Acrylic nail shapes for small nail beds how to#
Acrylic nail shapes for small nail beds free#

Acrylic nail shapes for small nail beds free#

SquareĪnother low-maintenance style for both long and short nails, characterised by straight-filed sides and a straight-filed free edge. While you don’t always need long nails to pull this off, a few millimetres of free edge extending over the fingertip will go a long way. The oval is a medium to long shape with straight-filed sides that end in a soft semicircle. Whether they’re straight, flared or slightly uneven-shaped, natural nails will grow as they please as nature intended. When we are creating the above desired nail ‘structure’, we use the term ‘shaping’ the nail.While there are more nail shape types out there than you can count on both hands, here are a few of our favourites for your perusal. Here are some examples of what an incorrect apex looks like:īefore we move on and look at how we create these shapes and structures, it is important to note that when we are creating the above nail ‘shapes’ we generally use the term ‘filing’ into shape, as the majority of the process of creating nail shapes is done with a nail file. You might have thought the strength of artificial nails came from loading up gel/acrylic, but it actually comes from properly sculpting the apex and c-curve. If the c-curve is too thick, your clients won’t be able to pick up anything, and if it is too thin, the free edge will be brittle. Just like a correctly formed apex, a c-curve helps to provide extra strength and stability to the nail. Put simply the C-curve is the arch we see when looking at the nail from the tip toward the cuticle. The image below outlines the key elements:Īs you can see in the above image, in addition to the apex (part of the upper arch), we also need to consider the C-curve (lower arch).

And remember, nails will continue to grow, so if your apex is not far enough back the nail will gradually weaken.īuilding on our natural nail anatomy, there are structural parts of an artificial nail. It is important to remember that the longer the nail enhancement the larger the apex will need to be in order to provide structure and stability. In general, the apex will sit in the back third of the nail enhancement. The position of the apex will vary with different nail shapes and lengths.

Transition smoothly from the apex toward the cuticle and from the apex to the sidewalls.

Gradually taper in an arc (the body of the arch) to a thin layer at the tip (the lower arch).

When we do not properly build and balance the apex, the nail will likely break at the stress point, causing not only pain but the inconvenience of having to have the nail repaired. It should be visible from every angle but is most noticeable from the side view.Īs explained, the nail apex is where extra strength is built up at the weakest point of the nail. Key term | Apex: The apex should be the highest point of an enhancement, located at the weakest point and created to give the nail balance and strength. Have you ever wondered why artificial nails have more of a curve, whereas our natural nails are flatter? The curve in the middle of the artificial nail is known as the ‘apex’. When we use the term ‘structure’ in nail technology, we are referring to the body or thickness of the nail enhancement.

The second aspect to creating aesthetically pleasing and durable nail enhancements is nail structure.

Acrylic nail shapes for small nail beds how to#

You will learn how to firstly trim down and then file tips into the above shapes in an upcoming video tutorial.