How to Apply False Nails

Overview

False nails don't have to be long and tacky; they come in almost any length you may desire and, just as with regular nails, can be filed to suit your preference. Most nail kits will come with a variety of different size and shape artificial nails to choose from, so that you can match them to the size and shape of your natural nails. Special kits are available for those with particularly flat or especially arching fingernails, which may be difficult to fit from a standard kit.

Step 1

File down your natural nail so that it's shorter than the false nails you intend to apply and has an even edge; some professionals recommend that you also push the cuticles back, although this is not strictly necessary.

Step 2

Wet a cotton ball down with non-acetone nail polish remover and swab it across your nail to remove any polish or other debris. Allow time, usually just a few seconds, for your nails to dry before proceeding on to the next step.

Step 3

Select the right size false nails to fit over your natural fingernails by placing samples on top of each nail and checking to see which fits evenly. Because each of your fingers may have a different size and shape nail, you may have to select ten different sizes and shapes of false nails to fit properly.

Step 4

Lay the nails you've selected out in front of you, in the same pattern as you'll be applying them, to eliminate any confusion about which one goes where.

Step 5

Work one fingernail at a time as you apply a thin, even coat of nail glue to the underside of the false nail, taking care to cover only as much of the nail as will be in contact with your own nails. Then apply a similar coating of nail glue to your own fingernail.

Step 6

Use the application tab on the false nail to press it in place on your natural nail and hold for a few seconds; if you've selected the false nail properly, it should line up precisely with your cuticle and the edges of your natural nail. If the brand of false nails you're using doesn't have an application tab to hold it by, grasp the nail by its unglued tip and guide it into place.

Step 7

Wait until the glue is dry--for most brands this is only a few seconds--and then bend the application tab back and forth on the false nail until it breaks off. Then file the uneven surface left by the broken tab off until it's smooth.