CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARTIFICIAL NAIL

When you need to strengthen or extend your natural nail, it is crucial to understand how to correctly shape the nail. The shape is essential to provide strength and ensure that the nail lasts as long as possible. If the nail is improperly shaped, it will fall off or lift within a short period, as everyday use will strain the nail in an unsuitable manner. To illustrate, you can think of the nail as a bridge. If the bridge must hold up under all the weight passing over it, it needs strength points. The same applies to nails. Otherwise, they will easily break, or the harder product will detach from the softer nail.

Upper Arch and Apex – the nail’s strength point
Every nail has a point that is more vulnerable than others. This point is called the stress point. The stress point is visible as a small, white area on the nail plate when lightly pressed on the tip of the nail. If you press hard enough on the tip, the stress point will eventually become overburdened, and the nail will crack on both sides—these two cracks are called weak points.
To compensate for the stress point and ensure that the nail does not crack at its weak points, you must shape the nail in a way that includes a strength point. This is done by shaping a curved upper arch, meaning the nail is built in an even curve from the cuticle to the nail tip. About halfway along the upper arch, a strength point should be placed, which is the highest point of the upper arch. This highest strength point is called the apex. The apex is the highest point on the upper arch, positioned directly over the nail's stress point.

When working with Builder Gel (which is liquid and self-leveling), you can create an apex by using gravity. This is done by turning the finger upside down after applying the Builder Gel. When working with Polygel, which is firmer in consistency, you will need to shape the apex by hand or file it after curing. A more detailed guide on how to build the apex can be found in our learning universe.

EXAMPLE
Here is an example of how a properly built nail looks when it has strength points that can withstand daily stress. To the left is the properly built nail, and to the right is a poorly built nail without an apex and strength points.

It is especially important to ensure that enough product is applied to the two weak points (the aforementioned crack points on the sides of the nail) as they are particularly prone to cracks and lifts under nail strain. Many strive for a natural and slim look, but it is crucial to remember that you cannot file nails thinner and narrower than nail artistry allows. There MUST be between 1-1.2 mm of product on both sides and across the nail in the stress zone if the nail is to last optimally for 3-4 weeks without cracking or lifting.

It is also essential that the nail is built in a straight form that is neither too wide nor too narrow nor crooked. This is ensured by filing the nail correctly before applying the product, but it is also important to be attentive when applying a tip or building on a form. If a nail is unbalanced when viewed from above, it will throw off the strength point’s balance and increase the risk that the nail will not hold optimally.

The trapezoid shape is defined by the sides of the nail growing out in a V-shape, with a narrow nail plate at the back and a wide nail plate at the front. Building an artificial nail on trapezoid-shaped nails often presents challenges during extension, as the trapezoid shape makes it difficult to create a balanced strength point.

If you extend with forms, the nails are often too wide for the form’s standard cutout. In that case, you will need to cut the form more squarely, or even into a point, so it can be placed under the free edge and still align perfectly with the natural nail’s C-curve (arch). Likewise, it can be challenging to fit both classic tips and press-on tips on the trapezoid nail. You may need to adjust the tips by filing them to follow the natural shapes and anatomy of the natural nail. However, this requires care and patience, so you do not risk damaging the elements and functions of nail anatomy. 

People with trapezoid-shaped nails often desire narrow and slender nails with pointed or oval tips. However, it is important to know that nails cannot be made narrower than their natural width. If you try to squeeze the nail narrower, you risk disturbing the nail’s natural shape and potentially causing long-term damage.