What are infills on acrylic nails, how do they work and can you do them at home?

GETTING some acrylic nails done look fantastic – until that unsightly nail bed starts to peek through.

But what are infills for acrylic nails, how do they work and how often do you need them?

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What are infills on acrylic nails and how do they work?

After around two to three weeks, you will start to notice natural regrowth of your nail following getting acrylics.

It’s not the nicest sight, but having frequent visits to the nail salon isn’t the most friendly on the budget.

Infills can be your saving grace when it comes to keeping your nails look in ship shape, as they hide the exposed natural nail and essentially “top up” the manicure.

They work by adding in extra acrylic into the gap, so you can paint over the entire nail and keep the look going for longer.

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When your acrylic nails grow out, you might want to get infills instead of replacing the whole thing[/caption]

How long do acrylic nails last and how often do you need infills?

The amount of time it takes for acrylic nails can vary from person to person, and also depends on how you look after your nails.

Typically growth will start to show around two weeks, and after your nails have extended beyond a fourth of your natural nails, you might want to consider filling them in.

Filling them in can be cheaper and quicker than getting the whole acrylic nail removed and replaced in the salon.

The length of time acrylic nails last depend on a number of things, mainly due to how fast your nails grow, but you can generally expect them to last up to five or so months.

Alamy

When you fill them in, you push back the cuticles and add extra acrylic to the exposed natural nail[/caption]

Can you do infills on acrylic nails at home?

If you need to infill a nail but don’t have time to go to the salon, don’t panic.

Firstly reduce the thickness of the acrylics at the base using a file, and buff to remove any bumps.

Then remove any dust and then push back your cuticles.

Apply a primer to the exposer natural nail, and then add a ball of acrylic to the natural nail and stroke down to blend into the existing cuticles.

How can you make your acrylic nails last longer?

There are a number of tricks you can follow to prolong the appearance of a nail.

These include:

• Moisturising cuticles daily
• keep nails strengthened with jojoba oil
• Keeping hands clean
• Using the pad of the finger to type, instead of the nail itself
• Wearing gloves for washing up