Can You Play Softball With Acrylic Nails? (How-To-Guide)

Many women who are into softball and acrylic nails will ask themselves whether the two play well together. I went through a similar question about piercings in one of my articles, so acrylic nails are at least as big of a question.

In this article, I will explain whether you can play softball with acrylic nails, how to do it properly, and the advantages of acrylic nails compared to other artificial nails. Before moving on in the subject, can you play softball with acrylic nails?

You can play softball with acrylic nails. However, there are some adjustments you should make. Softball is a very active sport involving your hands; thus, long acrylic nails of poor quality will make it very difficult. You should only use short, quality acrylic nails that are well moisturized.

You see, it is quite of a yes and no of an answer, depending on how you approach it. But don’t be alarmed as it is doable to play softball with acrylic nails. Let’s go over these must-do things if you want to play softball with acrylic nails without them slowing you down!

How to Play Softball With Acrylic Nails?

There are three areas that you need to get right if you want to play softball with acrylic nails without any problems, I might add. Playing softball with acrylic nails is similar to tennis, and Serena Williams does it all the time. So, let’s go over these three areas you should consider.

1. Make sure your acrylic nails will be good quality

The first thing you should always do, and not just with acrylic nails, is research. Acrylic nails can be quite expensive, and there is a huge difference between nail salons and technicians.

Do some research by reading reviews online and asking friends and familiar faces where they get theirs. This way, you will fast learn which salon or technician does a quality job and which ones don’t.

A great do-tell about poor quality is ridiculously affordable pricing for acrylic nails. This can give you a hint that it might not be a good choice if you want your nails to last during and after softball. Of course, the pricing isn’t always the determination between good and poor quality, yet it is often related.

Why is quality important for acrylic nails? In softball, you will be holding and swinging a bat, using a glove, sometimes diving and flexing while using your hand, and so on. This means shock damage and twisting for your nails, so if they are poor quality, they will break faster than you can say softball.

2. Ask for short acrylic nails

If you want to play to your best ability and ensure that your nails won’t break during softball, you can’t have long nails. As a rule of thumb, the shorter the acrylic nails, the better.

If longer acrylic nails are what you desire, you will be choosing between them and quality softball.

Depending on your role on the field and your seriousness towards softball, you could get long nails. Note that this isn’t recommended by professional players, me personally, and common sense if you want to keep your nails in good condition.

If you choose to get short acrylic nails but feel bad about wanting longer ones, different shapes can help with that. For example, oval-shaped acrylic nails are great and feminine. This style is short, but it elongates your nails, making them appear longer than they actually are!

3. Take care of your acrylic nails

Last but not least, taking care of your acrylic nails is a vital step if you want to prolong their lifespan, make them look better, and protect yourself from infections. Taking care of your acrylic nails is done by moisturizing and refilling them.

• Moisturizing your acrylic nails

Moisturizing can happen in many ways, but the most common ones are Hand Creme and Cuticle oil. It’s important to moisture your acrylic nails as they will become dry and brittle over time, which will make them break much faster and look terrible.

Moisturizing with hand creme is the easiest way as nearly everyone, especially women, has hand creme already good to go. However, suppose you don’t already have any. In that case, OPI ProSpa Hand, Nail, and Cuticle Cream is one of the best and most appreciated hand cremes specifically designed for nail moisturizing as well.

Take note that you shouldn’t soak your hands in the cream, as too much of it can worsen the effect of the glue. Simply add some so that your hands and nails will be slightly moist, not wet from the cream.

The best way to moisture, specifically your nails, is to use cuticle oil. Applying cuticle oil will improve the circulation around your nails, leading to nail growth. This means that you don’t need a refill so often; you will be better protected from infections, the nails stay on better and longer, and the overall look will be greater.

Those are some serious benefits you can get from a simple cuticle oil. One of the most popular cuticle oils is the Cuccio Milk & Honey Cuticle Oil, which will directly add protection, nourishment, and moisture to your acrylic nails.

• Refill (fill-in) your acrylic nails

Refilling your acrylic nails is very important to keep your nails healthy, looking good, and overall in good condition.

Generally, many nail technicians recommend filling the gaps that will occur on your acrylic nails every three weeks. Going longer than that can cause bacteria growth within the gaps, which could eventually spread underneath the nail and even your own.

In addition, your nail simply won’t stay on well if it isn’t refilled when the time comes. This is problematic, especially when talking about using acrylic nails when playing softball.

Advantages of Acrylic Nails In Softball

If you are interested in nails, you already know that acrylic nails aren’t the only option on the market. There are various other types, such as gel nails, dip powder nails, fiberglass nail wraps, and many more!

Acrylic nails do possess some great benefits when deciding on a nail type for softball, so I want you to know them so you can know that acrylic nails are one of the best decisions to choose when looking at other artificial nails for softball.

1. Best Durability of Artificial Nails

As discussed, softball is a very hands-on sport where your nails will be affected by a certain amount of shock damage and tight places. However, acrylic nails do have great durability when compared to other options.

For example, comparing acrylic nails to gel nails, they are more durable, so you won’t need to worry about cracking or lifting off.

On the conside, acrylic nails aren’t as flexible as gel nails, which is why I don’t recommend getting even somewhat long acrylic nails. Keep them short, and you won’t run into any problems when playing softball.

2. Good Value and Affordability

Another benefit about artificial nails is that they are affordable compared to other types. The price is determined by the material costs, difficulty and time of applying, and the salon’s reputation, among other things.

Here are the prices you can expect to pay for different fake nails, according to StyleCheer.

• Acrylic nails: $40
• Gel nails: $55
• Dip powder nails: $45

What Is the Best Position to Play With Acrylic Nails?

Generally, the best position to play softball with acrylic nails is the left or rightfield. This is because they have time to prepare for the ball, and don’t have as many responsibilities such as center fielder or shortstop. Thus, acrylic nails won’t hinder your performance nearly as much.

A thing to consider here is that if your fake nails are hindering your performance in any way, it isn’t worth it to use them in softball. Although, you can have short acrylic nails without them hindering your performance.

Another great position to play is the batter. Fake nails rarely affect batting in any way, which is great as you don’t need to think about them at the moment. Again, thinking about your nails at the moment when on the field isn’t good.

The hardest and worst position to play with acrylic nails is the shortstop, without a doubt. They have so many responsibilities and are always in contact with the ball. The dives and flexes are mindblowing sometimes, so using even medium-length acrylic nails as one is impossible.