Information about Infills and maintenance
Maintenance is crucial!
The picture here shows nail enhancements just at the point of needing an infill. Leaving it too much longer will cause problems such as lifting and stress points.
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As the nail tip grows further away from the nail bed it becomes more exposed to general knocks and trauma. At the same time the amount of product firmly anchoring the enhancement to the nail bed is reducing, the balance is lost and the enhancement becomes less stable.
What happens to nails if enhancements are not maintained?
As the nails grow out underneath the enhancements they will become more flexible at the tip. For a while this won't cause any issues but eventually the point where the nail leaves the finger will be prone to increased flexing as day to day knocks impact the tips. Add to this that the amount of product on top of the growing nail is moving forward then you have even less support, the Apex that was placed to add strength will move forward to a position where it can exacerbate the problem, I call this 'tip heavy'.
This type of stress might eventually cause light fracture points across the nail, undoing all your excellent work!
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Additionally, overgrown enhancements cause 'lifting', where the product begins to detach from the nails in places, often this is in small areas at the sides of the nails owing to the flexing described previously. Correcting lifted product is time consuming and will add to your infill service time.
What does an infill involve?
Firstly the top layer of gel colour is removed. Then the enhancements are checked carefully for good adhesion. If there is any lifted product that will be removed. Nail tips can be shortened at this point if needed.
After this, new product is added to the grown out area near the cuticles and blended into the old product. The Apex is reset to add strength and then the entire surface is reprofiled to create a perfect shape before applying a fresh gel colour.
Reaping the benefits of regular maintenance
Good maintenance ensures your natural nails will grow out as strong and healthy as possible. If you start your journey with extensions then very soon you will only need overlays... Soon after that you will need to have your own natural nails shortened to keep them manageable, imagine that!
What happens if you need to take off your enhancements?
In this case product can be removed to the point where all that remains is a very thin, clear veneer which can be buffed to a natural, healthy shine.
It's often a bit of a shock going from protected nails to bare nails, this method helps bridge the gap and the tiny amount of remaining product can be safely left to grow out gradually. That little bit of invisible reinforcement keeps things comfortable and tidy.
Switch to Care and Flair!
If you're not happy with your current nail maintenance services go ahead and book your next infill here with me. Just choose Infill & Rebalance with Gel Polish for Overlays and Extensions.