Press-On Nail Mistakes You'll Want To Avoid

In today's economy, going to a nail appointment every few weeks is certainly not something everyone can afford. And even if they can, there are plenty of people who simply don't have the time to get their nails done. Luckily, press-on nails are gaining more and more popularity as an easy and affordable at-home alternative to fancy manicures. In fact, earlier this year, we even rounded up the best press-on nails of 2024.

If you want to try press-on nails (or you already have but the outcome wasn't what you expected), there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Of course, healthy nails are imperative, and we don't recommend applying press-on nails to plates that are brittle, flaky, or painful. So, what should you do? To ensure you get the most out of your press-on nails, we reached out to celebrity and editorial manicurist Marisa Carmichael, who shared the most common press-on nail mistakes she's encountered with us.

If you find that your press-on nails aren't lasting as long as you'd expect them to, chances are that you didn't glue them to perfectly clean nails. "I think the number one mistake people make when applying press-ons is not making sure the nail plate is completely clean of lotions and oils," Marisa Carmichael explains exclusively to Glam. "You should wash and dry your hands very well and then use alcohol or acetone to clean [your nail plates]."

If you don't ensure the oil and buffing residue are gone, your glue will simply stick to those instead of your nail plate, and your press-ons will start falling off way too soon. Making sure you don't skip this step and take extra time while cleaning them will help your press-on manicure stay on for a few weeks rather than a few days. In fact, chances are that by the time your nails grow out, you'll actually have to remove your press-ons, as most will still be holding onto your nail plates.

Just because a press-on manicure is quick and easy doesn't mean you should do your nails in a rush. Taking your time for a press-on manicure will help you achieve better results and more professional outcomes. One telltale sign of your manicure being a press-on one is when your nails are too small or too big for your actual nail plate, but this can be easily avoided.

Even though you tend to get more nails than you need in one press-on set, that doesn't mean you can just randomly start gluing them on. "Make sure to size the nails to your fingers and lay them out before applying," Marisa Carmichael exclusively shares with Glam. Take your time to find the best size for each nail before you glue them on. Ideally, they should perfectly cover your nail plate. However, if that's not possible, going a size down is better than going up a size, as the glue will struggle to keep in place a press-on that sticks over the sides of your nail.

While applying press-on nails isn't too difficult, removing them is a whole different story. Of course, patience and being gentle with your nails are crucial. The worst thing you can do is rip your press-on nails off, as that can cause severe damage to your nail plates underneath — and it also hurts quite a bit.

"When you're ready to remove [them], cut the press-ons as short as possible and soak [them] in acetone until you can gently push them off," Marisa Carmichael tells us exclusively. Some press-ons might completely dissolve thanks to the acetone, while others will remain intact, but the acetone will help loosen up the glue. Once you're done with removing the press-ons, ensure you also remove any glue residue from your nails with acetone, and then gently buff them if they're uneven. While you can immediately apply a new set of press-ons, giving your nails a little TLC with some oils and hand cream overnight is always a better choice. In fact, you'll want to follow our esthetician's best tips to improve your nail strength so that your nails stay ready for your next perfect at-home mani.

If you struggle with your press-on nails falling off too soon, chances are that you didn't apply enough glue, or you didn't press the nail quickly enough, letting air bubbles form. On the other hand, if your nails are difficult to take off even after soaking them in acetone, chances are that you may have gone overboard with the glue.

"To avoid air bubbles, you want enough glue to cover the nail plate but not so much that you are flooding your cuticles with glue," Marisa Carmichael shares exclusively with Glam, adding that finding the right amount of glue for your nails is something that takes practice. Of course, every nail glue is different, which is why some hold for weeks while others tend to loosen up in a couple of days. Finding what glue and how much of it works for your nails will take some trial and error, but once you find that perfect combo, your press-on manicure should last for as long as you need it to.

We've already established that you shouldn't rush through the steps of applying your press-on nails, but we'd be remiss not to mention that this is especially true when you get to the glue step. "Make sure you wait long enough for [the] glue to dry before trying to file the nails or doing anything that might move them," Marisa Carmichael tells us exclusively.

Filing the nails too soon will cause the press-on to move and then potentially dry in the wrong position. To prevent this, make sure you hold each press-on nail in place for at least 30 seconds to ensure the glue underneath has begun drying. How quickly it will dry depends on the glue, but once you apply all 10 of your press-ons, the ones you applied first should have finished drying, and you can go ahead and file them.