Nails
This page was last updated 02/03/2008 07:14:51 PM
Since I have such a love of long nails and since my toes have always looked really bad, I had a set of acrylic nail tips applied and had them left fairly long. I assumed that I could shorten them as I felt like it and be able to wear closed toed shoes with no problems. I realize I did get carried away a bit, but that is my nature....
Now my biggest problem is cutting them, I seem to really like the longer nails but realize that practicality must eventually take over.
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Nails include the toes ladies! Check out the cool French tips in 5 inch sandals to a recent fashion show.
I had not worn open toed shoes in years due to really bad nails but I added the glue-on French tips for an awesome look. They seemed to pass close inspection throughout the fashion show I attended.
Long artfully done fingernails, one of the truly feminine attributes that we may imitate with impunity. How many times have you and others admired the beauty of long nails on an attractive woman? Long nails stand out as a true sign of femininity. A woman in a man's shirt, jeans and flat shoes with long well-manicured nails stands out as a more attractive woman in my mind.
Update: In an effort to increase my passing ability and to decrease my victim appearance, I have recently started using pre-made nail sets in shorter lengths. I have used some of the new French tips that come in packets of 24 or more nail tips per package with glue. They are very realistic looking and are much easier to function with than really long nails. They are visible in the next picture.
Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder and all of my comments are obviously, mine. My interpretation is my own and will not necessarily match yours, but take from it what you can and develop your own ideals.
I like long nails. To me they make the woman. (Okay, so does hair, shoes, the clothes, etc, but, you get the point!)
Long sexy nails are attractive. I first started cutting up Clorox bottles and fashioned long nails from the strips. I used contact cement and polished the nails once I had them on. That worked somewhat but was too onerous to do all the time or on short notice. I had to plan for the future.
After years of practice and more trial and error than I wish to admit to, I settled on my current method. I buy bulk packages of acrylic nail tips (my current favorite is OPI NT7000 or Pedestal with a gentle curve) that are designed to be glued at the very tip of the finger and covered with acrylic, but they work very well as complete nail covers. I buy nail tips that fit my nail bed width and in the arched style I like. (Currently I wear a #1 nail tip for the thumb, 3 #4 for the middle three fingers and a #5 or 6 for the little finger)
This is a single set before polish
I lay out a large board covered with tape, sticky side up, and lay out many sets of nails in order. Each set is composed of ten nails, the right size for each finger (I only use three sizes now, thumb, little finger and one size for the other three fingers on each hand. That way I buy 3 boxes of middle, one thumb and one little finger per purchase) and usually one or two "spare" middle finger nail tips. When I finish with the layout I have 20 to 40 sets of nail tips laid out. I polish each nail by hand using a wide array of nail colors. I plan for the future and do some sets in red, some in purple, some brown, some fantasy, etc, etc.
This board holds 24 sets ready for polish
Following two or more coats of polish on each nail tip (this can take 3 hours for the whole board) I add one or two coats of clear gloss. Set the whole thing aside and let it air dry naturally for at least three days. The longer you let the nails dry, the harder the polish sets up.
For storage, I take each set off the layout board and put them in a Plano tackle box. Each little tackle box holds about 30 sets of nails. The box fits inside a bigger tackle box and becomes part of my travel and storage array. When I don't have the time to dress, I lay out a board full of nails and polish them. This helps with the desire to dress, while solving one of my future nail needs.
Typically, I have between 100 and 200 sets of nails ready for wear at any point in time. Sound excessive?? I am always able to find a color that goes with my outfit or that matches my lipstick because I have planned for it. I custom mix polish colors on occasion, just to see what it will look like. Some of the color combinations are spectacular, some look like mistakes and get discarded.
When I get ready to go out, I pick the nails out of the storage box, file the edges smooth (they have been stored with all polish intact, even the polish that has flowed over the edge of the nail tip), and using a minimum of instant nail glue (how much will come with practice), cover the entire nail bed with my creations. I carry the spare tips with me because I have lost a tip during an evening. Being totally paranoid anyway, the loss of a single tip can ruin an evening. Carrying the spare tip and nail glue, I can replace or repair a nail at the table without anyone seeing what I am doing, or I slip into the ladies room and repair while sitting on the toilet. (Where I am sure many of us have spent many hours)
Taking them off is relatively simple if you don't get too rushed. I use the tip of a 1/4 in slot screwdriver (this is a small slot screwdriver, not a heavy thing. I carry one in my purse) and gently, gently, usually starting close on the side of the finger, wedge the tip of the screwdriver into any crevice between my nail and the tip that I can find. By easing the tip in and gently pushing the screwdriver between the real nail and the nail tip, the bond between the two is broken. Take your time, don't try to simply peel the tip off, you will damage your own nail bed , I break the nail glue seal by gently inserting either another long nail at the edge or using a screwdriver and the tip generally can be gently removed. Try inserting from both sides before you try to remove the tip.
The reason I keep stressing gentle movements is because in haste I have taken off the top layer of my own nails and suffered from overly thin nails for 6-8 weeks until the nails grow and the tenderness goes away.
How do I clean and re-use my nails tips? I don't!! I use them once and throw them away. Don't be led into a false sense of economy by trying to salvage a used set of nails and wearing them again. They take so much time to clean up and re-polish if necessary, that your time is more appropriately spent by taking care of other things.
When I used to use contact cement, which I don't recommend, I tried to clean the tips. I used a Dermal tool and sandpaper and small scrapers, but rarely with positive results. The nails were always scratched or chipped or in one fashion or another, not as attractive as they were the first time they were worn. Throw them out after a wearing. Buying in bulk and preparing multiple sets brings the cost and the hassle down to a very reasonable amount.
If you do strip off the top layer of your own nail, use a nail strengthener product as a top coat on your own nails. Add multiple layers of the stuff as it dries, it will help thicken and protect your thinned nails. Or, go to a nail shop and have them put on a layer of acrylic over your own nails. If it is done right, no one can tell. A light buff to knock the shine down and they look natural.
UPDATE I have been wearing nails almost daily for the past two months. Each night I gently clean my nail surface with a buffer and cover them with 2-3 coats of Nail Armor or some other nail strengthener. It has really helped keep my own nails from losing their top layers and becoming very thin. You may also notice by looking very closely that I am now also using some very natural looking French tips that I bought from Wal-Mart! They look great, come off fairly easily and don't require any upfront maintenance on my part. Cost is about $5 for 48 pieces, from which I can usually make three full sets. Take a look at them, I have been buying the Naileen brand but there are many on the shelf. Simply find some that fit your fingers and have a go at it!
Wearing long nails
One of the biggest factors when wearing long nails is to practice with them before you go out. Long nails are an incredible extension of the finger, much more so than we would think. We get used to the normal length of our hands and the nails add a length that suddenly becomes a liability. Hand movements are different, less rushed, and much more controlled.
I used to seem to jam my nails into things, snap them off opening car doors, or just ram them into my face or nose when I absentmindedly tried to scratch.
On a day that you designate as a practice day, put on your nails and go about your normal chores. See how much differently you have to move your hands to avoid the pain of jamming a nail or breaking one. The movements will become more fluid and feminine in nature with just a little practice. The most important thing with any of the activities that we do that are relatively foreign to us as males, is to practice.
Practice putting on make-up and putting in earrings if your ears are pierced. I sometimes use a pair of needle-nose pliers to assist me in putting in earrings when I can't seem to handle them with long nails.
When I was counseling transitioning clients, we would go to restaurants and eat, talk and generally act like a normal couple. My attendance in drab allowed my clients to have the physical and physic support they needed to become more comfortable with their new lives. Practice in the car, at home, eating and drinking. Picking up a wine glass with long nails can be a very sensuous event, if you don't let the tips hit the glass and knock it over....
Acrylic Nails
If you have the time and the money and will be spending a prolonged period dressed, go for a set of acrylic nails. It takes about an hour to have them installed and polished, but the results are fantastic. They are bonded so well that they become very natural quite fast. Any wrong movement is also more painful and you learn very fast how to avoid jamming a nail. I have had acrylics more times than I can imagine and I loved every minute with them.
During one four month period, I dressed daily at my job in a wig salon and wore acrylic nails the whole time. I had them re-polished every other day to change the color and had a "fill" done every week or so.. After the first two weeks I had the manicurist lengthen them to almost an inch longer than the tip of my finger. My manicurist painted beautiful designs or glued small gems or in some way enhanced the nails every time. They were beautiful and always elicited very positive remarks. Many people came up to me in restaurants and lounges just to tell me how much they admired my nails.
The practice was well worth the cost, the admiration was worth a fortune! I broke at least 6 nails in the 4 months, but could walk 7 stores away and have them fixed. If you ever have the time, get a full set and enjoy..
Taking off acrylics is a little different since your nail bed has been sanded down pretty far to accommodate the acrylics. The first thing I do is soak one hand at a time in acetone for ten minutes. By that time they will be like jelly and may just be peeled off gently. If you don't want to take the time to soak, you can cut them off, with care. Be very careful with a pair of nail nippers and gently cut off the extra length and then cutting from the edge, start cutting the acrylic only away from you own nail. You will be able to tell when you are going too deep by the pain.
After you finish removing the acrylic, have your own nails coated with a layer of acrylic for protection. Otherwise the thinned nail bed can be very painful and doesn't really accommodate glued-on tips for awhile.