In terms of building length for nail enhancements, the question of nail tips vs. sculpt always comes into play. There are two schools of thought on the topic; one has to do with ease of application, and one has to do with time. There isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to these unique processes, because the expertise of the nail professional is ultimately what dictates the “better” option.
Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of overlap between the two techniques. Knowing how to expertly navigate both nail tips and sculpting enhancements will give you more options for your clients, which is always a great thing. Plus, over time, you may find that one or the other saves you valuable time on getting a service done… and time, as always, is money.
Nail Tips
Demand for nail tips is growing, and the landscape is changing. Nail tips add length and strength to the natural nail. They have to be sized to the individual nail, which means stocking plenty of options. A nail file may be used to customize the tip and narrow it down a bit to fit the nail perfectly. Most nail tips come pretty long and are cut and shaped down to preference.
Always use proper prep before applying nail tips. Save the Protein Bond until after you have cut, shaped, customized, and blended the tips, because the product is not compatible with the tip glue. It’s important that you focus on the blend so that the connection between the tip and the natural nail is seamless, especially when a translucent product will be used over it. Using Swipe to cleanse after applying a tip also requires caution, because the acetone in Swipe can crack the tip, which will set you back in terms of time. After the tip is applied, you apply your gel or acrylic overlay, then file the nail and apply top coat. From beginning to end, our pros found that it takes approximately 18 minutes to apply one demonstration nail from prep to top coat.
Sculpted Nails
Right off the bat, we will say that, in terms of sheer time consumption, sculpted nails are much quicker to apply than nail tips with an enhancement over them, at least for our professionals. Cutting time from your service allows you more precious minutes to set up for your next client, grab a snack, use the restroom, or, over the course of the day, even squeeze in an extra client, and, consequently, that client’s payment.
Applying sculpted nails involves the use of builder gel or acrylic over a nail form, which is a flexible, thick sticker that can be used to shape the nail. With both gel and acrylic, building the free edge comes first, and is almost like applying a tip. After that, the overlay of the product is similar to how you work over a tip. Nail prep beforehand is similar, except for the fact that you should apply two coats of Protein Bond before starting. Our professionals found that the process of building a free edge with product was quicker than customizing a tip by far, but it should also be noted that sculpting a nail skillfully takes practice and technique.
Both sculpted nails and nail tips involve pros and cons, making the “right” choice for nail professionals is a matter of opinion. If you operate on the idea that getting a service done as fast as possible (without sacrificing quality, of course) is your most important criterion, then your skill and comfort level will dictate whether you sculpt a nail with acrylic/gel or use a nail tip to get yourself started. Keep in mind, of course, that some clients may have preferences. Knowing how to handle both types of procedures is crucial to your profession, and really refining your skills will pay off as you shave minutes from your services.