Acrylic Nail Removal & Potential Nail Damage: A Cautionary Tale

Question
I have had Acrylic nails for years.  Recently I moved and had a new person do my nails.  I have been with her for a year and a half. The nails never came off and she would just file them and recover them. It bothered me that they never came off.  One day the thumb nail was loose so I took it off and my thumb nail had little red lines going from the cuticle to about 1/8th of an inch. She said it was nothing, but one day she made a mean remark to me and I quite going to her.  I tried to get the nails off and had a terrible time.  Someone told me to soak them in nail remover which I did.  I did this for two hours and got them off.  My nails look terrible.  I am now going to a place an d they are giving me a manicure every two weeks.  They are very nice,  I notice now that at the tips of my nails there is red under the nails on each side.  I don't know what this is or if it is of concern.  I know I will never have acrylic on my nails again.  I want them to grow out and just have a manicure.  What could the red be from?  Maybe from soaking them?  Thanks

Answer
Hi Leona!

First of all, you don't always need to remove your nails after a certain amount of time, a lot of technicians do what is called a rebalance. This is when they basically move the whites down to where the smile line should be.

The red lines are nothing to worry about, they will grow out. They are called "Stress Marks." They are  a lot like bruises. They can come in different forms as well. Red, White, Brown, Black. Lines, Spots.

Here are the reasons I think you could have gotten the Stress Marks:

1) Your technician was filing to hard or too much on your cuticle area.
2) When removing your nails you pulled the acrylic off.
3) Your technician was nipping the acrylic off of your nails.
4) You hit all of your nails really, really hard! (Not Likely)

There is nothing wrong with acrylic nails if they are done correctly. You need to find a quality technician, one who can answer your questions. There should never be pain during having your nails done. Your nails should never be damaged. Acrylic doesn't ruin your nails, a bad technician does. As well as improper removal techniques!

I like the idea of manicures, good call! If you keep up with your nails, keep them well moisturized you would be very surprised at how long and strong they can become!

By the way in order to remove your nails easily, you need pure acetone. Acetone is in most polish removers, but not enough to get the job done! Soak cotton in acetone, stick the cotton on your nails and wrap them in foil. It works like a charm!

Thanks for the question Leona, I hope I could help!

Jeannie