Nail Tips, Wraps, and Nail Extensions
What tips and wraps do
A nail tip is a pre-formed plastic extension glued to the free edge to add length. A wrap is a reinforcing fabric or fiber layer applied over the natural nail with resin or adhesive to add strength and repair a split. They are different tools with different purposes, and exam questions frequently mix them up.
Fitting a tip
Match the tip's width to the natural nail, sidewall to sidewall. The natural free edge should sit at the stop point inside the tip's well: not flush with the end of the tip, and never with the tip covering the entire nail plate. Remove surface shine from the tip before gluing, apply a small amount of adhesive to the well, and hold the tip at an angle as you press it into place. Cyanoacrylate glue bonds skin instantly, so keep it off the cuticle and sidewalls and never let a client handle the bottle.
Blending
After the glue sets, file or buff the seam so the tip becomes invisible and the transition to the natural nail is smooth. A visible ridge is both unattractive and a starting point for lifting.
Wraps
Silk, linen, and fiberglass come as strips or as self-adhesive mesh. Prep and dehydrate the plate, apply resin, lay the wrap over the stress area (or the full nail for a repair), press it flat, saturate with resin, let it cure, then file smooth. Wraps add strength but are not a structural substitute when real added length is wanted.
Rule of thumb
Less glue, more blending. A tip glued down with a thick bead and left unblended will lift within days, no matter how good the product is.