How to care for silicone practice hands
By Guest Writer | 04 June 2020 | Expert Advice, Feature
Theresa Foddering
Theresa Foddering shares her maintenance advice for silicone practice hands…
With salons closed and nail professionals in isolation, there has been one hot commodity in lockdown: the silicone practice hand.
We all rushed out to buy one, but soon realised they require much more TLC than expected. So how do you keep your new client looking in tip top condition?
Nothing quite prepared me for how realistic my new friend, Pam (as I have fondly named her), was going to look and feel! The hand I purchased is from Red Iguana in the shade, Liza. The attention to detail is outstanding; it certainly reflects the price tag.
I immediately realised she was going to require careful care.
Here is my guide for getting the best from your new purchase…
Tips
If like me you don’t want to risk any compromise to the ‘nail beds’ themselves, you need to source extra long nails that will slide deep into the cuticle cavity. The deeper the nail sits into the finger the more secure it is.
Try putting tips in the wrong way round; the square end maintains balance inside and the curved edge gives a natural nail bed shape. This way round, the tips will also fill the side walls without leaving you with that tell-tale gap.
If you must glue them, then prime the nail with a silicone primer and use Gorilla Glue sparingly. You can then soak off the nails with acetone, as it does not dissolve silicone. Be prepared to spend a long time removing them, a rush job and any force will permanently damage the ‘nail beds’. Try soaking the fingertips into a bowl of acetone allowing the acetone to penetrate deep under the ‘cuticle’ pocket.
Handling
If the hand is poseable, I recommend only bending it into natural hand shapes or movements. The metal within is delicate and can also pierce through the skin if forced into unnatural positions. Once that happens, there is no going back.
Cleaning
Dust. These hands attract it, and glitter! To clean the hand, you can wash it in warm soapy water.
You can also use sticky tape and press it all over to remove traces of dust and glitter, too.
Follow Theresa on Instagram by clicking here
