out there custom-design your set for you as per your choice. You may look at multiple options and choose what you like or may even give them your ideas depending on your mood, the occasion, and even your outfits. Also, many of us are guilty of not being happy with our nail art after spending so much time and money in the studio but we keep that pain within ourselves. However, life is too short for all that guilt and there are many more things to be upset about! Press-ons can also save you from such situations as you can see the designs beforehand and can decide whether you wish to buy them or not.
Pros and Cons of Press-On Nails
Press-on nails have many benefits as compared to extensions:
1) They save a lot of time – booking salon appointments, going to the salon to get the extensions done, and again going for the removals! Even if you do them patiently, it hardly takes 30 minutes for you to get a manicure done. They can also be quicker than the traditional nail polishes which require the drying time between each coat. You can get a chip-free professional-looking manicure in a lot less time.
2) They are quite affordable from the price point. When salons charge a hefty amount of around $50 for one set, you may easily get readymade press-ons set at $10 or may even get them customized at a price quite less than the extensions. Also, most of the press-on nails are reusable which makes them even more pocket-friendly.
3) They cause the least harm to your natural nails. While acrylic extensions involve many chemicals and abrasive tools in the process, press-ons can easily be DIYed at home away from all these harmful substances.
Press-on nails cannot replace the good old extensions because:
1) They aren’t as durable as acrylic or gel extensions. Press-ons can last for a week or two but not more and to increase the longevity, you need to be extra careful with water and a few other things. Comparatively, if you’re looking for a manicure that lasts longer, it is better to go for extensions.
2) If you aren’t very good with the application process, the results might not turn up the way you expected. On the contrary, if you get extensions done by a nail tech, you can trust the professionalism and experience for perfection.
How Long Do Press-On Nails Last
Depending on the quality of the press-on nails and the correct application process, press-ons can be made to last for 10 days to two weeks. If you follow the correct procedure of applying the press-on nails, the glue will have a strong hold between the nail tip and your natural nail ultimately making the manicure last longer. Sometimes, the longevity of the application also depends on the growth and the strength of your natural nails but that isn’t a constraint in case of using the press-ons. Besides, if you are not a person who’d be comfortable with fake nails or your work doesn’t allow it, and are still using these nails for a specific occasion, you can get a fresh manicure for a few days and can remove the press-ons easily by following a few simple steps. Plus you can store them correctly and reuse them which isn’t the case when getting acrylics. And if you use the traditional nail polishes, they tend to dry out after a few uses especially if you don’t use a good quality, which again isn’t the case with press-on nails. If some of you are quirky and trend-obsessed or just love variations in your nails now and then, you can switch between nails for different occasions or regularly.
A Three-Step Guide to Apply Press-On Nails
1) Nail Prep
First, clip and clean your natural nails. For the press-ons to last longer, trim your nails to a smaller length with the smallest free edge. This will ensure the strongest hold for the tip of your natural nail. Make sure there isn’t any old nail polish or other product on your nails and remove, if any, by using a cotton ball dipped in nail polish remover. Do this even if you don’t have any product on to remove any dust, natural oil, or residue on the surface of your nails to prep them for sticking the press-ons. You may then use an orange stick to push back your cuticles. This gives more space for the glue application which eventually makes the manicure last longer.
2) Sizing
Next, look for the nail tip size among the set to find out the closest one to each of your nail beds. At this step, you may even file down a tip to match your nail size and the shape of your cuticle. Do this for each of your fingernails before starting to attach the press-on tips to your nails. For easy access, you may look for the tiny numbers on your tips with 0 being the biggest and 9 being the smallest. In this way, it becomes quite easier for you to figure out the most suitable size for your nail, and can even file a tip if you are in between two sizes to get the perfect custom tip for yourself.
3) Application
The simplest yet most crucial step is to affix your press-on nails to your natural nail bed after all the prepping and planning. All you have to do is use the nail glue or the adhesive tabs provided with the nail set for sticking your tips. Make sure you cover your entire natural nail surface with nail glue and then align the tip to the shape of your cuticle while the glue is still wet. Carefully place the tip so that it sits on the nail in one go and no air bubbles are formed between the glue and the tip. Gently press down the nail for a few seconds before switching to the next finger. Make sure you don’t use too much or too little glue – it shouldn’t be oozing out from the sides when you press the nail but should be sufficient enough for the tip to stick properly.
Also, ensure not to have any glue residue on your cuticle or the skin surrounding your nail. You may also follow the simplest rule – a drop of glue on the back of the nail tip and a drop on your natural nail surface. If you don’t have nail glue, you may simply stick the adhesive nail tabs on the back of your press-on nail tip and stick it on the nail surface pressing it down for the glue tab to get a strong hold.
How To Make Press-On Nails Look Real
The two key ways for any manicure to look more real and natural are the length and the shape. Although it may be tempting to go for the OTT longest coffin nails, you should not ignore your natural nail size and structure. The idea is to always go for small to medium lengths and look for shapes like almonds, ovals, and squovals.
These are how usually the natural nails grow and hence, the manicure will look more natural. Also, when using press-on nails, make sure you file down the edge of the tip to align with the natural contours of your nail and cuticle. This will ensure the tip sits closest to the borders of your nail making it look more natural and professionally done.
How To Make Press-On Nails Last Long
If you want your nails to last for 4 weeks or more, press-ons wouldn’t be the right choice. Rather you should go for acrylic or gel extensions. But if you want to make the most out of your press-ons and want them to last for around 2 weeks, you have to be particular about your application. Patience is the key when it comes to DIY manicures using press-on nails. Be very clean with your nail prepping and cleaning.
Also, instead of getting lured with cheap quality inexpensive sets, invest in good quality press-on nails that have better durability and longevity. Also, filing and shaping the tips is a crucial point, and using the correct sizes is even more important. Extremely long tips on short nail beds won’t stay for long and may easily snap away even causing harm to your natural nail.
Using the right amount of glue and placing it correctly is another important factor in increasing the last of your press-ons. Apart from all these, you may also go ahead with layering your press-ons with a gel-based top-coat and curing it under the UV or LED lamp for an even better grip and more shine. Another important point is to not soak or submerge your nails in water in activities like long hot baths or swimming as this can make the glue lose its strength and the tip might pop off.
