Okay, so I decided to finally try out short acrylic nails. Been seeing them everywhere, and honestly, long nails just aren’t practical for me. I type all day, sometimes I gotta fix stuff around the house, you know? Long claws just get in the way.
Getting Started – The Idea Phase
First thing I did was just browse online. Looked up “short acrylic nail designs”. Lots of options, sure, but many still looked kinda long for what I wanted. I needed something really low-profile. My natural nails are rubbish, always breaking, so I figured acrylics might give them some strength without the crazy length.
I wasn’t about to try this myself. Nah, that acrylic powder and liquid stuff? Smells intense and looks messy. Found a local salon, nothing fancy, just a place down the street folks said was decent. Made an appointment, easy enough.
At the Salon – The Nitty Gritty
Walking in, I had a few simple ideas saved on my phone. Mostly plain colors, maybe a very subtle French tip, or like, a tiny dot design. Anything intricate seemed like it would look crowded on a short nail.
The nail tech sat me down. First came the filing. Lots of filing. Taking off the shine from my natural nails. Then she started prepping the tips. I kept emphasizing, “Really short, please! Like, barely past my fingertip.” She looked a bit surprised, guess most people go for length.
Then came the acrylic part. Dipping the brush in the liquid, then the powder, patting it onto my nail. That smell hit me – strong stuff. She worked pretty fast, building up a small, sturdy layer. Shaping them took time too, making sure they were even and didn’t look bulky, which is easy to do when they’re short.
Choosing the actual design was quick. I went with a simple, sheer nude color. Figured it would look clean and wouldn’t show minor chips as obviously. No fancy art this time. Keep it simple, stupid – that was my motto for this first try.
The Result and Living With Them
Honestly? When she finished, they looked… neat. Really neat. Super clean, strong, and actually short! Typing felt instantly better than with even slightly longer natural nails. They felt sturdy, not flimsy.
- Washing dishes? No problem.
- Opening cans? Easy.
- Typing this stuff? Way faster.
They weren’t completely invisible, you could tell they were acrylics if you looked close, mainly because of the perfect shape and thickness. But they didn’t scream “FAKE NAILS” like the long dagger ones sometimes do.
Upkeep was okay. After about two weeks, you could see the growth gap at the bottom, like with any acrylics. Because they were short and a neutral color, it wasn’t super obvious right away. I probably could have pushed it to three weeks before needing a fill, but I got them soaked off instead. Just wanted a break.
Final Thoughts
So yeah, short acrylics. They worked for me. Gave my weak nails some protection, looked tidy, and didn’t interfere with daily life. Way more practical than long ones if you actually use your hands. Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. It’s a decent option when my natural nails are being particularly annoying. It’s not life-changing, just nails, but it was a successful little experiment.
