Making acrylic dip powder at home is half the cost of going to a nail salon, so why go to a nail salon to do it? You just need to go to the store and buy some materials and be a little patient. Here’s how you can make professional-looking acrylic dip powder at home by yourself.
1 Consider buying a nail art kit. If this is your first time making your own acrylic dip powder, you may need to start with a kit to prepare it. A kit contains the various items you need and provides specific instructions to help you get the results you want. Be sure to check the ingredients so that they do not contain formaldehyde methyl acrylate. Methyl methacrylate is a dental acrylic resin that is a little too hard compared to our nails. Go for the one made of ethyl methacrylate; that’s what you want. It’s best to choose one with a brand name or go online and see what others recommend.
2 Buy what you need separately. To better shape the look of your nails, you may need to purchase these items separately. This way, you will also be prepared for when your nails grow out and need to be redone with Acrylic dip powder. Go to a beauty supply store and buy the following supplies.
Nail stickers and glue. These stickers are usually long, and you need to trim and file them to get them to the shape and size you want.
Scissors and files for nail art. Regular scissors and files are not very useful for nail art. 180, 240, 1000 and 4000 gauges are sufficient. If you are sanding a lot of parts, you may also need a file that is thicker than 180 mesh.
Nail glue and nail art powder. These can be mixed together to make nail art. As stated earlier, do not choose formaldehyde methyl acrylate material; always remember to choose products whose ingredients are ethyl methacrylate.
Bowls and brushes for nail art. You will need these to blend nail polish, etc. Sometimes #8-12 might just be a good choice.
Practice. I know you must be eager to do your nails or someone else’s, but before you get down to it, you better find something to practice with before you cause damage to yourself or someone else. Be aware that these are strong chemicals that can cause allergies if you are not careful. Practice on a fake hand or finger at least ten times. When you are skilled enough not to get the material on the flesh outside your nails, then you can start to really get down to it. Allergies are a matter of a lifetime, so if you’re not sure, don’t try it on someone else’s hands easily.
Getting your nails ready for a manicure
1
Remove the original nail polish. Acrylic dip powder needs to be done on clean nails, so get rid of the original nail polish before you start. Use nail shampoo to wash it off. If you have stickers and glue on your nails to remove, soak them in the nail wash to remove them. Don’t tear it hard; wait until it soaks in until it can be gently removed. Tearing hard can damage your nail and make it thinner.
2 Trim your nails. Provide a good base for acrylic dip powder. Use nail scissors to trim your natural nails short or cut them to a manageable length. Then use a file to smooth it out.
3. Smooth the surface of your nails. Use a professional bruising strip to polish the surface of your nails to make them less smooth and shiny. This nail surface will adhere better to the nail sticker.
4 Push back on the skin of your nail. You want the sticker to stick to your nail and not to your skin. So when you trim yourself, you need to push back on your cuticle.
Use a metal or wooden cuticle pusher to push your cuticles back. If you don’t have one, then a wooden popsicle stick can be used as a substitute.
Cuticles are easier to push back when they are wet and soft than when they are dry. Let your nails soak in warm water for a while before pushing.
5 Use a nail polish primer. This removes any remaining moisture and oil from your nails and prepares them for a manicure. If you still have oil on your nails, the stickers won’t stick.
Before you start, use a cotton ball to lightly rub the surface of your primed nails.
Nail polish base coats are made of acrylic and can burn. Be careful not to use too much and not to stick to your skin. If you don’t want to use an acidic base coat, you can also use an acid-free base coat.
6 Use of nail stickers. Find the right size nail sticker for your nail. If it doesn’t fit, trim it a little. Gently apply a small amount of glue to your nail, so the bottom of the sticker sticks to your nail, and let it dry for five seconds. Put all ten fingers on and trim the nail sticker to the length you want.
