How to

Putting them on,
taking them off

Ten minutes to apply. The removal is the part worth reading twice, because that is where nails get damaged, not during wear.

Part one

Applying a set

Five steps, about ten minutes. The file and the wooden stick are in the box; the one thing to have ready is a rubbing alcohol wipe.

01
Push back

Push the cuticle back gently with the wooden stick. Anything left sitting on the nail plate is something the wrap has to stick through.
02
Wipe

Wipe each nail with a rubbing alcohol pad and let it dry completely. This is the step that decides how long the set lasts: oil left on the nail is the first reason a wrap lets go, and alcohol that has not dried off takes the stickiness with it. Alcohol wipes are not in the box, so bring your own from the drugstore. No wipes on hand? Wash your hands with a plain, clear soap (dish soap works too), rinse well, dry them thoroughly, and give your nails 10 to 15 minutes to dry out before you start. Avoid anything that leaves a film on the nail: moisturising or creamy hand washes, beauty bars, soaps with added oils, shea butter or lanolin, hand sanitiser and hand cream.
03
Size

Hold each strip against the nail and take the exact fit, or one size smaller. Never the size that touches your sidewalls: a wrap resting on skin cannot seal, and that is where lifting starts. Lay both hands out before you peel anything.
04
Press on

Line it up near the cuticle without touching the skin, then press outward from the middle so no crease or bubble is left under it. If a bubble does appear, lift the strip gently and lay it down again rather than pressing on.
05
File

Hold the file flat against the fingertip, at a right angle to the nail, and file downward until the excess separates. Down only, never back and forth. There is no lamp and no dry time, so you are finished the moment you stop filing.

Two hours before water, and warm hands work better than cold ones: if your hands are cold, or the room is below about 20°C, warm them up first and the wrap will lay down instead of fighting you. If you already own a top coat and a lamp, the maker says a coat and 60 to 90 seconds under it adds wear. Nothing in this box needs one.

Part two

Taking them off

Three to five minutes in warm water, and it comes off in the water. No acetone, and nothing that files your own nail.

01
Soak

Fill a bowl with warm water, about 40°C, comfortable on the wrist rather than hot. Sit your fingertips in it for three to five minutes.
02
Lift, still in the water

Keep your hand under the water and ease the wooden stick under one corner, then along. Leaving it in the water is the whole trick. If a wrap resists, give it another minute rather than pulling.
03
Wipe the residue

Any adhesive left on the nail comes off with a rubbing alcohol pad. Nothing needs to be scraped or filed away.
04
After

Cuticle oil, and leave it on. If you can give the nail a day before the next set, do.

Warmth is why a wrap that went on easily comes off hard: it bonds better the longer it is worn, the way a sticker on a jar does, and warm water is what releases it.

Three things not to do