Best Acrylic Nails Near Me in Soweto, Johannesburg

Prices vary from salon to salon, but start at around ZAR 80 in Soweto.

You’ll start to see an area of regrowth within 2-3 weeks. That’s when you will probably want to get them filled.

Acrylic nails generally cost less than than gels.

We always recommend asking a professional nail technician to remove your acrylic nails for you, but if you are planning on removing them yourself, follow these steps to minimise damage to your natural nails

1. File off as much of the acrylic nail as you can using a coarse 100-grit nail file. Take care not to go down to your natural nail, though.

2. Soak 10 cotton wool balls in 100% acetone, then apply 5 of them to your nails, securing them in position by wrapping a strip of foil around each fingertip. Leave them on for 20 minutes, then remove, and repeat on your other hand.

TIP: Avoid soaking your fingertips in a bowl of acetone - it’s a strong chemical and will dry your skin.

3. Take a wooden cuticle stick and gently push the acrylic and glue off your nail. Buff any remnants away with a soft foam nail buffer and moisturise your nails with a natural oil, like jojoba.

Quite a lot - we’ve listed the main points below:

Nail strength - if you’ve got weak or brittle nails, wait to get them in optimal health before you get acrylics. You can boost your nail health by moisturising them daily with a natural nail strengthening oil, like jojoba.

Shape - decide on your shape and length pre-application. If it’s your first time, don’t plump for super-long nails; begin short so you can get used to the weight and feel.

Prep - perfect nail prep helps prevent discomfort, lifting, and breakage. Your nails must be filed (but not overly) and sanitised before application.

Infections - prevent infections by ensuring that the acrylic manicure instruments used are properly sterilised first and that your nails are applied and removed by an experienced acrylic nail technician.

Fills - you’ll need fills to touch-up regrowth every 2-3 weeks. It’s advisable to only have one set of fills before removing the whole set of acrylic nails.

Popping-off - acrylic nails can pop off if they hit hard surfaces and if you tap your hands repeatedly (e.g. if you do a lot of typing). They can also pop off if your nail wasn’t properly prepped.

Time - application and removal of acrylics take around an hour each. Make sure you book a professional to minimise damage.

Costs - prices vary, but as a rule of thumb, the more colours and greater intricacy of design you go for, the higher the cost.

Acrylic nails should last between 6-8 weeks and will need a fill every 2-3 weeks to cover regrowth. Shellac and gel nails last for 2-3 weeks.

Acrylic nails may contract and tighten after application and this can cause discomfort; however it shouldn’t last longer than 24hrs. If you’re experiencing pain after that, it could be a sign of damage or infection, particularly if your nails were filed down too low or your cuticles were pushed back too far pre-application. To avoid infection, damage and discomfort, we always recommend having your acrylic nails applied, filled, and removed by an experienced nail technician.