Proper nail care: how to keep acrylics pretty (and your natural nails happy)

A good set should feel like yours. The finish lasts longer, lifts less, and the natural nail underneath stays healthier when a few small habits become routine. Here’s how I ask my clients to look after their nails between appointments at Sugarcoat By Jess.

Give them 24 hours

After a full set or infill, the product is hard — but it is still settling. For the first day:

• Avoid very hot water, saunas, and long baths
• Skip heavy gym gripping, opening stubborn jars, and DIY if you can
• Don’t press or tap the tips to “test” them

If something feels sharp or too long, message me. Don’t file it down at home unless I’ve shown you how.

Oil is not optional

Dry nails and cuticles are the fastest way to a brittle set. Keep a cuticle oil in your bag and use it morning and night, and after washing up.

Massage it into the skin around the nail and along the free edge. It doesn’t ruin the shine — it stops the enhancement from drying out and lifting.

A plain jojoba or a salon cuticle oil is enough. You don’t need anything fancy.

Water, gloves, and real life

Acrylic doesn’t mind the odd wash. What it hates is constant soaking then drying.

Wear gloves for:

• Washing up
• Cleaning sprays and bleach
• Gardening

Pat hands dry, then oil. That one habit saves more infills than anything else.

Don’t pick, peel, or “just pop that bit”

If a corner lifts, leave it. Picking pulls the product and a layer of natural nail with it. That’s when you get sore, thin nails and a set that won’t last.

Same goes for:

• Using nails as tools (ring pulls, phone cases, scraping labels)
• Biting or chewing the free edge
• Home soak-offs with foil and acetone for hours

If a nail snags or lifts, book a repair or WhatsApp me. A five-minute tidy is kinder than three weeks of picking.

Infills keep the set honest

Nails grow. After two to three weeks you’ll see a gap at the cuticle. That’s normal — it’s not the set “falling off”.

Come in for an infill on time and we:

• Fill the grow-out
• Rebalance the shape
• Check for lift
• Refresh colour or art

Leave it much longer and the leverage on the natural nail gets too high. That’s when breaks happen. If you need to stretch an appointment, say so and we’ll plan it.

What’s happening under the set

Healthy natural nails under acrylic are:

• Even colour (not green or dark)
• Not painfully thin
• Not constantly wet or smelly

A little white grow-out is fine. Pain, throbbing, or a bad smell is not. Don’t wait for your next infill — get in touch the same day. Moisture trapped under a lift can cause an infection, and that’s easier to sort early.

Never ignore a green tinge. That’s a sign to soak off and treat, not to cover it with more product.

Soak-off, not rip-off

When you’re ready for a change or a break, we soak the product off properly. That takes a little time on purpose. Ripping a set off — even if it’s “nearly off” — takes layers of natural nail with it.

If you want a holiday from enhancements, we can soak off and tidy the natural nail so it can recover. Oil, gloves, and no picking still apply.

A simple weekly checklist

• Oil twice a day
• Gloves for washing up
• No picking
• File only if I’ve shown you the shape
• Infill every 2–3 weeks
• Message me if anything lifts, hurts, or looks off

That’s it. Pretty nails are mostly aftercare.

Book a set that you’ll actually look after

If you’re new to acrylics, we’ll talk through length and shape that fits your life — not just what looks good in photos. Shorter and balanced often lasts better.

Book an appointment at Kittens Got Claws in Spalding, or send a WhatsApp. New clients get 20% off the first visit.