Nail Tips & Forms

Question 1

What’s the most popular services you will do as a nail tech?

Answer 1

Nail extensions

Question 2

Nail Enhamcement

Answer 2

Any product added to the natural nail to increase strength & beauty

Question 3

Nail Extension

Answer 3

Extending the length of natural nails by use of tips / forms

Question 4

Dry Manicure

Answer 4

Used prior to an enhancement service to prepare the cuticle & nail plate without soaking in water

Question 5

Dry Manicure - Prep!

Answer 5

• Shape nails, push back eponychium, & remove cuticle tissue
• Anything left on the nail plate will eventually lift away
• Gently buff surface of nail plate to remove shine
• Cleanse & Dehydrate

Question 6

What areas of the nail plate should you remember to buff to prevent lifting?

Answer 6

The cuticle area, sides of the nail, & down to the lateral folds

Question 7

Nail Cleanser

Answer 7

Used to remove surface debris, moisture, & tiny amounts of oil on the natural nail plate; which block adhesion (made of isobutyl alcohol)

Question 8

Nail Dehydrator

Answer 8

Used to temporarily stop the nail from producing moisture & natural oil for 10 minutes (made of butyl acetate)

Question 9

Nail Tips

Answer 9

Pre-molded nails shaped from a tough plastic made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

Question 10

Overlay

Answer 10

A layer of nail enhancement product over the entire surface of the nail to provide strength, structure, & support

Question 11

Nail Adhesive

Answer 11

A thin resin applied into the well area that is used to adhere the tip to the natural nail

Question 12

Position Stop

Answer 12

The point where the free edge of the natural nail meets or stops inside the well; determines where the tip should be placed

Question 13

Full-Well Tip

Answer 13

Covers the entire apex area & usually covers more than half of the nail plate

Question 14

Partial-Well Tip

Answer 14

Usually altered at the well line to expose more of the natural nail; well is shorter than a standard full-well tip

Question 15

Well-Less Tip

Answer 15

Has no well at all & no position stop; can be attached to natural nail wherever it fits best

Question 16

Full-Coverage Tips

Answer 16

Covers the entire nail up to the cuticle; these tips need to be customized to fit the nail plate perfectly

Question 17

French Tips

Answer 17

Cut like a smile line at the contact point; some are partial-well & some are well-less (no blending needed)

Question 18

Nail Tip Coverage

Answer 18

• Tips should cover your client’s nail plate sidewall to sidewall exactly
• Too small tips will be uneven, split, crack, cause pinching, pressure, & pop off
• Too big tips will lift, fan out, & fall off

Question 19

Tip Cutters

Answer 19

Specifically designed to not put pressure on the nail tip as it’s being cut

Question 20

What should you do after your nail tips are the desired length & shape?

Answer 20

Reduce the contact area with a medium-grit abrasive to blend the tip into the natural nail

Question 21

Nail Forms

Answer 21

Placed under the free edge of the natural nail & used to guide nail enhancement product beyond the fingertip to add length

Question 22

Disposable Nail Forms

Answer 22

Often made of paper / mylar & coated with an adhesive back

Question 23

Reusable Nail Forms

Answer 23

Made of pre-shaped plastic or aluminum & can be cleaned + disinfected; can be more difficult to keep in place

Question 24

Seven Most Common Nail Shapes

Answer 24

• Square (straight)
• Squoval (soft square)
• Round (mimics cuticle line & slightly tapered)
• Oval (very tapered & soft rounded point)
• Almond (very tapered & edge will come to sharp point)
• Stiletto (long skinny carrot)
• Ballerina (ballet point shoe)

Question 25

Stress Area

Answer 25

Where the natural nail grows beyond the finger & becomes the free edge; needs extra product & strength to support the artificial extension

Question 26

Apex

Answer 26

Highest point in the nail (AKA arch); having strength here allows the base, sidewalls, & tip to be thin (Oval shaped & located in the center of the nail; visible from all angles)

Question 27

Nail Extension Underside

Answer 27

The actual underside of the nail extension; can be straight out or dip down depending on the style (Undersides should be even & match in length on all fingers)

Question 28

C-Curve

Answer 28

Depending on the natural nail will determine the curve requirement of the nail enhancement; 35% curve is average

Question 29

Sidewall

Answer 29

The area on the side of the nail plate that grows free from the nail fold; where the extension leaves the natural nail

Question 30

How thick should your nail enhancements be?

Answer 30

Credit-card thin with seamlessly blended edges

Question 31

How do you make sure your nail extension lengths are even?

Answer 31

Measure the length of the index, middle, & ring fingers; make sure they match in length. Thumbs & pinky fingers should be proportional in size / length

Question 32

What nail shapes should your nail form opening be a large circle for?

Answer 32

Square, soft square, or round

Question 33

What nail shapes should your nail form opening be a pinhole circle for?

Answer 33

Oval, almond, stiletto, or ballerina nails