Artificial nails
extensions placed over fingernails
Artificial nails, also known as fake nails, false nails, acrylic nails, press ons, acrylics, gel nails, nail extensions or nail enhancements, are extensions placed over fingernails as fashion accessories. Many artificial nail designs attempt to mimic the appearance of real fingernails as closely as possible, while others may deliberately stray in favor of an artistic look.
Artificial nails require regular upkeep: it is recommended that they be attended to, on average, every two weeks, as human fingernails in healthy young persons have been found to grow some 3.47 mm/month; however, they may last over one month.
Types
Artificial nails are an extension, not a replacement, of natural nails. There are two main approaches to creating artificial nails – tips and forms:
A tip is a heavyweight nail-shaped plastic plate glued on the end of the natural nail, or, if it is a full-cover tip or "press-on", glued on top of the entire nailbed, and can have gel, dip or acrylic added on top
A form is a shaped sheet with a sticky edge that is effectively attached to the tip of the finger and wrapped around the entirety of the nail to form an extension: this offers more creative control over the final shape of the artificial nail
Atop these, either acrylic, hard gel, or any combination of both may be applied. Tips are available in many different designs, ranging from solid colors like gel or regular nail polish, to graphic designs such as animal prints and metallic colors. In addition to polishes, other embellishments may be used, such as rhinestones, glitter, stickers, fimo charms and striping tape, to add more to the artificial nail's design. Artificial nails can be shaped, cut, and filed into a variety of shapes, including square, squared oval/"squoval", rounded, almond, ballerina/coffin, mountain peak, lipstick, and stiletto.
Acrylic nails
Acrylic nails are made out of acrylic glass. The conventional technology employs polymer beads synthesized from ethyl methacrylate (poly-EMA).
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