The History Of Acrylic Nails

1800s - 1900s.

The history of acrylic nails. Location of production. Allures September 2012 issue featured a timeline of nail styles throughout history starting in ancient Egypt and ending with nail decals and 3-D nail art. You do acrylic nails every day all day.

After expirements with different materials to perfect his invention he and his brother Tom patented a succesful version and started the company Patti Nails. Manicures however still reign supreme. In 1957 dentist Frederick Slack broke a nail at work and to repair it he used aluminum foil and dental acrylic from his lab.

Acrylic nails are perfect in aiding to conceal damaged or brittle nails. Early attempts to making natural looking nail enhancements used. Musicians use artificial nails in order to better play their instruments.

The invention of the current nail extensions started in 1954 when Fred Slack a dentist broke his fingernail at work and created an artificial nail using dental acrylic as a replacement. Unfortunately these anti-nail biting devices looked very thick and very fake. For years false nails have been associated with the lower classes.

As it turns out he designed a faux nail that looked entirely too realistic. His brother Tom joined him after the acrylic nail began to get its popularity. While most people think gel and acrylic extensions are a relatively new concept many are surprised to find out they have been around for hundreds of years.

Nail charms gold nails as well as nail art were getting popular. They are ideal for a client who wants longer nails and wants a bit of an edgier look. This was combined with the first liquid composite resin and resin monomer which also eventually led to the development of UV gel chemistry within the nail field.