Jamberry Application - You've Come a Long Way Baby

I cringe a little when I look at the first attempts I had at trying Jams on.  The wraps weren't sized well, I didn't heat them up enough, I didn't prep my nails well and as a result I got the newbie bubbles and buckles in my wraps. (I still loved the hell out of them anyhow).  It is a good thing tho to look back and see how far I've come and how much MORE I love my wraps.

A nice, clean smooth surface is always the best place to start when using Jamberry.  Use a cuticle remover and push your cuticles back really well.  The adhesive doesnt stick to skin so if you see buckles on the sides or along the cuticle - you need to do this step extra well.  Don't use wraps that are too BIG.  There should be a sliver of space in between your wrap and your skin with visible nail showing when you apply your wraps.  Going smaller will result in a wrap that lays flatter and won't bubble along the edges.

First Jam application circa June 2014

Wait till the tips cool before filing off the excess.  When you heat the wrap it becomes more flexible and you can stretch and pull it over the tip a little bit to get a smoother fit.  You want the wrap to cool so it doesnt retract any further before you file the edge off.  Then do another filing with a less gritty file (I use a glass file)  and do it at a 45 degree angle to your nail so that you are removing a TEENY bit of the wrap away from the edge of the nail.  This will expose a little bit of nail at the end so when you pick at things it is hitting the nail and not your wrap.  I will do this step for the middle, index and thumb on my dominant hand.

I will also snip a teeny triangle from the corner of the wrap at the tip of my nail for the same reason.  No one will notice but you and your wraps will last longer.

Once my wraps are all filed, I will do the extra steps of wrapping my finger tip tightly in a freezer bag and heating it up inside the bag.  This gives added pressure to the tip and the additional heat helps to seal it down.  Finally, I will take a metal cuticle pusher and heat up the curved side of the pusher with my mini heater and iron down the edges of my wraps.  This really gives my wraps quite a bit longer life and a stronger seal.

Apply them before bed so they have time to cure over night before they are immersed in water.

Watch my YouTube Application video which has most of these steps except for the Baggie method at the end

Happy Jamming!

March 2015