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Acrylic Nails Coming Off After 2 Days – Oh No, What Should I Do?

Published Categorized as Beauty Tips

Are your acrylic nails coming off after 2 days? If so, you aren’t alone. Still, you may be wondering what you need to do to fix them. If that’s you, stay tuned. In this post, we’ll be breaking down the most common reasons acrylic nails pop off as well as suggest safe ways to fix them.

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Table of Contents

Acrylic Nails Coming Off After 2 Days – Oh No, What Should I Do?

Why Do My Acrylic Nails Keep Popping Off

There are several reasons that acrylic nails can pop off. Though some acrylic nails may start coming off because of the fault of the wearer, most often, it is due to the application of the nail that’s the issue. 

Before you march off to demand that your nail technician remedy the issue, it can be helpful to know exactly what is making your acrylic nails pop off during the application process. We’ll be getting into those juicy details soon, so be sure to stay tuned!

Why Do My Acrylic Nails Come Off After a Few Days?

Prepping your own nails is essential during the application of acrylic nails. Whether you applied your acrylic nails on your own or got them done at a salon, it is important that the one prepping your nails does so properly to ensure that acrylics don’t lift.

One of the most common and essential ways to prepare the nail plate is to file and clean it. For those that don’t know, a “nail plate” is a fancy way of referring to your nail bed. It is the part of the nail that the acrylics and paint goes on. And because it is important for the paint to adhere to acrylic, it is crucial that these be cleansed of oil and debris to ensure the acrylic adheres properly.

To do this, nail technicians use nail files and specialty products to cleanse the nail bed. These products work together to provide a clean nail bed that is ready for the acrylic to attach. A nail bed that isn’t clean won’t work well for adhesion. This is the case with anything involving adhesive or attachment; the surface typically needs to be cleaned first. 

The same is true when applying acrylics. Thus, a properly prepared nail bed is essential to keep acrylic nails from popping off after a few days.

Acrylic Nails Coming Off After 2 Days – Oh No, What Should I Do?

How Do I Keep My Acrylic Nails From Coming Off?

Another common reason you see acrylic nails coming off after 2 days is that there is no primer put on before the acrylic.

For those who get their nails done at salons, you may or may not know what we’re talking about here. 

The nail primer is responsible for adhering the acrylic to the natural nail. Unfortunately acrylic does not adhere to the natural nail well on its own, so a bit of help is needed. The primer works like a two-sided tape as it keeps both the acrylic and the nail bed attached to one another.

With this in mind, you can easily see why forgetting to put primer on the nail prior to acrylic could easily lead to acrylic nails popping off. But what other reasons might cause this phenomenon to occur?

Note: It is important to know that while forgetting to apply primer is a common issue with popping acrylics, applying too much primer can have the opposite effect. This means that applying a thick layer of primer may actually cause your acrylics to lift as well. Keep that in mind!

Why Do My Acrylic Nails Keep Lifting at the Cuticle?

Acrylics lifting at the cuticle can be caused by the aforementioned scenarios, or it could be a variety of other issues (like nail pain with acrylics). Consider the following scenarios in which acrylic nails could end up lifting or coming off after 2 days:

  • Incorrect ratio for acrylic mix
  • Too much gel polish used
  • Not sealing the “free” edge of the polish with gel
  • Faulty UV ray light bulbs
  • Forgetting to pinch the C-curve

Of course, many of these issues you won’t have much control over unless you commonly do your acrylics yourself. Either way, if you find this to be an ongoing issue, you may simply wish to take your business elsewhere to see if that fixes things. If not, there may be more going on with your nails than what meets the eye. Let’s continue exploring some reasons why your acrylic nails may be coming off after 2 days. 

Does Water Make Acrylic Nails Come Off?

Believe it or not, water (especially hot water) can cause your acrylics to weaken and eventually pop off before their time. This can be frustrating as prolonged periods of time in showers, hot tubs, or bathtubs could spell trouble for fresh acrylics. 

To help with this, consider making showers short and limit the amount of time you spend in very warm water. If you must be in warm water, try keeping your hands out so that your nails won’t be affected.

Doing dishes? Keep the water warm and foamy, but don’t forget to wear your dish gloves. This can help preserve your nails and also help your skin to stay smooth, soft, and supple. 

Can Your Nails Reject Acrylic?

While there aren’t many studies on the issue, anecdotal comments from nail technicians seem to suggest that there can be problems with lifting related to the customers general health, medications, and hormones. 

However, since none of this can be proved, we’ll reserve our opinions on this one. Still, if you are taking any medications, have hormonal issues, and notice constant lifting of your acrylics no matter what you do, there may be something deeper going on that’s causing the issue to occur.

Acrylic Nails Coming Off After 2 Days – Oh No, What Should I Do?

What Do You Do if Your Acrylic Nail Pops Off?

The best thing to do if you notice that your acrylic nail pops off is to either go to the salon or reattach the nail yourself. 

If you go to a salon, respectfully give them a detailed explanation of what is going on and how long it’s been since your nails were last done. Follow the advice of the technician and allow them to reattach your nail for you. The cost of nail reattachment will vary from free to a small fee. 

What to Do if a Nail Is Lifting?

If you notice a nail lifting before it comes off, use a nail glue from the beauty store or local market to reattach it. Please do not use normal glue or “super” glue as these were not made to be used on nails. These products may leech harmful chemicals into your system and, similar to using this type of glue on your eyes, it isn’t advised.

Acrylics Coming Off After 2 Days? There Could Be Multiple Reasons!

As you can see, there are many reasons you could find your acrylics lifting after two days. From improper nail prep to hormonal issues, there are countless reasons why you could find your false nails lifting only a couple of days after having them done.

The solution? Tell your nail technician about your experiences to see if they can help. If you find that this is an ongoing issue, you can take your business elsewhere or learn to do them at home.

We hope this helps answer why acrylic nails may come off after 2 days! Have you ever experienced your acrylics lifting? Let us know in the comments below! 

FAQs

How long should acrylics last?

Acrylics typically last about 2-3 weeks but may lift even sooner. 

Can you get a fill if your nails are lifting?

Yes, filing the lifted nail and filling in the rest is a common procedure to remedy lifted acrylics. However, a nail technician may choose other approaches depending on the causes of the lifting. 

Can you super glue acrylic nails back on?

We don’t ever recommend you use super glue on your nails. It contains ingredients not designed for nails and could damage your natural nail plate. 

What makes acrylic nails come off?

Anything from hot water to an improper nail job can cause this to happen. Refer back to the post for more deets!

Can I glue an acrylic nail back on?

You certainly can. Just be sure to use glue made specifically for nails when you do it.

Why are my acrylics lifting off?

Acrylics can lift for a variety of reasons. Go back to the nail technician and tell them what’s happening. They’ll usually fix it for free or for a small fee.

Why are my acrylic nails lifting after a week?

Lifting may be normal after two weeks, but one week is a little soon. It may be that you’re submerging your nails in too much warm water, you had an improper nail job, or there may be other causes as to why this is happening. Let your nail tech know, and they’ll likely fix it for you. 

Why are my acrylic nails lifting after one day?

If you find your acrylics lifting after one day, definitely go back to the nail tech you received a manicure from and let them know. Acrylics should not lift this soon unless something is wrong.

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