I Got Acrylic Nails For the First Time in a Decade, and Here's What I Wish I'd Known

Acrylic is a synthetic polymer made with acrylic acid or acrylates. The acrylic used on nails is created with a powder and a liquid that, when mixed together, creates a gel can be molded into the nail's shape. My manicurist worked quickly to lay down thick coats of the material to each of my nails, before filing them down into their final shape.