Just got acrylics and my fingers ache

[kimberlily]

Is this normal? I haven't had anything on my nails in years, and I had acrylics put on today. My fingertips are achy. Not enough to really bother me, with the exception of my left thumb which is pretty sore.

If it is normal, does it go away? I have never had acrylics before (I had UV gels last time) so I don't know if this is a normal occurrance or not.

[Teacherbear]

My nail bed always hurt after getting artificial nails (whatever the type - I've had 3 or 4 different types and from almost a dozen different technicians). My nails are so thin that when they buff the nail surface to make the artificial stuff "stick" it makes me sore.

It'll go away in a day or so.

Do you like how they feel?

[Carolyn]

Yes it's normal. A friend warned me the first time I had acrylics put on. The soreness went away in a couple days. I just had a new set put on last week and they ached until the next day. I'm a big fan of artificial nails. I think they are so pretty. Hope you enjoy yours, Kimberlily.

[kimberlily]

Okay, good to know I'm not a freak of nature (and that there's nothing wrong with my nails!) :)

Teacherbear, they're going to take some getting used to. I haven't had artificial nails in about 7 years, and I forgot how weird they feel in the beginning!

Carolyn, I do like them. My natural nails are thin and oddly shaped (peaks on my thumbnails and index fingers) and these are much nicer.

[Darl_in1]

Yeah - when I used to get them my nails were sore for a couple of days too.

I've given up on acrylics these days - even though I loved them, but in recent years, my nails seem to be producing more oil or something, because no matter how well they are applied, the nails seem to start lifting off a lot within a few days.

Nowadays I just make sure that I keep my nails polished and protected at all times (and try NOT to peel away flaking layers) and they grow to an alright length now - still I *do* miss my acyrilics sometimes.

[Pegasus Marsters]

Do remember that using acrylics will probably lead to the nail underneath weakening. Make sure they don't lift or moisture will get under then and could lead to an awful fungal infection! Eep!

[kimberlily]

Pegs, I do know about the weakened nail underneath and the possibility of fungal infection. I'm not worried about either though, since I'm really fussy about these things, so I will have the nail taken care of immediately if it starts to lift :)

My thumb isn't sore anymore. It was really bothering me last night though!

[Barbara Wheeler]

Be very cautious, pay attention to any pain you experience. This is the bodies way to let us know there is a problem. It's like being burned.....You know what I'm saying, the pain we experience is to let us understand to withdraw our selves from the flames, so to speak. Your nails were not designed to be covered over and have chemicals that adhere artificial things to them. Especially though pay attention to the tech that applies your nails. If they come at you with any "power" tools to rough up the surface of your natural nails...............RUN!
This can create problems with the nail bed and weaken the structure to the point of permeate loss. Please pay close attention to what your body is signaling you.

[Linda K]

Be careful - I never had any discomfort from them.
However, after 12 years, I started getting an itchy cuticle - just for a few hours at first. It took about a year or so - cuticles would itch so bad, puff up, swell & sometimes split. The techs won't call it an allergy but what else would you call it. The same symptoms are called an allergy when it's hair coloring.