The present invention relates to a nail treatment method, and in particular to a nail treatment method using a gel nail agent.
As a method for beautify fingernails and toenails, gel nails using nail agents including photocurable resin are widely known, in addition to nail agents for manicure (also referred to as nail polish, lacquer enamel, and the like). Generally, the gel nail here means: a method including the steps of applying a gel type nail agent onto the nail, curing the nail agent by light irradiation, and thus unifying the nail agent with the nail; the kinds of the above nail agents; and also a cured nail agent itself. The gel nails thus treated are hard and scratch-resistant compared to lacquer enamel for manicure. Thus, gloss and color development of the gel nails last for a long time (several weeks), which also serves as a protector of the nails. Also, since such beautiful nails give a sense of contentment, the gel nails have become very popular.
As exemplarily shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in the conventional gel nail treatment method, the surface and the tip of the nail are suitably shaped/prepared, and then each gel nail agent is repeatedly applied and cured in the order of a base gel, a color gel and a top gel. In this treatment as shown in
When removing the gel nail from the nail 101, a cotton wool, which is impregnated with a remover, is placed on the gel nail, and the nail in this state is covered with an aluminum foil for preventing the remover from evaporating, and is left as is for several minutes. After that, when the gel nail has softened, the gel nail is removed from the surface of the nail 101 by exfoliating it using a nail stick and the like or scraping it away using a cutting tool.
[Patent Document 1] JP 2013-244141 A
[Patent Document 2] JP 2015-189668 A
As described above, when treating gel nails, the brush 102 dipped in the nail agent is moved from the base to the tip of the nail 101 so as to apply the nail agent onto the entire nail 101. Accordingly, the nail agent is likely to accumulate on the base side of the nail 101. As shown in
The tip of the nail is often chipped or broken within two or three weeks after the treatment. When the nail has been broken or has grown, the gel nail 104 is removed so that the nail is treated to have a new gel nail. As described above, the gel nail cannot be easily removed. It takes time to remove the gel nail, and the nail 105 of a treated person is also shaved off together with the gel nail 104. Furthermore, it is necessary to roughly sand the surface of the nail 105 so as to fix the new nail agent. As a result, if the gel nail treatment is repeatedly performed, the nails become thin, thereby it is difficult to prevent the nails from chipping or breaking. In addition, the remover contains acetone in high concentration. Since the remover is repeatedly used to remove the gel nail if it cannot be removed at a time, the nail and the skin around the nail are likely to be damaged.
The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, an object of which is to provide a nail treatment method with which: the good condition of the gel nails can be maintained for a long time; thinning or damage of the nails can be prevented even when the gel nail treatment is repeatedly performed; and the beautifully finished gel nails have, at the same time, a strength.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the means for solving the problem of the present invention is a nail treatment method using a gel nail agent containing photocurable resin. The nail treatment method includes: a base step of forming a base layer on a nail plate by applying a base gel onto the nail plate and curing the base gel by light irradiation; a coloring step of forming a color layer on the base layer by applying a color gel or a mixed gel containing powder or small pieces on the base layer and curing the color gel or the mixed gel by light irradiation; and a top step of forming a top coat layer on the color layer by applying a top gel onto the color layer and curing the top gel by light irradiation. The nail plate means a nail plate itself, a nail tip when using the nail tip, or a treatment object part formed by the nail plate and the nail tip unified with the nail plate. In the base step, application and curing of the base gel are performed several times, and at least in a first application, the base gel is applied so as to be spaced apart from a base of the nail plate. Thus, the base layer is formed so as to be spaced apart from the base of the nail plate, and further it is formed in a shape including a raised part that has a highest portion at a position that is closer to the base of the nail plate than a position one-half of a length of the nail plate is.
With the above configuration, the base layer including the raised part serves as the base coat, and the color layer, which constitutes a main part of the gel nail design, is formed on the nail plate as the treatment object part. Since the base layer is spaced apart from the base of the nail plate, the color layer and the top coat layer applied on the base layer can be formed in a shape of a smoothly and naturally curved surface extending to the base of the nail plate. Also, since the base gel is applied several times, the formed base layer has a thickness greater than the conventional layer. In this way, the strength of the gel nail is improved, which reduces troubles such as breaking. Thus, a good condition of the gel nail can be maintained for a long time.
Also, in the above-described nail treatment method, when removing the formed gel nail, it is preferable that the top coat layer and the color layer that were previously formed are removed while maintaining the previously formed base layer on the nail plate, and that the base step, the coloring step and the top step are performed on the maintained base layer and the nail plate so as to form a new base layer, a new color layer and a new top coat layer.
In this way, the time needed to remove the gel nail is reduced. Thus, even when the gel nail treatment is repeatedly performed, it is possible to avoid thinning of the nail by being scraped away together with the previously formed gel nail or by being sanded, and accordingly, it is possible to prevent the nail and the skin around the nail from being damaged.
With the nail treatment method of the present invention, a beautiful appearance and a good condition of the gel nails can be maintained for a long time, which gives greater satisfaction to a treated person. Also, such gel nails are finished to have a strength, while repeated treatments hardly damage the nails. As a result, it is possible to continuously enjoy the gel nails.
Hereinafter, the nail treatment method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In these embodiments, a description will be given on a case in which the nail treatment method according to the embodiments is applied to the fingernails or toenails. Note that each explanatory cross-sectional view in
For applying the gel nail to the nail, first, the nail and skin around the nail are cared for. Also, the nail is filed and sanded to adjust its length and shape (preparation step).
At this time, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Thus, the nail plate 3 is formed by unifying the nail 1 with the nail tip 2. The side lines of the nail plate 3 are formed so as to extend on the respective extended lines of the side lines of the nail 1 of the treated person.
In the description below, the nail 1 means a “nail plate” of the fingernails or toenails of the treated person, while the nail plate 3 means a treatment object part, that is, the nail plate itself, the nail tip 2 when the treatment is performed using the nail tip 2, or both the nail plate and the nail tip 2 unified with the nail plate.
Next, as shown in
In the base step, application and curing of the base gel 4 are performed several times. As shown in
Here, the length of the nail plate 3 means a length from the base 31 of the nail plate 3, i.e. the tip of the loose cuticle (cuticle line), to the tip 32 of the nail (i.e. tip of the unified nail tip 2).
In such an application work, the tip of a gel brush is dipped in the base gel 4, and the application is started at the center of the nail plate 3 in the width direction. Sequentially, the base gel 4 is applied onto the left side and then the right side. After that, the base gel 4 and the nail plate 3 are irradiated, using a special light irradiation device, with light at a specific wavelength so as to cure the base gel 4.
In the second application of the base gel 4, as shown in
Next, as shown in
After that, as shown in
By applying and curing the base gel 4 as described above, the base layer 40 can be formed on the nail plate 3, as shown in
The number of application of the base gel 4 in the base step is not limited to three times. The application may be finished by two times or continued four times or more, provided that the base layer 40 having a raised part as shown in
Next, a gel nail agent such as a color gel 5 is applied onto the base layer 40 and is cured so as to form a color layer 50 (coloring step). In this step, the color layer 50, which has colors and constitutes the main part of the gel nail design, is formed. The color layer 50 is formed by at least two times of application and curing of the color gel 5.
In this application work, the tip of the gel brush is dipped in the color gel 5, and the application is started at the center of the nail plate 3 in the width direction. Sequentially, the color gel 5 is applied onto the left side and the right side.
For example, coloring is performed by applying the color gel 5 onto the base layer 40 so as to put a color on the base layer 40. Also, as shown in
The gel nail agent applied as the color layer 50 is not limited to the color gel 5. It may be a mixed gel made by mixing powder or small pieces such as glitters with a clear gel. Alternatively, both the color gel 5 and the mixed gel may be used. Also, the nail arts may be done by not only using the color gel 5 and the like, but also adhering various nail decorations to the applied color gel 5 and the like.
After the gel nail agent has been applied, it is irradiated with light so that the applied gel nail agent is cured on the base layer 40 and the nail plate 3. Note that the color layer 50 does not necessarily have a color.
Next, a top gel 6 is applied onto the color layer 50 and is cured so as to form a top coat layer 60 (top step). In this step, the application and curing of the top gel 6 is performed several times.
As shown in
The top gel 6 is applied and cured further two times or more, and finally, the top coat layer 60 is formed by covering the nail plate 3 by the top gel 6 from the base 31 to the tip 32 of the nail plate 3 as shown in
In this way, as shown in
Forming the top coat layer 60 as described above serves not only to protect the color layer 50 but also to gloss the surface of the nail. Especially, forming the top coat layer 60 so as to have a shape as shown in
When various nail decorations are used to create the nail art, it is possible to fix such nail decorations on the nail plate 3 by covering them by the top gel 6.
Note that, when the nail decorations are used, the highest portion of the top coat layer 60 is sometimes, actually, the nail decoration covered by the top gel 6. The raised part 60a described in this embodiment does not contain such increase in height caused by using the nail decorations and the like.
After the top coat layer 60 is formed, a file, an emery board or a nail cutting machine (simply called “machine”) is put on the tip 32 and the sides of the nail plate 3 so as to finish the shape. Also, the surface of the top coat layer 60 is wiped off with nail wipe cloth impregnated with a removing liquid, thus uncured resin is removed (finishing step).
As shown in
In this way, by forming the gel nail in the shape of a smoothly and naturally curved surface from the raised part to the base 31 of the nail plate 3, the appearance of the nail can be relatively held in a natural shape even when the nail 1 has grown a few weeks after the treatment, as shown in
Normally, the nail 1 is supported by a belt-like tissue called “yellow line” so that the nail 1 is fixed onto the nail bed. The yellow line makes contact with the side lines (left and right edges) of the nail 1 at two points (so-called “stress points”) that are likely to be subjected to load. Thus, the problem such as breaking or chipping of the nail is frequently generated from these points.
In contrast, in the nail treatment method according to the above-described embodiment, the nail plate 3 is adjusted so that both side edges of the nail tip 2 in the width direction are extended on the respective extended lines of the left and right side lines of the nail 1. Also, since the base gel 4 is applied several times, the formed base layer 40 has a thickness greater than the conventional layer. In this way, the strength of the nail 1 and the nail plate 3 is considerably improved. Furthermore, the top coat layer 60 is formed so as to have the raised part 60a located at a position one-fourth to one-half of the length of the nail plate 3 from the base 31 of the nail, and to have a thickness greater than the conventional layer. With the above configuration, the gel nails can be prevented from breaking or chipping even when the stress points are subjected to load due to housework or work, accordingly, a good condition of the gel nails can be maintained for a long time.
When a treated person wants to change the nail design or the nail 1 has grown as time passes, the gel nails can be removed so that new gel nails are applied. When the new gel nail is applied, in this embodiment, a part of the previously formed base layer 40 (for example, the part lower than the dashed-double dotted line indicated in
These layers are removed using an emery board or a nail cutting machine (simply called “machine”). When removing the color layer 50, part of the base layer 40 may also be scraped away together with the color layer 50.
As described above, since the base layer 40 is formed so as to have a thickness in the raised shape, the nail cutting machine does not make contact with the nail 1. Thus, there is almost no risk of scraping the nail 1. Furthermore, since the remover or the like containing acetone in high concentration is not used, it is possible to prevent the nail 1 and the skin around the nail from being damaged.
After the color layer 50 is removed, a thin coat of the base layer 40 and the top coat layer 60, which were previously formed, remain on the nail plate 3. Onto this nail plate 3, the preparation step, the base step, the coloring step and the top step are performed (repairing step). Thus, a new base layer, a new color layer and a new top coat layer can be formed.
Since the new base layer 40 is formed on the remaining coat of the previous base layer 40 of the nail plate 3, the gel nail formed in the repairing step has an increased strength compared to the previous formed gel nail.
With the method as described above, it is possible to form the gel nail having an increased strength on the nail plate 3 without placing any burden (such as thinning) on the nail 1 of the treated person. Thus, it is possible to avoid disadvantages when the gel nail treatment is repeatedly performed. Rather than that, it is possible to strengthen the nail 1 by repeatedly performing the nail treatment method according to this embodiment, which results in a healthy and beautiful state of the nail being maintained. Furthermore, the gel nails applied as described above can maintain the beautiful gloss and color for a long time, which serves to remarkably improve a sense of satisfaction of the treated person when she/he looks her/his beautiful nails.
In the above-described embodiment, the gradation nail design was exemplarily described. However, the nail design coloring the entire nail plate 3 may also be adopted. In this case, as shown in
The nail treatment method of the present invention in not limited to apply the above steps on the nail 1 itself of the treated person or the nail plate 3. The above steps may be applied to nail tips made of plastic so as to form fake nails, and such fake nails can be adhered to the nails 1. In the gel nail, there are two kinds of gel nail agents having respectively different hardness, i.e. a hard gel and a soft gel. In the method of the present invention, any gel nail agent can be used, provided that such a gel nail agent contains photocurable resin. The method of the present invention can be applied, of course, not only to the fingernails 1, but also to the toenails.
The present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the gist or essential characteristics thereof. The foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
This application claims priority based on Patent Application No. 2016-004306 filed in Japan on Jan. 13, 2016. The entire contents thereof are hereby incorporated in this application by reference.
The present invention can be suitably used as a gel nail treatment method for decorating nails.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2016-004306 | Jan 2016 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2017/000143 | 1/5/2017 | WO | 00 |