Needless to say, there is some polite amusement as the foreigner with large and hairy fingers settles down for his manicure and nail painting.
First, Lin cleans and exfoliates with an emery board before putting on 10 paper molds on each finger, just under the nails and extending outward. Then an ethanol solution is applied to clean and balance the PH of the nails, dehydrate and sterilize. The primer will maximize adhesion of the acrylic. Lin dips her calligraphy brush into a solvent and dabs it into some white acrylic powder, before spreading the resultant paste over the nail and paper mold. As it dries and then hardens, she squeezes the acrylic into shape and Du Plessis complains a little that this is uncomfortable. She tells him to relax.
When the acrylic is completely dry, Lin gets out the emery board again and a grinder to work and shape the nail into its final form. After washing his hands, it appears that our model has a perfectly natural set of nails, just longer than before. The painting operation begins and a lush red undercoat is applied. Then another coat, until it is a glossy, bright enamel. It's now two-and-a-half hours into the operation and our model is tiring and desperate for a fag. But the beauty show must go on.
Lin deftly brushes white tiger stripes over the red enamel, but tuts a little when Du Plessis moves his hands to get the circulation going. There is a small smudge, so she goes back a step, wipes off the nail paint and reapplies. Half an hour later the operation is over.
Semiprecious stones, stencils, "twinkle flowers," stickers, sponge-pen work, aerosol spray and acrylic-colored birds or other objects are further options, but Du Plessis, who has been a model of patience, is ready to roll.
"They're harder than nails," he reports the next day. "They take a bit of getting used to, especially for delicate tasks. Even picking up a pen is kind of tricky. You have to relearn how to do things."
"But they are strong," he reiterates. "I carried a sofa up a narrow flight of stairs when I got home and the nails were unscathed ... The big thing is to let the the nails dry after they're done otherwise stuff sticks to them and they get kind of dull. They're certainly attention grabbers."
If the nails are properly dried after being painted the enamel polish lasts at least two to three weeks without chipping or picking up fluff. Most people return to the salon around this time as the nail grows and a depression appears between the acrylic and the real nail, which needs filling. Also, the nail can be damaged when exposed to water, which can lead to a fungus infection, though this is rare. Finally, the real nail can be weakened when the extension is removed, but a trained technician will be able to advise.
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