Structure of the natural nail and anatomy of the nail

 Structure of the natural nail and anatomy of the nail

Knowing the structure of the natural nail and the anatomy of the nail is very important for us.
Only in this way can we recognize how we are going to work with each of our clients.

I recommend that when taking a beginner acrylic nail course, you ask if there is a class that provides this information.

In this article we will see what the physiology of the nail and its functions are composed of.

When we study the anatomy of the nail, we are going to find different issues in this regard.
And we will not only base ourselves on knowing the parts of the nails, we must also have a study on nail diseases, among others.

- Structure of the natural nail and anatomy of the nail and nail art accessories

We will focus on the aesthetic area.
However, it is a key point to know the fundamental characteristics that make up the nail, for technical purposes in our work area.

Later we will deal with nail diseases, as it well deserves a separate article.

Before any abnormality that is seen in the natural nails, our clients should be recommended to attend a medical consultation.


Structure of the Nail and its Parts
As you can see each part of the nail is very well defined in the image.
Now we are going to see the functions that each one of them fulfill.

Lateral nail fold: The nail is made up of a curved fold known as a lateral fold.
Its function is to protect the nails from any external damage, it can be noticed sliding after the cuticle area.
Also known as lateral nail grooves.

Lunula: Better known as a crescent, it is part of the nail matrix, being the most visible.
It is located in the thin area of ​​the nail making it more sensitive to the touch.
For this reason, greater care must be taken when filing, pushing the cuticle or any accident.

Perionychium or periungual edge: It is the continuation of the lateral fold of the nail, reaching the free edge and sealing the sides of the nail. Protecting it from any damage, infection or allergies.

Free edge of the nail: It is the independent part of the nail when a growth is reached, separating from the hyponychium.

Hyponychium: Located just below the edge of the nail, it is made up of epithelial tissue, which protects the nail from bacteria that attack the nail bed.
It is attached directly to the lateral and perionich folds.
Great care must be taken not to injure this area, to avoid future infections or allergies.

Nail bed / nail bed: It is located under the nail plate, formed by an adherent tissue called epithelium, acting as a support platform for the nail plate.

Nail plate / nail plate: Attached to the nail bed.
Its main function is to protect us against external damage, formed by epidermal tissue, made up of dermis and epidermis.
Spanning from the womb to the tips of the fingers, at the time of growth, what we know as the free edge is formed.

Cuticle: The cuticle is responsible for protecting the growth of the nail bed against all types of infections, forming a protective barrier, being the extension of skin that covers the fingers.
Being a part of the nail that protects against infection and external damage, cutting it is not recommended.

Eponychium: Very attached to the nail plate and cuticle, moving with the plate as it grows, forming a small layer of dead tissue around the cuticle.
It is the main protector of the nail root and nail matrix.

Proximal crease: Located just above the cuticle, following the lateral creases.
It works by sealing and protecting the structure of the nail bed, matrix, and each side of the nail plate.

Nail root and nail matrix: All birth of the nail begins from the matrix and the root.
It is hidden under the eponychium which makes it not visible.
Attached to the tip of the phalanx bone by fibrous tissue.

Any blow or wound close to this area can result in a malformation of the nail.
The matrix determines the width and thickness of the nail.

Phalanx: It is a bone located at the end of the fingers and toes, having a direct connection with the root of the nail and matrix.
It is the solid part of the structure of the nail, forming part of our bone system.
We must take care of possible fractures and strong blows that damage our fingers and as a consequence every part of our nail.

It is necessary to remember that each part of our nails fulfills a very important specific function.
From there we can distinguish the type of care that should be taken, depending on each case.

Knowing the structure of the natural nail is a base that will help you identify some parts of the acrylic nail.

Here on the blog, you can find an article that deals with "the structure of acrylic nails in detail."

To learn more about this and other topics, I invite you to subscribe to my Youtube channel Arte en Uñas, and to my different social networks.

How to Apply Gelish Step by Step on Natural Nails

 How to Apply Gelish Step by Step on Natural Nails

Welcome to this article, here I am going to explain how to apply gelish step by step.

It is worth mentioning that when we talk about gelish, we are talking about gel polishes, or semi-permanent polishes, since gelish is just a brand.

For example reasons, in this tutorial, I am going to address semi-permanent nail polishes as «gelish», being the way our clients usually request this service.

- How to Apply Gelish Step by Step on Natural Nails and Nail Art Accessories

Before starting, I am going to give you the list of the material to apply semi-permanent enamel.
This will help you to know what you need to buy, therefore it is essential that you have it written down.

Material to apply Gelish
As a general rule, you should already have your basic material for applying acrylic nails, such as sanitizer, files, cuticle pusher etc, etc.
Assuming you already have it, I'm going to focus on the materials needed to apply gelish.

• Protein bond or True Bond
• PH Balancer / PH Leveler.
• 100% pure acetone.
• Gel base or Base Coat.
• Gel enamels of colors of your preference, you can buy ranges of colors and it is cheaper.
• UV / LED lamp, I recommend that it be 30 to 48 watts of power.
• Finish Top Gel.
• Orange sticks.
• Cuticle oil.
• Nail decoration (optional)
• If you are applying gel polish for the first time, I suggest you practice it on your nails.
• With this you will realize as the days go by, how well you did your gelish application and how long it lasts.
• As well as recognizing failures and learning from them.

How to apply Gel Polish step by step
We are going to prepare our hands, just as we would for an acrylic nail application: spraying them with sanitizer or alcohol and disinfecting our cuticle pusher, and nail application files.

With your cuticle pusher, you remove excess dead cell on the sides and around each of your nails.
You must do it gently taking care not to damage.

Clean your nails with gauze and rubbing alcohol.

With the 180 grit file, you will do a light filing on each of the nails.
You must do it vertically or enveloping, this is in order to remove excess fat on the nail, and give it a little porosity.

With an acetone gauze clean each one of your nails.
Acetone in addition to dehydrating, helps remove impurities that may have remained.

On the nails, apply a layer of PH leveling and then a layer of True Bond.

Now you are going to apply a thin layer of Base Coat or Gel Base.
It should be a thin layer, to allow it to dry perfectly on the lamp and not make the gel application too thick.
If you touch skin, help yourself with an orange stick to remove the excesses, always before putting it to cure in the lamp.

You put a lamp to cure for 60 seconds.

Leaving the lamp and without cleaning, we are going to give the first layer of gel polish on our nails, with the color of your preference.

Again I remind you that the gel layers must be thin, so that they dry well in the lamp, and avoid bubbles from forming, or our gelish application from wrinkling.

After polishing the nails, they are cured under a lamp for 60 seconds.

You can repeat this step up to 3 times, depending on the intensity of the color you chose.
The most common thing when polishing your nails is that you touch skin, again you can lean on an orange stick and remove excess color, before putting it to cure in a lamp.

Once this process is finished, you apply your Finish Top Gel on each nail, and again you go to cure the lamp.

Leaving the lamp, you apply cuticle oil and you're done.

Acrylic Nail Swatches, Practice Fingers for Nails

 Acrylic Nail Swatches, Practice Fingers for Nails

The acrylic nail samples are perfect when you are learning how to make your nail applications.
In this article we are going to know this essential tool that you should not miss in your practices.

• You can find them in different styles according to your needs.
• If you want to learn nail designs, fan-shaped or individual nail swatches are your best option.
• Although there are also many variants of them on the market, this will depend on each specific use that you want to give them.
• Currently you find them in different prices, colors and styles.
• And if you have a little time, you can also do them yourself, using the tips for applying acrylic nails.

- Acrylic Nail Swatches, Practice Fingers for Nails and Nail Art Accessories

As you can see the possibilities of giving your clients a sample of your designs and works, they are very easy and fun.

If you are a beginner, it will help you to lean on nail samples, or nail practice fingers, with this you will have more security in practicing some nail designs before applying them to your clients, as well as helping you to know the result of each effect or pigment that is fashionable in each season.
In the same way they are of great help when you need to learn to have better control in handling acrylic beads.

Different Nail Samples for Different Uses

According to your needs is how you will acquire different nail samples.
Here I list a list of its different uses, so that you can adapt them to your nail salon.

• Gel polish color chart samples.
• Nail design samples.
• Samples of 3d designs.
• Swatches of effects / pigments.
• Glass placement sample.
• As you will have read at the beginning of the article, there are many ideas of nail mockups that you can create, adding your particular touch and to your liking.

Now let's look at other similar resources, which you can take advantage of, whether you are just starting out or already have experience in the area of ​​applying acrylic nails.

Nail Practice Fingers

When you buy a nail practice hand or buy practice fingers, the possibilities are endless, since you have the opportunity to practice your nail applications, with more confidence and as many times as necessary.
They are excellent for learning how to apply acrylic nails step by step, from nail preparation to how to glue tips and practice sculptural nails.

* Nail practice fingers are solid plastic and come with and without a nail.
* When they come with a nail, they help you practice applying acrylic nails with a tip.
* The practice fingers without a nail, are used to create the sculptural nail from scratch, here you must support yourself with sculptural forms.


Different Hands of Practice for Acrylic Nails
The practice hands for acrylic nails come in different styles, prices and designs.
You find rigid or manageable plastic, they are cheaper and are recommended when you start your courses and are acquiring your nail material.

On the other hand, we have more professional practice hands that come fully articulated, simulating the movement of the fingers and the hand, in addition to bringing your nail parts, they help you practice sculptural nails, acrylic nails with tip, and nail designs. nail.
The most popular on the market is Organic's Prohand Nail Practice Hand.
Although they also already sell their general brand derivatives.


And we come to a more sophisticated silicone practice hand, with the same characteristics as the Prohand hand, only to the latter we must add its impressive resemblance to a real hand.
You will be amazed.

The price is much higher than the previous ones, it is used when you need to take photos of your nail set and you do not have a model.
If you dedicate yourself to recording video tutorials for online courses, or if you have a YouTube channel.
I would tell you that it is not so necessary to acquire it, unless you want to indulge yourself and your finances allow it.


As you can see, there are different practice hands so you can make your first applications, apart from the hands of your friends and family.
As well as nail samples and practice fingers are your best allies to show your work and designs.

Home Nail Service 10 Points to Consider

 Home Nail Service 10 Points to Consider

Offering a nail service at home is an excellent option that will help you earn money applying acrylic nails.
However, we have several points to consider in this matter.
Before offering this service, you must evaluate the benefits you get $$$, as well as the investment you must make.

- Home Nail Service 10 Points to Consider and Nail Art Accessories

From the outset, offering a service for hands and feet at home, as well as the application of gel and acrylic nails, can open the doors to more clients who want to look good, without leaving their home.

Besides being a good marketing strategy that helps you boost your services and products that you sell.
You can combine this by working from home, or implement it in your Nail Bar, Spa or Beauty Salon.

If you are inclined to offer this benefit to your clients, it is time to have a clear picture, to help you decide if the home manicure and pedicure service is adapted to your business and economy.

1. Calculate transportation costs.- Here comes the most essential, and it is the means of transportation you choose.
2. It can be your car, motorcycle, bicycle, take public transport, or when you have a service near your business and home it can be on foot.
3. Along with this, being very clear about the limits of our work area, you cannot cross the city from north to south all day.
4. Organize your Agenda.- Here the main factor is time, and it starts counting from the moment you move to your client's home.
5. The application time according to the service they have requested.
6. And finally the return, therefore you must have an agenda, stick to it and confirm appointments before leaving.
7. Define the type of service and prices.- When you make an appointment, it is the ideal time to talk with your client, and learn about the service requested.
8. Ask if you are going to require a nail removal, or gel polish removal, based on this give a price, and add that any additional service generates an extra cost.
9. Add an additional fee for the cost of gasoline and / or tickets.- Along with the cost of the service, add a fee for transportation services.
10. Check your toiletry bag! .- Before leaving home or your place, it is worth checking that you are missing nothing, as this will avoid many headaches.

cosmetic case
In addition to the 10 previous points, I recommend you bring comfortable clothes and shoes, your cell phone, and if you sell some products related to the beauty area, do not hesitate to take them and place more sales.
And very importantly, that someone in your family knows the addresses where you are going to go that day.

Do you already provide this type of service?
I would like to know your experience in the comments.

7 Nail Designs for Halloween 2020

 7 Nail Designs for Halloween 2020

Now we will see some nail designs for Halloween 2020, which never go out of style and that I particularly loved.

And since we are starting the month of October, it is the right time to start looking for Halloween decoration ideas.
Along with this we are looking for nail designs that are easy to do and you can wear throughout this month.

- 7 Nail Designs for Halloween 2020 and nail art accessories

So I set out to find nail sets with Day of the Dead decoration.
Nail designs for Halloween that you can do yourself or your manicurist can do to your liking.

We started!

This nail decoration stands out for the color of the polishes, since they are vibrant shades in a matte finish.
Freehand drawing of the scarecrow is not difficult, and you can work it with gel polishes or acrylic paints.


If you love Mexican traditions as much as I do, this Day of the Dead nail design is the ideal one.
You can play with the color of the flowers, and also with the background of the base color.


A neutral nail design, which highlights the tip of the stiletto nails, another point to consider is the fading of the colors in acrylic, which go from black to wine red, using the Ombre or baby boomer technique.
The length of the nails allows this Halloween nail design to shine its best.


This horror nail design turns out to be quite creepy and yet it is still very beautiful, nail art can be perceived in this set, inspired by the IT movie that we all know.


When you are looking for a simple nail decoration that does not go unnoticed, you can choose a design with symbols where black and white are the ones that enhance your nails, as in this set.


Particular nail design, it has a very well done freehand work, the nail set seemed super original because of the Cartoon drawings and the colors that are used.
We will see that the elaborate nail art design make this nail app look beautiful.


On these dates we cannot miss the decorations with kittens.
You can make the black cat designs yourself or support yourself with water tattoos.
This nail design is simple, ideal to use in any season of the year and quite original.


I hope this article helps you, to make your own nail designs, and let your creativity fly.

The designs shown here were taken from Pinterest, I recommend that you download the app and look at hundreds of them.
See you soon.

How long do acrylic nails last?

 How long do acrylic nails last?

Surely it is a question that they ask you very often in your salon, or when you render your services.
And it is a very common doubt, when we apply acrylic nails.

To get into the matter and clear all the questions, we have to analyze some points.
And the fact is that the duration of acrylic nails is not a general rule that applies to all.
For example: We know people that an application of acrylic nails lasts 15 days, another 21 days and others more than 30 days!

- How long do acrylic nails last and nail art accessories

And this happens because it depends on the care and maintenance that each person gives to their acrylic nails.

• In addition to other factors.
• Something so simple and at the same time complicated.
• So let's see why all this happens and as a pylon, we eliminate some myths.

1. It is believed that acrylic nails should last a long time, I have even seen articles where they claim that the duration time is from 6 months to 1 year.
2. Somewhat unhealthy, even if you went to your maintenance every month, it would be quite difficult to maintain the same application for 6 months or more.
3. There would come a point where a total removal would have to be made, and a strengthening base would have to be placed on the natural nail.

• Another factor that determines how long acrylic nails last is maintenance.
• I recommend that the moment you notice the growth of your natural nail, you go to your salon to request an acrylic filling.
• This way you will be preventing moisture from leaking between your nail and the acrylic.
• Or, the acrylic will tear off hurting your natural nail.

Avoid using your acrylic nails as tools, they are not for removing clips, opening cans, scraping, or anything like that.

Use gloves when you do housework, in addition to protecting the skin on your hands, it helps acrylic nails last longer.
And so you avoid exposing them to all kinds of chemicals.

Sometimes the reason why the acrylic nail comes off is because of the habit of biting the nails.
This reaches a point where artificial nails are bitten, until they are torn off and they reach the natural nail.
When this happens, not only the nail plate is hurt, but also the cuticle, lateral folds, even severely damaging the skin.
This habit is known as onychophagia.

One point to consider is when you take some type of medicine, or the hands are in contact with some type of chemical agent.
This causes the PH of the nails to be altered, causing premature detachment.

Bad preparation, before applying acrylic nails.
The detachment occurs the same day or the following 3 days of the application.
The acrylic nail peels off naturally, like a walnut shell, is painless, and the nail surface is not pulling.
The surrounding skin does not feel damaged.

To conclude, the time that an acrylic nail application is expected to last is between 21 to 30 days.
Taking into account what is written above.

Later, you can go to have your set of nails renewed, or have them removed in a professional way, never tear them off.
If you want to learn how to remove acrylic nails from home, here on the blog I have an article on the subject.

Allergy to Acrylic Nail Monomer, Remedy

 Allergy to Acrylic Nail Monomer, Remedy

The allergy to the monomer of acrylic nails, is something that to most of us who apply nails, has happened to us.
In this article I want to touch on the subject of allergies to acrylic nail products and how I gave it a solution.

- Allergy to Acrylic Nail Monomer, Remedy , And Nail Art Accessories

Something that in my experience I was able to verify and it was quite painful, I have made it uncomfortable.

To give you an idea of ​​what I am talking about, I reached a point where I could no longer do basic things, like washing dishes, or grabbing an object.
Because it hurt my skin very badly.
In addition, my fingertips became dry and split, forming more cracks.

• As you can imagine it was a mess.
• To the point of thinking about leaving this job and dedicating myself to something else, and if I did it for some time while I was healing.
• At that time I was dedicated to another job that I have, which is artisan cosmetics and uploading videos to the channel.

When I went to the doctor, and explained everything that happened to me, he told me that the allergy to the monomer that I had is called contact dermatitis.


The photos I had of my hands were left on a cell phone that no longer turns on.
However, I show you as an example these images that I found on social networks.

Later the doctor explained to me that contact dermatitis occurs in any part of the body that has direct contact with the substance.
Hence the importance of using mouth covers, gloves and glasses every time we work with solvents, chemical powders or irritants.

I filled my prescription, and by medical prescription I suspended everything related to acrylic nails, for a few months.

However, I started looking for palliative or home remedies, so that they would work in conjunction with the medications.
And here I am going to share one, which helped me a lot and I recommend that you do it, if you already have this annoyance.

How to get rid of a monomer allergy
Before, I recommend that you first consult your doctor or dermatologist.
After that we continue.
All you will need is granulated sea salt and distilled water.
that's it!
If you don't have distilled water, make it purified bottled water.

• Well, what I did was heat the distilled water in a container to a temperature that my skin could bear.
• The water must be hot, not lukewarm, we add 2 tablespoons of granulated sea salt to dissolve it.
• Then with your hands you grab a little sea salt, and put them in the hot water, rub them together in the water.

You will feel a kind of relief and pain, it depends on how hurt your hands are, repeat this as many times a day as you need.

When you're done, don't dry your hands, allow them to air dry.

After you apply the cream that your doctor recommended, or a cream for chafing, you can also opt for shea butter or cocoa.

In that time, put aside the industrialized soaps, and change them for some neutral artisan soaps with oats and honey.

And all this together, made the pain and burning in my fingers gradually disappear.
I also started taking some vitamins, since according to the doctor my defenses were very low and that made me more susceptible.

In conclusion.
This that I share with you, has already happened to me for 2 years, and it has not been presented again, of course, now I take my precautions.
I hope it does not happen again.

Has the same thing happened to you?
Share with us your experience and how you solved it.

In addition to the theme of acrylic nails. I invite you to know another facet to which I dedicate myself and support me on my Instagram account and Facebook page.
There you will find artisan cosmetic products, where we make beautiful and healthy things for you.