The most common mistakes when modeling nails

Nail modeling is an easy way to quickly get your nails in order, hide imperfections and get the perfect manicure, which will also delight you with its durability. The quality of such a manicure depends on many factors: the condition of natural nails, the materials used and the work of the master himself. Of course, the last factor is the most important. After all, some minor mistake by a manicurist during the process can significantly spoil the quality of the manicure and its service life.

We talked with expert Yulia Slivchuk about the most popular mistakes artists make when modeling nails and how to prevent them.

Yulia Slivchuk, practicing master, instructor, multiple winner of the Ukrainian Championship, judge of the ABC Ukrainian Championship

Any modeling begins with the preparation of the nail plate, which consists of three stages; poor execution of any of them disrupts the adhesion process.

1. Hardware preparation

Allows you to free the nail from the remnants of the cuticle in the eponychium and lateral sinuses. It is performed using cylindrical diamond cutters around the circumference of the nail plate. Poor execution of this stage leads to problems with the adhesion of the artificial material to the natural nail.

2. Mechanical preparation

Needed to remove the lipid layer and free edge, done with a 240 grit file. Violation of the preparation of this stage can also be caused by buffs, which are designed to polish the dorsal layer. When filing down the free edge, you should pay attention to its symmetry and complete removal of the free edge of the nail. Neglect of this process provokes material flow, and subsequently cracks and breaks along the free edge line.

3. Chemical preparation

Consists of degreasing, drying the dorsal layer, applying adhesion products. The following causes problems at this stage:

• application of low-quality dehydrators;

• excess primer;

• uneven priming with the base product.

The next important step in modeling, which causes many problems, is cutting and setting the template. When cutting a template, you need to control the following points:

1. Form gap in the center of the nail: the edge of the form does not touch the ingrowth points of the natural nail.

2. When setting forms, it is important to control them relative to the central axis of the finger, the side ridges, and not the width of the plate, relative to the transverse arch of the nail.

3. Uneven gluing of the template.

4. Incorrect selection of template depending on the shape of the future nail.

When filing a modeled nail, the following steps should be monitored:

Top view relative to the central axis of the finger:

• side parallels are parallel or symmetrically tapered

• the center of the free edge coincides with the axis

• the ends are clearly perpendicular to the central axis.

Side view relative to the lateral axis of the finger:

• the longitudinal arch is parallel to the axis of the finger in most arch forms

• the bottom of the lateral ones, which are parallel to each other and the axis of the finger

• ends at an angle relative to the axis (depending on the shape)

Front view:

• transverse arch relative to the central axis of the finger

• parallelism of concave and convex.