As part of my gender exploration I’ve gotten into doing my own nails and I’ve gotten pretty good at it if I do say so myself, but I’ve never tried extensions/acrylics. I picked up a kit with assorted sizes but after opening it I’ve realized my large hands also have large nails, and the largest of the acrylics is only enough for my index finger. I’m kinda posting this to rant out of frustration even though this is a textbook first world problem. But if anyone has suggestions for extended sizes I’d appreciate it. For now I guess I’m relying on however long my natural nails get before they break.
Not to spook you (or anyone else) but if you’re doing your nails at home without being trained in it, there’s a risk of developing an acrylate allergy (as in allergy allergy, not like a sensitivity) due to exposure.
You can read a little about it here or there’s this TikTok which is much more direct about the implications
Acrylates are central to orthopedic and dental surgery so they’re basically unavoidable in these applications which makes an acrylate allergy especially difficult to manage.
Just wanted to put a safety warning out there for people.
Thank you I had no idea! I’ve never even heard of an acrylate allergy I’m reading up on it. I’ve been using UV curing gel so I’ve definitely been exposing myself to acrylates. I’ve been meaning to try just using 2 part epoxy to avoid exposing myself to the UV light as much so I’ll have to look look if that has the same problems (the article you linked explains that acrylates are specifically for UV hardening).
Edit: Epoxy resigns do cause contact dermatitis with lots of exposure so that’s a no go too :(