Why Do My Nails Hurt After Getting Acrylics?

You get your nails done all the time, but the question remains; “Why do my nails hurt after getting acrylics?” There are a few reasons you might have sore nails after getting acrylics. Luckily, the pain doesn’t have to last forever. You can follow some remedies to avoid the pain and maybe even prevent it before it starts!

Do Acrylic Nails Hurt?
Why Do My Acrylic Nails Hurt?

Why Do My Nails Hurt After Taking Off Acrylics
How Long Will My Nails Hurt After Getting Acrylics?
How to Stop Acrylic Nails from Hurting

All About Acrylic Nails
Acrylic Nails FAQs
Why Do My Nails Hurt After Getting Acrylics? It Depends.

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Do Acrylic Nails Hurt?

Generally, acrylic nails shouldn’t cause you pain.

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However, you might be thinking; “Why do my acrylic nails hurt the first night” then?

Acrylics might hurt at night because of the tightening sensation you feel from the acrylic forming a bond over your nails. Typically, this happens within the first 24 hours and will go away fast.

Your nails would also be getting used to the weight of the extra materials, and the pain may depend on how thin or sensitive your nails are.

Sometimes, the pain doesn’t go away. When that happens, you might have a more serious issue.

Why Do My Acrylic Nails Hurt?

You may have wondered; “Why is my acrylic nail throbbing?” There are five main reasons why your nails might hurt after you get acrylics.

The First Reason You Might Feel Pain Comes From an Injured Natural Nail

We all break our nails from time to time, but we might not realize the damage we’ve done to our natural nails.

If you appear to have any bruising or bleeding, skip the acrylics until you heal, or the pain is gone. When you try to lay acrylics on an injured nail, it puts stress on them from the chemicals, heat, and bending of the acrylics. You will experience throbbing if you decide to go through with it anyway.

The worst-case scenario is you can get an infection, which causes more pain.

The Second Reason Your Nails Might Hurt Is From Excessive Filling on the Nail Surface

Did you know it’s very important to go to a reputable salon? This is why.

Some nail technicians over-file or buff the natural nail to the point it causes thinning of the nail or dents it. You’ll feel this instantly, especially if the technician uses a nail drill on the nail’s surface. If you’re left wondering to yourself; “Why does my acrylic nail hurt when I touch it?” This might be the cause.

The Third Reason Your Nails Might Hurt From Acrylics Deals With Overly Thick Acrylics

Thick acrylics can cause your natural nails to bend or warp. In some cases, it’s changing the shape of your natural nail and causes pain.

The chemical components might also cause pain. You may not know you’re sensitive to the chemicals until you get your nails done. You might experience temporary pain for a few hours. If the pain persists, you might have to get them removed. Each person will have a different reaction to these chemicals, so it’s possible your friend won’t react, but you will.

It’s even possible to have a slight reaction if you’ve been getting acrylics for some time too.

The Fourth Reason You Might Experience Pain Is Your Natural Nails

Some people have naturally thin nails.

When you go through the porous process, chemicals are applied. If your nail is too thin, it may seep into the lower layer and reach the blood cells and nerve endings. This can cause discomfort until the chemicals dissipate. When the bonding chemicals mix, you may also react to the heat, which can cause pain.

The Fifth Reason Relies Solely on You

Accidents happen and sometimes things beyond our control happen. You might have accidentally bumped your nail or hit it off something and wonder; “Why do acrylic nails hurt when you hit them?” You might even say to yourself; “I hit my acrylic nail and now it hurts.”

Luckily, this won’t last forever unless you truly damaged your natural nail underneath. In that case, it might take time for the pain to go away if it’s bruised. How to stop acrylic nail from hurting after hitting it?

First, take a deep breath and then sanitize your nails to avoid infection. If you did by some chance hit it hard enough to cause natural nail damage, you won’t know until you take the acrylics off. If the pain persists, head to the salon and have them safely remove the nail. Once the nail is off, the technician can assess the damage and decide if you need to keep the nail off or if they can fix it.

Why Do My Nails Hurt After Taking Off Acrylics

You may not experience pain with your acrylics on but only when they come off. You might wonder, “Why do my nails hurt after taking off acrylics?”

The pain usually comes when you take them off improperly or if you have ridges in your nails. Acrylics taken off by force or peeling will cause pain and could split or break the natural nailbed. Ridges are the result of overfilling from past fill-ins. These ridges indicate your nails became too thin from drilling.

Acrylics should only be taken off by soaking them in acetone for at least 15 minutes until they become soft enough to remove. Alternatively, you can choose to get gel nails until your nails heal and improve.

How Long Will My Nails Hurt After Getting Acrylics?

It depends on the severity of the pain or the sensitivity of your nails.

Normally the ache should last only a day, at most a couple of days, when your fingers are getting used to the weight and the change.

Should the pain not subside and increase, best to seek a professional nail tech’s help, in case there’s something up.

How to Stop Acrylic Nails from Hurting

What helps sore nails after acrylics? There are a few ways to stop or reduce your pain. One method you can try is to soak your fingers in cool water for 15 minutes. This reduces blow flow, swelling, and pain in the nails. Another method is to elevate your hands. This slows blood flow to the affected fingers when you lie down. you can also take over-the-counter pain relief before bed or when you wake up. Although, if your pain doesn’t dissipate after a day, it’s time to see a nail technician for possible removal.

How do I stop my acrylic nails from hurting? While getting your nails done, you can tell your technician that you experience pain from acrylics. This will ensure your technician takes more care with buffing or drilling. You might want to choose your acrylic products too. If you know a specific brand irritates you, you can tell the technician and provide them with products too.

People that have thin nails can do two things to prevent pain. The first is to get shorter lengths. Longer nails require more acrylics to make them thicker at various points. Shorter nails require fewer acrylics, and your nails won’t undergo stress from the heat and bonding. Another thing you can do is to apply a thin acrylic layer. Thinner layers will cause less stress from heat and less force on the nails.

All About Acrylic Nails

Choose the Right Nail Place

Before you get your nails done at the salon, you must research the salon. Some salons have better reputations than others – and for good reason.

When you choose a place, look at the reviews and see what people have to say, especially the negative ones. If most of the reviews are negative and mention how the nails didn’t look right, felt uncomfortable, or they used unclean tools choose a different place.

If you know people that get their nails done, ask them for a recommendation. Chances are if they’re consistently getting their nails done at the same place and are happy with the results, it’s a reputable place.

Acrylic Nails FAQs

How bad are acrylic nails for your real nails?

Acrylics get a bad reputation, but they aren’t necessarily harmful to your natural nails. They can cause damage if done improperly or you already have an injury. It’s also important you take breaks every three to six months to let the natural nails breathe.

Do acrylics ruin your nails?

Acrylics shouldn’t ruin your nails. However, poor application or removal can harm your nails.

How do you keep your nails healthy under acrylics?

There are various ways to keep your nails healthy. You want to keep your nails clean and dry to prevent fungus growth. Also, you want to avoid breakage wherever possible. You may have to sacrifice length if you use your hands regularly for work. Get your nails filled every two to three weeks to avoid gaps as your real nails grow out. Gaps can trap bacteria or make it easier to cause breakage. While you want to keep the nails dry, you want to keep your hands nails and cuticles moisturized to prevent damage.

How do you get used to long acrylic nails?

The best tip is to avoid using your nails at all costs. For example, avoid opening soda cans with your nails and use a fork or pen instead. Use gloves wherever possible. When using your phone, use the pads of your fingers instead of your nails. You don’t want gunk underneath your nails. In this case, you can use your knuckles, the back of a makeup brush, or a spoon to scoop things out.

How do you sleep with acrylic nails?

One tip that might help is to curl your thumb under the rest of your fingers. This allows your nails to rest on your palm and protects the thumbnail. Some people use gloves to sleep and even socks!