Ever wondered how most of the supermodels on the cover of your favorite fashion magazine or reality shows have perfectly polished and precisely cut nails? That is the magic of acrylics! You can view it as a work of art with a lot of chemistry involved.
Maintaining intrinsic shapes of your natural nails can be troublesome since you have to do hundreds of chores, from doing the dishes to scraping off the dirt from the floor. This is where an acrylic nail becomes the savior!
Acrylic nails are ideal for people looking to change the shape and length of their nails. As beautiful as it appears, these nails can be very tricky to use. They are fragile and need to be used cautiously as there are chances you might break your fake nail, pulling out natural nails underneath!
You will get a comprehensive idea of why acrylic nail ripped off real nail and how you should take care of them daily.
Table of Content
What are acrylic nails?
Acrylic nails, commonly known as fake nails or false nails or nail extensions, are a popular beauty accessory, trendy, especially among teenage girls.
These are the mixture of powder and liquid monomer (mono meaning ‘one/singular’ in Greek’) to form a thick paste which is later modified into various shapes and thicknesses as per requirement.
These are rigid and strong. But any collision or bump can lift your real nails from the base. However, constant acrylic nails weaken your natural nails, and they become prone to breakage or spilling.
Do you know what does the upward growing toenails tells about your health?
What are they made of?
The key ingredient in preparing acrylic nails is poly ethyl methyl methacrylate, also known as PMMA. It is a mixture of monomers called methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate, which acts as a catalyst to fasten the action of chemicals in the powder. Various pigments and sparkles, along with other substances, are added to make it look more pleasing.
The liquid monomers are microscopic chemical units that will react when combined with chemicals in the powder. These monomers combine to form fibers connected in long chains, polymers. Then these polymer fibers react in a process known as crosslinking to make up a rigid structure. The strands will harden to form resin resembling a fingernail. Then they are given suitable shapes, colors, and forms according to the requirements of the consumer.
Types of acrylic nails
They are commercially available in ‘tip’ and ‘forms.’ Gel nails are like acrylic nails considering the similarity in their appearance, but gel nails require UV rays to make up the hard and glossy surface.
Benefits of using acrylic nails
When it comes to concealing a broken nail or hiding disfigured nails, for the time being, using acrylic nails can be an excellent choice. This may be an effective option for those who bite their fingertips, considering their durability and hard structure.
Not to forget their overwhelming use in the fashion industry since it is not always possible to grow your nails into long, sculptured ones within a short time. Moreover, long nails may accumulate dirt and germs that may cause infection. Hence you can keep your nails short and instead use nail extensions on reserved occasions where you want to flaunt your gorgeous nails!
Acrylic nail ripped off real nail: Injurious effects of using acrylic nails
Prolonged use of artificial nails may lead to severe damage to the nail bed, affecting the growth and development of the nails. Minor traumas while removing the acrylic nails and microbial infections are pretty common among people.
The gap between natural and artificial nails can harbor the growth of bacteria, fungus and this space allow moisture to settle in, making room for infections. You can observe redness, pain, and leakage of pus from the base of the nail, which will need immediate attention.
In addition to the users or clients, the salon workers or professionals are potentially exposed to unpleasant chemical products and fumes needed to prepare acrylic nails. Contact dermatitis, allergies in the eyes and nose, etc., may be some of the health hazards found among them from an occupational point of view.
Therefore, the technicians must recognize the quality of the raw materials and notify the workers about their proportionate use. Proper handling of these chemicals and personal safety measures like masks or gloves can lower the risk of developing these health effects.
Why do acrylic nail ripped off real nail?
Once you have your nails done, you need to be careful with what you do. A simple knock or bump on your nail can rip it off the base making your natural nails come out! Some of the factors contributing to the breakage of an acrylic nail are given here.
- Overusing or underusing the primer while prepping for application of acrylic nail.
- Improper filling of the artificial nails
- Faulty shaping.
- Chemical reaction. A person may have allergic reactions to acrylic powder or liquid chemicals.
- Applying polish to an already damaged nail, causing thinning of the plate.
- Excessive and frequent use of nail paints, gel.
- Using low quality products.
- Inappropriate maintenance and habits.
- Physical impact on the nails (while washing clothes, doing dishes, scrubbing floor, any athletic activities etc).
There can be bleeding, pain, and destruction of the underlying nail. The most vital step that needs to be done once you see the acrylic nails ripped off your real nails is to assess the extent of damage to the nail bed or surrounding tissues.
How to fix your broken nail?
Going to a salon is the best option to get your broken nail treated; there are few things you should keep in mind while dealing with acrylic nail ripped off real nail.
- If your acrylic nails ripped off your real nails, you need to clean it first. You better keep it covered with a band-aid. Restrict the use of the affected finger until it heals. It is necessary to remember that you should keep it covered to prevent contamination caused by any fungus or bacteria but not too tightly wrapped that the healing procedure gets delayed.
- If you have a broken nail that tore halfway, then slowly try to lift your acrylic nail from the natural nails. It is best not to remove the nail forcibly because it can be extremely painful and cause immense damage in the affected area.
- If you feel only pain without any sort of bleeding, then probably the nail bed of the finger has been damaged too. For this you need to fix it with utmost precaution. If you think of doing it by yourself, then clean it with water and remove glue, loose shards and germs and make sure to keep your nails dry. Use a blow dryer if necessary. Otherwise it won’t recover soon.
- But in case you observe bleeding along with burning pain on the affected natural nail, then you shouldn’t apply any chemical product on it. Depending on the severity of the damage, the injured nail bed may not be able to regrow the actual nail.
There will be situations when you won’t visit the salon, and you will need to fix your ripped-off nail by yourself. You can do specific home remedies to relieve pain. It won’t only reduce pain but also fasten the healing process. Here are some basic steps you can follow.
- File the edges and trim the detached portion of the nail, leave the nail the way it has been because removal can worsen the condition
- Dip your fingers in cold water for some time after trimming.
- Wrap the affected part with band-aid or tape until it has started growing again.
- In order to prevent infection, keep it as dry as possible. Use topical disinfectants.
How to stop the pain or bleeding from the broken nail?
This will depend on a few factors previously mentioned. Make sure to keep the site sterilized. You can use ice packs to reduce the pain of acrylic nail ripped off real nail.
If you see blood coming out of the infected nail, try stopping it from flowing further by compressing or squeezing it with your fingers or a clean piece of cloth. You might need to apply antiseptic ointments or liquid solutions to prevent the growth of any infection. You don’t want to see any undesirable infection on your fingertips, don’t you?
But even if you don’t see improvements, do visit a hospital or a salon for treatment of your ripped-off nails.
Taking care of acrylic nails
Acrylic nails can look as hard as glass, but in reality, they are fragile when overstressed or put under pressure. There is no specific cause that can predict whether you will break your nails or not; hence measures need to be taken to prevent breakage.
- Keeping our nails dry : Frequent hand washing or keeping hands soaked in water for long weaken the artificial nails. Despite having a perfect cut, there may be micro pores that will allow passage of fluid inside the gaps between the real and acrylic nails. The key tip is to remove the moisture off your hands by using a towel or napkin.
- Precaution with chemical products: We are constantly exposed to tons of chemical substances daily. Be it dishwashing or doing laundry. Bleach, detergents, soap have their own chemical components that may weaken the integrity of these artificial nails. Use gloves while doing these chores.
- Disinfection: You can wash your hands using antiseptic liquid soaps on a regular basis. Fungal infection can be easily prevented by keeping the site sterilized. Most of you get your nails done in salons, you should consider if the technicians work in a clean sanitary environment or not, if they use sterilized and quality products for their clients.
- Changing sets of acrylic nails after an interval: You may think the salon technicians are asking you to spend more money on changing your nails but this is in fact required for the natural growth of the real nails. If you continue to get your nail filled without taking a little break, you will be ignoring the possible discoloration or accumulation of dirt, dust in the nails if there is any. This can be a sign of fungal infection.
- Stay away from acetone: Acetone is usable for intact nail beds only. This is effective in removing nail polishes but it consequently and gradually softens the acrylic nails.
- Use of nail supplements: Biotin, Vit B complex etc natural supplements can make your nail stronger.
FAQ
Does acrylic nail damage real nails?
Yes, they might. As long as they are used and removed carefully, there will not be any serious issue of acrylic nail ripped off real nail.
Will my real nails grow after it has been completely ripped off with the acrylic nail?
It will regrow but slower than before since the nail bed has been excessively disrupted. It may take a few weeks.
Do lifted nails require hospital visits?
Resolving minor tears doesn’t always require a visit to the hospital. With attention to the infection risks and hygiene practices, you can quickly fix your broken nails and prevent unpleasant infections by following the home remedies.
Is it okay to wear acrylic nails for months?
The time frame does not matter here, but since your natural nails need to be taken care of, you should let them be free from any nail polish or coats of chemical products to prevent discoloration and unusual chipping on the edges. Hence, it is better to stay away from nail extensions for some time so that your natural nails can breathe.
Endnotes
Trying out different fashionable trends from Tiktok or having ideas while going through Pinterest to make your nails look fancy is expected and obvious. You can easily search “acrylic nails at home” and try out various DIYs. But trying to know what you are applying on your nail is highly suggestive if you want to know about acrylic nail ripped off real nail.
What goes wrong is when people get exposed to different chemicals that seem to work but cause more harm. You will have beautiful nails one day, and then you will feel irritation after a few days of getting acrylic nails.
Beauty salons are supposed to help you get your desired, glamorous nails, but they can’t be held accountable when you break your nails due to your reluctance or lack of care. Compared to other forms of injury, it is a minor trauma, yet painful and irritable in your daily activities.
Study about the products that you have been using. Ask the nail artists what products they have been using. Get to know about the standard of the salons or manicurists you will be taking appointments from. With the proper application, you can have the kind of nails you’ve always desired!
Everybody deserves to have long almond-shaped or rectangular gorgeous nails. You can try them by yourself, although having your nails done by experts is safe. After all, better safe than sorry.
