Nail biters rejoice! Here at Naio Nails, we’ve got the lowdown on how to sculpt beautiful acrylic nails on short bitten nails. No more hiding your hands: we’re going to show you how to fix short bitten nails and turn them into a work of art.
Thought you were stuck with short natural nails? Think again. Read on for our tips for the best nail extensions for short nails, and watch our easy tutorial video to see exactly how we do it.
What You’ll Need
- A sanding block or 240 grit file, plus a nail file
- Acetone or our gel residue wipe-off solution
- Nail dehydrator
- Acid-free primer (or acid primer if you struggle with lifting)
- A nail sculpting form
- An acrylic brush and acrylic in your chosen colour
- Max-adhesion acrylic liquid
- A pinching tool
- A file between 80 and 180 grit, and a white sanding block
- Kitchen roll
1. Push Your Cuticles Back
The best nail extensions for short nails begin with the prep. To reveal as much of your nail as possible and create more surface area for your acrylics, start by carefully pushing your cuticles back.
Removing all this dead skin from your nail plate makes sure nothing interferes with the adhesion of the acrylic, so this is a very important step.
2. Buff the Shine Away
Use a sanding block or a 240 grit file to gently remove the shine from your nail.
Then use a nail file to lightly file down the side walls and free edge, so your nail is completely abrased and a neat shape.
3. Wipe Away Dust
Remove any of that pesky dust by giving your nails a wipe down with acetone or our gel residue wipe-off solution. This makes sure they’re clean and ready to hold your acrylic.
4. Dehydrate & Prime Your Nails
Apply our nail dehydrator and wait for it to evaporate.
Next, apply two coats of our acid-free primer to help stop your acrylics lifting. If you really struggle with lifting, give the acid primer a go.
5. Apply a Sculpting Form
Once you’ve prepped your nails, apply a nail sculpting form.
How to Use Nail Forms on Short Nails
Line the form up carefully against the top of your nails, so it doesn’t cover the hyponychium (the exposed skin just under the top edge of your fingernail).
If the skin of your fingers gets in the way of closing the form to the size you want, very carefully snip the sides so it sits closely corner to corner on your nails.
6. Apply the Acrylic
Now you’re properly prepped, you’re ready to start applying your acrylic nails.
Build the Length
Starting with a medium-sized bead, blend out your chosen colour onto your nails using an acrylic brush, starting from halfway up your natural nail. Pat and press it down along your sculpting form until it’s shaped to your desired length.
Blend Over the Nail
Take another medium-sized bead, apply it close to the cuticle of your nails and blend it out carefully over the length of each nail, thinning it out the closer you get to the tip.
Keep Your Brush Clean
Clean your brush between each bead: dab it in your liquid and wipe it on some kitchen roll. This makes sure your acrylic applies evenly without sticking to and ruining your brush.
Top Tip: for acrylic on short bitten nails, we recommend our max-adhesion liquid to keep it as secure as possible on the smaller surface area of your nails.
7. Use a Pinching Tool
To give your nails a C-curve and a nice slim shape, use a pinching tool on each nail, clamping it to the widest part of your nail when the acrylic is almost set.
Pinching also gives your nail some extra strength, so it’s well worth this extra step.
8. File & Buff
Now you’re ready to file and buff down your acrylics:
- Start by removing your sculpting form.
- Take your chosen file. The grit depends on how much bulk is on the nail: 80 is rough and 180 is about normal.
- Straighten up your side walls and free edge, then run over the top to de-bulk and smooth. Don’t forget around your cuticle area!
- Once you’ve finished filing, use a white sanding block to fully smooth your nails out before dusting them down.
9. Clean with Pure Acetone
To clear your nails of any residue or dust from filing, wipe them down once more using acetone, which will refine and smooth your nail surfaces even more.
10. Paint & Perfect
And voila, you’re done! Your former short and bitten nails should now be transformed into strong and sturdy acrylics, ready for nail polish colours or getting creative with nail art designs.
Now you know how to apply acrylic nails on short bitten nails, you can make struggling with miniature manicures a thing of the past! Simply repeat these easy steps to fix short bitten nails and enjoy long and beautiful acrylics every time.
You can also check out our video tutorial on how to apply acrylic to short bitten nails using this method:
Don’t forget to show us how your acrylic nail extensions look by tagging us with #naionails on social media!
Explore the full acrylics range at Naio Nails today.
