Cuticle Area
The is the razor’s edge for nail techs. A game of chicken, where the tech must come as close to the skin as possible to complete a full-coverage look, but go one millimeter over and have enhancements compromised by lifting, service breakdown, and unsatisfied customers. > The enhancement should taper and thin to be flush with the nail plate when approaching the cuticle. > Too much product will create an unnatural and bulky look that could lead to lifting and cracking toward the middle of the nail if the nail is stressed or impacted.
Sidewalls
are the foundation for a wellbalanced acrylic pink-and-white. They must remain faithful to the width of the natural nail bed while forming straight and parallel walls to create an illusion of elongated nail beds. > Sidewalls that taper out will lead to a wide, clumsy extension. The free edge becomes compromised and conflicts with the smile line to make for an unnatural-looking enhancement. > If one sidewall goes awry the overall enhancement will be crooked. > If the sidewalls are too narrow the structure will be weak and can incur cracking toward the middle of the enhancement.
Free Edge
is where you will find the most diverging opinions on what constitutes a perfect The nail. Some argue for the classic square look, while others prefer a more natural-looking oval-shaped enhancement. We opted for the oval shape here. > Filing becomes paramount for a proper free edge. Square free edges need to be perpendicular to the nail bed, and ovals, almonds, and rounds must have symmetry on either side. > It’s important to make accurate product applications to minimize filing. Oval and almond shapes should not be filed down from square. The sculpt should dictate the shape, with the filing for perfecting. MARCH 2012
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