Beach Hut
Northampton's finest tanning and nail studio.

Which One For Me? There are two types of customers looking for nail extensions, the ones that know what they want and the first timers. Customers who know what they want have usually either had a bad experience with one kind or another or their circumstances and lifestyle mean that there is only a certain type for them. An example would be a hairdresser who would no doubt find Silk too fragile. 1) Sculptured and Acrylic Tips - We have grouped these two together because both use Acrylic, one is built-up from scratch whilst the other uses a plastic nail tip. Some technicians swear by a tip, others by not using a tip. It really depends on the technicians preferred method, one is not better over the other, it is really down to the technicians ability. Acrylic is the number one choice in the UK although it accounts for only one in ten with the rest of Europe. These are the strongest and last the longest of all nail overlays. But, if they are not applied properly, they can look thick and very fake. Pro - Strongest and longer lasting than other methods. Con - Harsh on your own nails and less give if you bash them. 2) Gel - Lighter, thinner, odourless and more natural feeling than acrylic, Gel nails are the number one choice around the rest of Europe. They require less frequent infilling and are undoubtedly kinder on your nail than Acrylic. So why are these not the number one choice for technicians and salons in the UK? Lack of knowledge and technicians failing to move with the times maybe? It did use to be the case 10 years or so back that Gel nails were not 'up to the job' but newer products and advances in technology now mean this is no longer the case. Pro - Lighter, thinner, more natural feeling & kinder on the nails than Acrylic. Con - Less hard wearing than Acrylic 3) Silk- The thinnest of all and some say the most natural looking although they are not ideally suited to those with a busy lifestyle. No primer is required when having Silk extensions, when a primer is used, as it is with other methods, it is designed to "pit" the natural nail. This allows the liquid form of acrylic to ooze into the holes, so that when it dries and solidifies, it has a better adherence; thus allowing the acrylic to stay on the nail. This leaves the natural nail weak, technically speaking, anything that is applied to the natural nail causes "damage". If one were to rate the degree of damage with this process, on a scale of 1 to 5 (one, being nail polish) the Silk process process would be a two. Pro - Kindest system for your nails. Con - Not suited for busy lifestyles but good for special occasions.