gel/ acrylic nails

[saraa_b]

hmm I'm not sure to put this under recommendations or not but I was just looking for some imput on gel or arcrylic nails.

my nails right now are in good condition but as a nervous habit I pick at my nails (not biting)... so I paint my nails and the next day there isn't any polish left!

I'm just thinking I should maybe just get gel nails but I'm wondering how much damage to my nails would there be if I ever decided to go back to my natural nails.

thanks

by the way I'm 16 so, if fake nails will somehow damage my health I would really like to know!

 

[tinkerbell]

I have gel's (they call them pink and white solar) I LOVE them..you do have to get them filled every 2-3 weeks and they really last. I had a terrible habit of picking the cuticles and skin around my nails and having the gel on has completely made me stop...I don't know about the health issues...I had heard that the gel is better for you than the acrylic, but I'm not sure if that is true...I would go and ask a nail tech and see what they say... I really like mine. Good luck with what you decide...

 

[Kels823]

I wear gel pink and white nails as well.. been wearing them for about 3 years off and on.

I always say that you should go 3-6 months on, one month off to give your natural nails a chance to breathe. Your natural nails will grow very long under the gel, but if you ever decide to take the gel off for good, your nails will be very thin and will have to be cut down kinda short to start the growing out process. It takes about 6-9 months for your natural nails to return to their original state (which seems like FOREVER!!!).

Make sure that you go to a licensed nail technician. There are too many fungus issues to list.. but make sure they use clean/new utensils, etc.

Gel/Acrylic nails (I get gel, its more flexible and doesnt break as easily) are very pretty and they make my hands look nicer, as my natural nails dont really grow past a certain length.

Thats about all I can think of. Hope this helped somehow..

 

[amoona]

i used to use fake nails because i bit my nails like crazy but i finally got fed up. keeping up with them is kinda of a pain because you do have to go like every two weeks and sit there for like an hour to get ur nails done. plus it makes your nails super weak. i have taken them off and haven't had any fake nails for three months and my real nails are just starting to get strong.

i also have the same habit as you, pickin at my nail polish haha. so far if i do paint my nails n pick them i jus redo them. i'll over come that habit next!

 

[saraa_b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kels823 I wear gel pink and white nails as well.. been wearing them for about 3 years off and on. I always say that you should go 3-6 months on, one month off to give your natural nails a chance to breathe. Your natural nails will grow very long under the gel, but if you ever decide to take the gel off for good, your nails will be very thin and will have to be cut down kinda short to start the growing out process. It takes about 6-9 months for your natural nails to return to their original state (which seems like FOREVER!!!). Make sure that you go to a licensed nail technician. There are too many fungus issues to list.. but make sure they use clean/new utensils, etc. Gel/Acrylic nails (I get gel, its more flexible and doesnt break as easily) are very pretty and they make my hands look nicer, as my natural nails dont really grow past a certain length. Thats about all I can think of. Hope this helped somehow..

Thanks for all the info

This helps!!

 

[saraa_b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinkerbell I have gel's (they call them pink and white solar) I LOVE them..you do have to get them filled every 2-3 weeks and they really last. I had a terrible habit of picking the cuticles and skin around my nails and having the gel on has completely made me stop...I don't know about the health issues...I had heard that the gel is better for you than the acrylic, but I'm not sure if that is true...I would go and ask a nail tech and see what they say... I really like mine. Good luck with what you decide...

Thank you for the help!!

 

[DaizyDeath]

i asked a doctor about this subject once and he told me that any product that you put over your nail for more then one day will damage it.

I had virgin nails untill about 11 months ago when my friend convinced me to just get them painted at a salon even after that and i took off the nail polish my nails were dull and riggid for about 2 weeks.

 

[saraa_b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaizyDeath i asked a doctor about this subject once and he told me that any product that you put over your nail for more then one day will damage it. I had virgin nails untill about 11 months ago when my friend convinced me to just get them painted at a salon even after that and i took off the nail polish my nails were dull and riggid for about 2 weeks.

thanks for the info.... I didn't know you could damage your nails just by painting them!

 

[saraa_b]

could the gel nails be damaged if you use a tanning bed??

 

[hyperRealGurl]

Hrmmmmmmmm only 1 person comes in mind when ppl talk about nails.. and that V' Macvirgin u should see some of her work....... she is amazing....

 

[cindysilver4]

I had acrylic nails for about 8 months, about 6 years ago. For the same reason as you! I had a bad biting/picking problem, and getting the fake nails really cured it. But then I got them removed, and my nails underneath were a WRECK for nearly 6 months. I mean, they were gorgeous with the acrylics, really pretty, never broke, never chipped, I could open a can of soda a thousand times and no worries. But it was very time-consuming and pricey for me to get them filled every week and a half- my nails grow very fast. So, it was good in that I grew my thicker nails back faster --- but it costed more to get them filled all the time.

I don't know, I don't regret it, because I didn't care when my nails were flimsy and weak for a semester, but if you do -- then keep that in mind

 

[MiCHiE]

Nails are generally weaker after removal because the natural nail has to be oil-less for the product to adhere. To do this, the outer layer is gently filed off. However, techs have done this with efiles and/or too much pressure, removing essential layers of the nail. Thereby leaving a weaker nail. For the record, gel, liquid & powder, Solar Nails, wraps (fiberglass and silk) are ALL acrylics. They're in different forms, but all the same. None of them are any "better" than the other. It's all in the application technique. I've seen some people with jacked up gels and some with liquid and powder that were told they were getting gels. If your "gel" didn't come out gooey from a pot, it's not really gel!
The nail business is strictly a Buyer Beware business.

 

[IslandGirl77]

^^^^I have to agree. I seen some people get some bad infections from getting their nails done. Make sure you see that they sterilize their equpiment and utensils(don't know what they call that stuff) I've been getting my nails done off and on for years. I let them breathe a few months, before getting them done again. It does make your nails weak having them on. I've only had acrylic, and I somehow seem to break them bad boys. That hurts like heck!!! I think it depends on what kind of look you want, but overall I think they all do the same damage.

 

[bellaetoile]

stupid question: what's the difference between gel nails, acrylic nails, silk wraps, etc.

i get my nails done, because for me, it's easier to have tips on my nails when working on the cash registers at work, and working with clothing and metal hangers all day. i used to really damage my natural nails and cuticles, so i started getting the white tips done. i've gotten my nails tipped on-and-off for several years, and have never noticed any huge problems with my natural nails once the tips come off. make sure your natural nails are short when you get the tips done, because the longer your natural nails, the harder and more painful it can be to take off the tips, in my experiences. tips last for several weeks at least, and are really strong. still, i'm not sure what type of tips i get...is there any great way to tell? what method is the least damaging?

 

[little teaser]

they do make your real nails weak and thin but once in awhile when i do get them done i like to get the sculptured ones they seem to be less damageing and i love the boogie night acrylic

 

[MiCHiE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bellaetoile stupid question: what's the difference between gel nails, acrylic nails, silk wraps, etc.

The main difference is the strength and durability of each. Wraps are the weakest. Gels are most flexible and Liquid and Powder Acrylic are generally strongest and most common. It all depends on what the client wants and what the tech does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bellaetoile i get my nails done, because for me, it's easier to have tips on my nails when working on the cash registers at work, and working with clothing and metal hangers all day. i used to really damage my natural nails and cuticles, so i started getting the white tips done. i've gotten my nails tipped on-and-off for several years, and have never noticed any huge problems with my natural nails once the tips come off. make sure your natural nails are short when you get the tips done, because the longer your natural nails, the harder and more painful it can be to take off the tips, in my experiences. tips last for several weeks at least, and are really strong. still, i'm not sure what type of tips i get...is there any great way to tell? what method is the least damaging?

None of these "nails" are damaging. The technician doing them is the cause of most of the problems people have with thin, weak and splitting nails. Poor application and removal techniques attribute to these conditions. Know who's doing your nails. Look at what they're doing and stop them if the process becomes the least bit painful. And, don't fall prey to people telling you enhancements make your nails grow, become stronger, or weaker. If you have weak nails before, they'll be weak after.

 

[NikkiHorror]

Acrylic Nails!

Okay, so I just got faux nails for the first time; I really like em! When do you go get a "fill"? And what do you tell the ladies each time you go in?

 

[Pushpa]

you get a 'fill' because the start to grow out and you see your real nails near the cuticle....i always wait a month before i fill i think it is a waste of money to fill when there is barely any growth i wait until they are approx 1/3 grown out.....fill 2-3 times then get a whole new set...filling helps keep them clean and not nasty looking

when you go in just request a fill and specify what you want....did you just get acrylic or did you get a gel overlay? did you get pink or clear acrylic?

 

[IcePrincess2250]

I get one every 2 weeks or so because my nails grow so so so fast. And like Pushpa said, just get whatever you got before, or get whatever style you like. Try out a couple kinds and see what suits you best. Also, if you can help it get overlays. not tips. Tips are when they add a fake extension, whereas overlays are just right on top of your nail.

Personally I like pink and white gel overlays.
Good luck!

 

[hypodermic]

I miss my gels, but I cannot justify the price. Needing them filled every two weeks at $50 is too much.