If your nails tend to split, peel, or break, you’re a good candidate for a silk wrap.  Many people find that a silk wrap is superior to acrylic nails, partly because some believe it provides the most natural look.  But doing a silk wrap properly is not an easy feat, since there are several things that could go wrong.

How to Silk Wrap Nails

• Cut pieces of paper-like silk that are just a bit larger than each of your nails.
• Paint the fingernails with clear top coat.
• Soak both sides of each piece of silk in clear top coat and apply them to the nails.
• Wrap the free edges of the silk over the edge and around the sides of your nails.
• A few more bits of top coat hold the nail edges in place.
• After the top coat dries, buff the nails to a smooth sheen.
• Apply a final top coat.

Why Choose Silk Wraps?

If you’re on a budget, you’ll appreciate the fact that silk wraps cost less than either acrylic wraps or UV gel top coats.  Other benefits of choosing silk wraps follow:

• Silk wraps don’t require that the top layer of your nail be sanded down before application, which means that, when done correctly, silk wraps do no harm to your fingernails.
• There are no harsh chemicals involved in the application of silk wraps.
• The repair of silk wraps is easy to perform at home and gives you a freshly manicured look. This also means you don’t have to invest all the time filling them at a salon as with acrylic nails.

Potential Problems

There is a certain amount of skill required for silk wraps to turn out beautifully natural looking.  If they aren’t applied correctly, they could have an unattractive textured appearance.  Other potential problems include:

• Silk wraps don’t produce nails that are as strong as when you have acrylic wraps or gel top coats.  In fact, nails that are silk wrapped can be brittle and flimsy.
• If your hands are in water too much, the edges of the wraps will lift.
• To be able to use nail color on silk wraps, they must be buffed to smooth perfection.

Getting your nails silk wrapped is just one of the available options for transforming the look of your hands with beautifully manicured fingernails.  Are silk wraps a good choice for you?

By Stevie McHugh