artificial nails question

[ktgrok]

does anyone have artificial nails that they keep on a regular basis? I've been doing a lot better about keeping the house clean and being a better housekeeper but it's wearing down my nails and they keep breaking painfully.I'm not going to wear gloves because of sensory issues so I I'm constantly breaking them. I like to use my nails to scrape off little bits of things on the cabinet or on the floor so I know that's also part of the issue. Would gel nails be strong enough to let me do that and not break. what is the upkeep on them like I had acrylic nails in the past and I hated the drilling with the dremel to file it down during the film because it felt like it tore up my cuticles. Are gel nails like that?

[Mbelle]

Gel nails are great and it stays put for 2-3 weeks and I do a lot of housework too.  However, if you want to have nails done on an ongoing basis I have found overlay is a better options, because the take off with gel cost each time and it wears my nails down and they started to break below the quick. Ouch! I did not get any tips put on, just the overlay in pink and white.  Refill about every 2-3 weeks.  I think gel is great though if you are having a special occassion or event and you don't have to keep it up.  I do not wear gloves for housework and this past month have had to handwash all dishes because of work we are having done on our house.  It has not been a problem.

[Ellyndria]

This is probably not what you want to hear, but artificial nails are eventually going to make your own nails worse.  The best thing you can do for your nails is to use cuticle oil, often.  (Look for one with jojoba.)  Cleaning, washing our hands...water, is very hard on our nails and dries them out, and then they break.  A lot of people have good results with Bliss Kiss Simply Pure nail oil, and they have a 3 day hydration challenge that I've heard good things about.

 

Many people also find that just wearing nail polish (base, 2 coats of color, top coat) can help protect their nails, and you can "seal" the end of the nail with polish to help keep the water out.  Others have good luck using a nail strengthener, and some of them can be used as a base coat.   But overusing them can also cause a problem, and there are different kinds of nail strengtheners.  You may want to do a little research on it.

[Guest]

Acrylics are phenomenal. I can clean, do crafts, whatever, and they're tough as, well, nails. The metal kind ;)

 

I am giving my nails a break after multiple months of acrylics and the nail underneath is in great shape. My favorite nail tech is very careful to not damage it when filling the set.

 

The only real hazard is lifting a nail by catching it on things. That's the case with natural longer nails too, I've done it with natural but not acrylic. It hurts like crazy and can damage the nail bed. But generally speaking in normal life and use my acrylics hold up beautifully.

 

I have done tons of gel manicures and on bare nails they are much more damaging for me than the powder. I can actually see top layers of keratin delaminating from my nails - eek! They last beautifully but I decided I'd rather repaint my nails every few days than deal with the damage of the longer lasting gel/shellac manicures.

 

So in order of preference - I love acrylics for anything on the medium to long side, natural nails with normal nail polish for short to medium lengths, and gel least of all.

[Guest]

And I actually got my acrylics because my medical issues gave me thin, fragile nails. Those allowed me to grow out the damage underneath with minimal issues. I do have a slight dent on a few of my nails from the line of the last powder fill (it's a pressure thing) but other than trimming the final 1/8 inch that was a bit obnoxiously soft from being shaped by a deemed to contour the acrylic, everything else has come out beautifully even after having fake nails for months on end. And more importantly, I'm now past the damaged spots where my malabsorption of nutrition was causing my nails to split and tear like paper.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[Guest]

Gel is more dremeling if you can believe it, you really cannot remove it with acetone alone, especially glitter colors. I've been able to soak some gel off a few times but my hands were painfully dry from half an hour of straight acetone. I am explicit when they're filling my nails that they are to NOT hit my fingers, I refuse to put up with an electric sander touching my skin. Magically, when I make a stink, the amount of times I get caught with the dremeling goes down to once in a blue moon ;)

[bettyandbob]

When I'm cleaning I caring around a putty knife to do that sort of scraping. It's small and I leave it on my kitchen sink when not cleaning.

 

Not what you asked, but may help.

[ktgrok]

okay, good to know. I was wondering if they do the dremel with gel nails or not. 

 

Yesterday, on impulse and out of desperation I got gel polish on my nails. They tried to talk me into a full set but I chickened out. Or rather, decided to research first. I'm hoping the gel polish on it's own gives them a bit of strength to grow out, but I may end up going with the full set. Interesting to hear that if I put up a stink they can learn to miss my skin :)  

[Guest]

I had the same hopes for gel. But truly it was more damaging for me, and my salon picked Gelish because they thought it was easier to remove :lol:

 

If someone is being so hasty with the tool that they're touching your skin then go somewhere else. You shouldn't have to be injured to get your nails done.

[ktgrok]

I had the same hopes for gel. But truly it was more damaging for me, and my salon picked Gelish because they thought it was easier to remove :lol:

 

If someone is being so hasty with the tool that they're touching your skin then go somewhere else. You shouldn't have to be injured to get your nails done.

 

Honestly, it's been at least a decade since I had artificial nails, maybe two. Things may have improved since then, lol! 

[SemiSweet]

I almost always have gel on my nails but I do it myself. My nails do much better when I keep gel on them. I love it. I cannot stand acrylic, something about the way it feels makes me want to violently rip them off.

[ktgrok]

I have decided that any soak off of gel will be done at home, where I can be patient about it. I'm afraid a salon will get in a hurry and scrap off the gel and damage the nail. I think I can order the foil soak off wraps on amazon. 

[Guest]

Just file it and buff the gel first, then use an acetone soaks cotton ball on foil squares (I just rip my own tinfoil as I go). That should do it, along with a cuticle pusher which acts as a nice scraper to peel the gel off. It won't work for glitter as well, but it works on gel with patience!

[ThisIsTheDay]

I have had regular gel manicures for about six months.  I read up on comparisons before opting to go this route.  I didn't want acrylics. Been there, done that, wrecked my nails.  Before gel polish, I kept my nails very short.  Now they are long, definitely extending beyond my fingertips.  I've never had one break. (Yay!)

 

 

...

Would gel nails be strong enough to let me do that and not break. what is the upkeep on them like I had acrylic nails in the past and I hated the drilling with the dremel to file it down during the film because it felt like it tore up my cuticles. Are gel nails like that?

...

 

No, you cannot use gel nails as a tool.  I haven't changed any of my habits because of them, but I don't typically use them as a scraper or screwdriver.  ;)  Mine are done professionally, and they last up to three weeks.  I only need to get them done because the bottom grows out, near my cuticle, not because the tips have been damaged. 

 

Your experience will depend greatly on the salon practices. Mine are buffed slightly on top with a nail file, wrapped with a small piece of cotton (not a whole ball) in the foil stuff, checked 10-15 mins. later, sometimes rewrapped and checked again.  Once the bulk of the polish has been removed, they will use a very fine buff to remove any remainder. I have NEVER had a dremmel used on mine. Several of my friends have their gels removed by **soaking their whole finger tip in acetone!!** No wonder why some have cuticle issues!! 

 

...

I have done tons of gel manicures and on bare nails they are much more damaging for me than the powder. I can actually see top layers of keratin delaminating from my nails - eek! They last beautifully but I decided I'd rather repaint my nails every few days than deal with the damage of the longer lasting gel/shellac manicures.
...

 

This has not been my experience at all. I know that you have thin nails, but honestly, I can't imagine that your nails are coming apart because of the gel removal.  That's the whole point in choosing gels, based on everything I've read.

 

Gel is more dremeling if you can believe it, you really cannot remove it with acetone alone, especially glitter colors. I've been able to soak some gel off a few times but my hands were painfully dry from half an hour of straight acetone. I am explicit when they're filling my nails that they are to NOT hit my fingers, I refuse to put up with an electric sander touching my skin. Magically, when I make a stink, the amount of times I get caught with the dremeling goes down to once in a blue moon ;)

 

Mine have never been dremeled off.  If proper bases are used, why is glitter even an issue?  (I had glitter at Christmas, no difference from regular polish.)   Although I've had four different people removing my gel, I've never experienced anyone filing my skin!  I would seriously be considering looking for a shop with perhaps more consideration and care for their clients.  I do not go to a fancy place (one of the cheapest in town, actually).

 

I love my gels. I usually put hand lotion on once a day, in a rush, but don't do anything special for my cuticles although my nail place has commented that my cuticles are always in great shape.  I've been warned that I should wear gloves for some household chores, but I don't.  I wash a LOT of dishes.

 

The more I hear about others' experiences with salons continues to convince me to not look for another place.  It used to be a convenient location, but I no longer go to that side of town anymore for anything else.  It's worth it for my nails though!  I've been extremely pleased with my gels. They are a huge splurge for me--I ditched pedicures for this. I can do pedis at home, but I can't do gels like this!

 

 

 

(Sorry, I added an extra quote and can't seem to get rid of it!)

 

 

 

[ktgrok]

I'm thinking the dremel  might be if you have tips on, not just for a gel manicure.....I think often people with pink and white tips will not soak off the tip, but just fill in at the bottom?

[Mothersweets]

Katie, I've had fake nails (pink and white) for years and I love it. I have never been able to grow my own nails and went for years hating the look of my hands before I had fake nails put on. I keep my short - they just peek over the tips of my fingers - but it makes a big difference to me. :)

 

My nail lady does not soak anything off. Every other visit is when I get the white part redone (a backfill) and she uses the dremel to remove the old white and most of the pink and to shorten my nails. It doesn't hurt or damage my cuticles at all. After having a backfill done, when my nails have grown out but the white part is still looking natural is when I get just a fill to fill in at the base of the nail.

 

I can do housework, dishes, anything really and my nails look great, feel great, etc. and have no problems with lifting either. I go in about once every 3 weeks. It took me about 3 or 4 months of trying  a few different salons before I found my current nail lady.

[ktgrok]

Katie, I've had fake nails (pink and white) for years and I love it. I have never been able to grow my own nails and went for years hating the look of my hands before I had fake nails put on. I keep my short - they just peek over the tips of my fingers - but it makes a big difference to me. :)

 

My nail lady does not soak anything off. Every other visit is when I get the white part redone (a backfill) and she uses the dremel to remove the old white and most of the pink and to shorten my nails. It doesn't hurt or damage my cuticles at all. After having a backfill done, when my nails have grown out but the white part is still looking natural is when I get just a fill to fill in at the base of the nail.

 

I can do housework, dishes, anything really and my nails look great, feel great, etc. and have no problems with lifting either. I go in about once every 3 weeks. It took me about 3 or 4 months of trying  a few different salons before I found my current nail lady.

 

Are your acrylic or gel?

[Guest]

I have had regular gel manicures for about six months. I read up on comparisons before opting to go this route. I didn't want acrylics. Been there, done that, wrecked my nails. Before gel polish, I kept my nails very short. Now they are long, definitely extending beyond my fingertips. I've never had one break. (Yay!)

 

 

 

No, you cannot use gel nails as a tool. I haven't changed any of my habits because of them, but I don't typically use them as a scraper or screwdriver. ;) Mine are done professionally, and they last up to three weeks. I only need to get them done because the bottom grows out, near my cuticle, not because the tips have been damaged.

 

Your experience will depend greatly on the salon practices. Mine are buffed slightly on top with a nail file, wrapped with a small piece of cotton (not a whole ball) in the foil stuff, checked 10-15 mins. later, sometimes rewrapped and checked again. Once the bulk of the polish has been removed, they will use a very fine buff to remove any remainder. I have NEVER had a dremmel used on mine. Several of my friends have their gels removed by **soaking their whole finger tip in acetone!!** No wonder why some have cuticle issues!!

 

 

This has not been my experience at all. I know that you have thin nails, but honestly, I can't imagine that your nails are coming apart because of the gel removal. That's the whole point in choosing gels, based on everything I've read.

 

 

Mine have never been dremeled off. If proper bases are used, why is glitter even an issue? (I had glitter at Christmas, no difference from regular polish.) Although I've had four different people removing my gel, I've never experienced anyone filing my skin! I would seriously be considering looking for a shop with perhaps more consideration and care for their clients. I do not go to a fancy place (one of the cheapest in town, actually).

 

I love my gels. I usually put hand lotion on once a day, in a rush, but don't do anything special for my cuticles although my nail place has commented that my cuticles are always in great shape. I've been warned that I should wear gloves for some household chores, but I don't. I wash a LOT of dishes.

 

The more I hear about others' experiences with salons continues to convince me to not look for another place. It used to be a convenient location, but I no longer go to that side of town anymore for anything else. It's worth it for my nails though! I've been extremely pleased with my gels. They are a huge splurge for me--I ditched pedicures for this. I can do pedis at home, but I can't do gels like this!

 

 

 

(Sorry, I added an extra quote and can't seem to get rid of it!)

Well, since you quoted me I'll dialog. I love nails :)

 

1). I've had my nails done in multiple salons in multiple states. My current is the best, hands down.

 

2) My nails are actually very strong and I wear them naturally long - anywhere from 1/8-1/4 over the tips of my fingers *without* artificial nails. They began to have problems when I had health problems but the gel was damaging and thinning them a bit long before that. I only used shellac because I liked that they didn't pop up or chip for a week or two, but by my next manicure they were often lifting in the back (I had that issue one time in all my acrylic fills).

 

3) Some gel formulations adhere to the base nail more strongly than others. My salon likes Gelish because it is less damaging to the nail than some others, but the base definitely bonds with the keratin and certain colors must be scored repeatedly to remove, even with acetone, because it cannot penetrate the gel without that buffing. The ones that didn't peel off or lift did so because they really mated with the nail itself. For the occasional gel that's fine. For multiple years of it? No Bueno.

 

4. Certain acrylic preparations are better than others. The one my salon uses has been excellent for me for not lifting, especially with some nail glue at the tips. But improper fills and filing can indeed damage the nail. Because acrylic isn't removed completely from the nail each time they're refreshed, unlike gel, you're going to see less damage to the underlying nail than a product that adheres and needs full removal every time it gets a refresh. Months and months of full gel every two weeks did a noticeable difference to my nails compared to the same durations with powder, and dremeling down to the bare nail (for the colors that didn't soak off well) was certainly a big deal compared to just dremeling the powder of the acrylics, where my bare nail was untouched except for just under the tip for contouring. And the gel colors that were soaked were them scraped off, which often increased the peeling of my nail. They weren't tearing off from this but I couldn't wear them long after gel removal for several months while I grew out the damage.

 

I'm on the middle of bare nails post acrylics right now and the condition is better. It isn't my salon being crappy - they're phenomenal in their technique and training and I have the highest praise for their care. But the constant removal of gel and trying to get through multiple layers of it (I often had base polishes AND toppers for sparkle) was no good for my nails. The acrylics were a smarter choice for *me* to protect my underlying nails while growing out the results of my health issues. Even on healthy nails, though, gel caused me some problems.

 

If you love it, go for it! They cost about the same up here so it comes down to preference. I can get my nails slightly longer with acrylic than bare and that factors in occasionally, but sometimes having stronger nails I don't have to worry about is very useful. With long bare nails (just nail polish) I am cautious to wear gloves in water and not use the. To pry open things. I broke a few gels that way too. Acrylic is good for everything but fine work where the longer nail seems to get in the way.

 

 

 

If I'm ever down your way I'd love to visit your salon and compare what they do. They could just be really amazing or have wonderful products for gel we don't use up here. I know this place beats the pants off of the other options around Anchorage and is better than my two salons in California, but so much depends on the skill of the tech. If Stephanie ever moves I'll weep and then only have her mom (the salon owner) help me, because they're both perfectionists :rofl:

Edited January 15, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[ktgrok]

Ok, so the process of maintenance is kind of similar with both? But gels are thinner and maybe more natural looking, and feel lighter while acrylics are more durable. And gels may actually be worse for your nails, especially if you don't soak them long enough and have to scrape the gel off. 

 

Also, if I didn't do pink and white and did a bright color, and then wanted to change colors the next time, with gels I'd have to soak the whole thing off. With acrylics you can change the polish just like with normal nails. Of course, it also chips off like normal. Or, you can get a gel top coat on top of acrylics...which is a whole other thing. 

 

I've always had colorful polish, but I'm thinking if I do this that pink and white will be less obvious as it grows out and needs fills, right?

[ktgrok]

See, this stuff is why I'm so confused. This is the price list at a local salon. First listed under "full set" is toenails. Do people get fake toenails??? And there is a price for acrylics, a price for gel, a price for pink and white with gel overlay, and a price for white tip. So confused!

 

 

FULL SET

 

• $40
  Toe Nails Pink & White
   
•  
• $24
  Acrylic
   
•  
• $42
  Glitter
   
•  
• $40
  Pink & White(w/ Gel overlay)
   
•  
• $30
  White Tip
   
•  
• $35
  Toe Nails Regular
   
•  
• $40
  Gel
   
   

 

[ktgrok]

This is another one. What is the difference between pink and white and white tip? And why is pink and white listed separately from acrylic or gel...doesn't it have to be one or the other? 

 

I'm so bad at being a girl, lol! Maybe I'll go back to biting the nails off...that was less confusing. 

 

Acrylic Full Set

Acrylic Fill
Pink & White Full Set
Pink & White Fill
Gel Full Set
Gel Fill
White Tip

[Guest]

My normal nail polish on top of acrylic lasts better than gel alone, but I have oily nails and something about the powder seems to block or absorb it so my polish doesn't peel. I actually was told originally to try gel on my acrylics for increased durability and it was unnecessary.

 

Gel is thinner, though so is good acrylic (but the visual bump of acrylic is more obvious and you need to be careful if repainting between fills to not emphasize that). If I have a French manicure I *can* see a slight line under my nails where the fill was done if I'm looking for it. No bump, but I make them fill very conservatively to minimize damage and thus they're not filing down the entire pink base color each time I fill. It's s non issue with anything but the sheerest color, and I like colorful manicures as well by and large.

 

Gel looks more natural, if by natural you mean 'just polish'. The tip of the nail is thinner as well. I love the *shine* of gel that you can never quite replicate with normal polish and topcoats, like a new car!

 

Normal polish really doesn't chip off my acrylics if I'm not prying things open or repairing sewing machines carelessly with them. Like I said, I stopped paying for gel on my acrylics because the normal polish was wearing well and I like changing it myself a few times, which is harder with gel. It really melds with the acrylic better than natural nail and thus is harder to remove for a fill.

 

I'd suggest doing a month or two of gel and then a month or two of powder and see what you personally prefer. Be picky with your techs though and explain you want NO damage to your cuticle or nails from aggressive handling. Reiterate. Talk to the salon owner of one of the techs doesn't listen (and we are talking beyond the occasional accident, obviously. Two or three burns or bites from the tools is too much per session, but even the most careful people slip sometimes or get a bad angle).

 

I decided if I want longer than my normal nails acrylic works the best, and otherwise I use normal polish and expect to change it every two or three days as it peeps and chips.

 

As for the least obvious growth with acrylic I honestly am pushing it at three weeks. I like to get fills every two weeks and then no polish looks obvious. But yes, pale colors do seem to grow out a little more gracefully if you cannot get in twice a month

 

Clear as mud?

Edited January 15, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[Guest]

This is another one. What is the difference between pink and white and white tip? And why is pink and white listed separately from acrylic or gel...doesn't it have to be one or the other?

 

I'm so bad at being a girl, lol! Maybe I'll go back to biting the nails off...that was less confusing.

 

Acrylic Full Set - one color powder done from scratch.

Acrylic Fill - fill of the back of an existing acrylic set.

Pink & White Full Set - two different powder colors applied.

Pink & White Fill - fill of an existing two powder set.

Gel Full Set - fresh gel applied to bare or acrylic nails.

Gel Fill - fill on existing gel (never done this myself, I always change colors).

White Tip - any painted manicure with gel or acrylics where the French look is achieved by polish and brush techniques instead of different sculpted bases.

 

A French manicure is just using different polish colors (natural/pink and white) applied in a pattern. Pink and white is actually sculpting with different colored powders. You can get acrylics in a French manicure (my preference) because then the whole set doesn't need redoing if you decide you want to go back to a solid colored polish and don't want nail lines showing through.

Added responses above.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[ktgrok]

- any painted manicure with gel or acrylics where the French look is achieved by polish and brush techniques instead of different sculpted bases.

 

A French manicure is just using different polish colors (natural/pink and white) applied in a pattern. Pink and white is actually sculpting with different colored powders. You can get acrylics in a French manicure (my preference) because then the whole set doesn't need redoing if you decide you want to go back to a solid colored polish and don't want nail lines showing through.

 

Ah! So with the pink and white they are actually sculpting with different powders, that are colored themselves, instead of painting on the white tips. Got it! 

 

Given my love of changing the polish up (rather, having it changed, as I paint nails about as well as a drunk paraplegic monkey) I think acrylics may be the better bet, as with gel I'd be soaking off too often and with pink and white Id' be stuck well, with pink and white. And those cost more anyway. A regular fill of acrylics isn't too bad. I've hesitated to spend the money on myself, but I recently realized that my husband buys expensive scotch. If he can do that, there is no reason i can't spend/waste money on my nails. (to be clear, HE doesn't mind me doing it, this was my own hang up.)

 

And as I'm losing weight I'm finding myself more interested in my appearance in general. Fills every 2 weeks and a monthly pedicure seem like a reasonable expense in our budget, and a nice break for me. 

 

I'll see how my nails do with just the gel polish on, and in a few weeks when it's time to redo or whatever make up my mind. 

[Guest]

That's what I do. Biweekly fills, monthly pedicure. I also hate spending it but my husband loves them.

 

Polish changing between fills is a breeze provided you use non-acetone polish remover. Acetone can damage the acrylics and I think my one lifting nail was from overly aggressive glitter removal. So if I want to wear glitter on my acrylics I do it right before the fill so *they* can remove it.

 

I've just made peace with needing to repaint frequently on bare nails and less frequently on acrylics. I can go at least a week with polish and a top coat on my acrylic bases, which is phenomenal for me.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I've done the gel nails for a special event and I will never do that again.  Removal took the first layer off of my nails and and it was painful.  It took months to grow out the damage.  I keep my nails short and neat and don't use them to do a job that a tool should do instead.  I also find that using a good hand cream and cuticle cream often on cleaning days helps keep the damage at bay. 

[ktgrok]

I've done the gel nails for a special event and I will never do that again.  Removal took the first layer off of my nails and and it was painful.  It took months to grow out the damage.  I keep my nails short and neat and don't use them to do a job that a tool should do instead.  I also find that using a good hand cream and cuticle cream often on cleaning days helps keep the damage at bay. 

 

When it was removed, did they scrape aggressively? I'm reading that it really should just rub right off, and if it doesn't to soak longer. That it may take a lot longer than expected. I think for that reason I'll soak off at home, so I can be patient about it. 

 

And yes, I do use and abuse my nails. But hey, i almost never bite them anymore! So that's progress. 

[ajfries]

I just started doing gel nails myself at home (using a kit from Walmart) and I LOVE THEM. They last 2-3 weeks (and I'm HARD on my nails) and give them some extra strength. It only took 30 minutes to do them the first time & they are DRY as soon as they come out of the lamp. My nails seem a little rough for a day or so after I soak the polish off but they haven't weakened my nails (that I can tell at least). In fact, I'm able to grow them longer because the gel does give them extra stability.

[dirty ethel rackham]

When it was removed, did they scrape aggressively? I'm reading that it really should just rub right off, and if it doesn't to soak longer. That it may take a lot longer than expected. I think for that reason I'll soak off at home, so I can be patient about it. 

 

And yes, I do use and abuse my nails. But hey, i almost never bite them anymore! So that's progress. 

I soaked at home forever and didn't see a bit of change.  I went to the salon and they soaked forever.  My cuticles were trashed.  There was no rubbing off at all.  They lied.   However, I had a chip in the gel polish and that tore off a piece of my nail as well. 

[Guest]

That was my experience too. I've not had any that soaked right off - some formulations come off with a little scrubbing but chipping the polish takes off part of the nail and the scraping does too. Dremeling works well but if they have to do it all the way to the base layer it can thin your nails in spots. My techs always try to just remove as much as possible without rmroving all of it be used they believe a soak and scrape is going to do less damage than sanding the whole thing off.

 

It's good stuff for durability of the formula, but I don't favor it for durability of the nail underneath. Make sense? As long as I keep gel on it looks great. It's my nails post removal that stink. Acrylic can cause some issues but my nails were just in better shape afterward. Even with a few dents from the powder they're not weak, delaminating, or tearing :)

[ThisIsTheDay]

My gels soak off just fine. It's not unusual, after being covered with the cotton/foil, for just some to come off, and then recovered again to soak for longer.  One time I did not want to wait, and I picked off all of the gel before going back.  It didn't appear to hurt my nails, but I know that I peeled off a very thin layer, so it's not something I'd make a habit of.  They've never had any issue removing the gel, no skin damage, no cuticle damage.

 

It seems though that many places around here do it differently and are not so careful. I'm not willing to risk going somewhere else and ending up unhappy.

 

On the plus side, I appreciate that there are more choices than there were 20-30 years ago!

[Mothersweets]

Are your acrylic or gel?

 

Acrylic pink & white.

[ktgrok]

So, I did it! I got acrylic nails today and I LOVE them! I read tons of reviews online to pick place and I'm glad I did. She was really gentle and never once nicked my nails. And they aren't super thick or fake looking at all. My husband didn't realize they were fake!!!! 

 

I did a gel manicure last week at a cheap place and broke a nail anyway. And then it was a huge pain to soak off at home, it never came off right. I think I'll be much happier with the acrylics!!! Thanks for all your experiences, it helped me do it. 

[Reefgazer]

See now, this is just a good reason to find someone else to do the housecleaning!😃

does anyone have artificial nails that they keep on a regular basis? I've been doing a lot better about keeping the house clean and being a better housekeeper but it's wearing down my nails and they keep breaking painfully.I'm not going to wear gloves because of sensory issues so I I'm constantly breaking them. I like to use my nails to scrape off little bits of things on the cabinet or on the floor so I know that's also part of the issue. Would gel nails be strong enough to let me do that and not break. what is the upkeep on them like I had acrylic nails in the past and I hated the drilling with the dremel to file it down during the film because it felt like it tore up my cuticles. Are gel nails like that?

[Guest]

They look nice! Just be sure to verify they're very careful when sanding it down for fills, that you don want any knicks or divots out of your nail from overly aggressive tool use and you should be good to go.

 

Really, the latest powders and techniques are a world away from the acrylics of old. My mom has had them done since the 80's and can't believe how much better they've become :)

 

I'm glad you found a good salon, Katie!

[ktgrok]

They look nice! Just be sure to verify they're very careful when sanding it down for fills, that you don want any knicks or divots out of your nail from overly aggressive tool use and you should be good to go.

 

Really, the latest powders and techniques are a world away from the acrylics of old. My mom has had them done since the 80's and can't believe how much better they've become :)

 

I'm glad you found a good salon, Katie!

 

Yeah, it was a very different experience from 16 years or more ago. Probably more like 20 years ago. And no real odor!! I remember acrylic being SO stinky. Now, this place was purpose built and had exhaust things over every station, so I'm sure that is part of it, but still. 

 

Now, to adjust to typing with them!

[Mothersweets]

They look great, Katie!

[ktgrok]

So...it's been a while and I have a question. If I'm going to keep with a french manicure, which I adore it seems, should I switch to pink and white acrylics rather than continuing to have the french polish applied? I get the gel polish on the acrylics because it really does last without any chipping and is so shiny. But that adds up: cost of the fill itself, plus surcharge for gel, plus surcharge for french.  Seems like it would be cheaper to do the pink and white acrylic, and that won't chip either because it's all the way through. Does that make sense? Good idea?

 

 

Edited to add: I started thinking about this because today I had her do a pink polish, and by the time I got home I wanted my french manicure back. Lucky for me she anticipated that. I was just there to bond with my daughter who was getting her first mani/pedi as a birthday present, and the pink polish was an impulse decision. So she painted it OVER the french gel polish I already had on, and told me that once I'm tired of it to just take off the top polish (regular polish, not gel) with non acetone remover and my gel french manicure will still be there underneath. And she was right. I kept the pink on only a few hours, lol. I'm not due for my fill until next week, so wanted to mull this over until then. 

Edited February 14, 2016 by ktgrok

[Guest]

You can paint over a pink and white, it just sometimes takes more coats to get the color difference covered up

 

If you're primarily wearing a French manicure and plan on keeping it is say try a pink and white and see how you like it. You can always switch back.

[ktgrok]

You can paint over a pink and white, it just sometimes takes more coats to get the color difference covered up

 

If you're primarily wearing a French manicure and plan on keeping it is say try a pink and white and see how you like it. You can always switch back.

 

I think I might. Then if I feel feisty I can always paint over it, like you said. 

 

So this may be a dumb question, but can I switch to the pink and white when I go in for my fill? I'm thinking she can just drill/file off the top layer of acrylic then put the pink and white on, right? I wouldn't have to soak off and start over, would I?

 

I'm SO clueless about girly stuff! (my poor daughter had to ask her aunt to see what a pair of high heel shoes look like because I don't have any!) I do know how to wear make up properly though, so there is that. 

[Guest]

Yes, she should be able to sand it down, chip off or soak off any remaining bits, and give you a fresh set. ypuncould ask if they'd charge it as a fill but my salon would probably consider it a full set. It depends though!

[ktgrok]

Yes, she should be able to sand it down, chip off or soak off any remaining bits, and give you a fresh set. ypuncould ask if they'd charge it as a fill but my salon would probably consider it a full set. It depends though!

 

Got it done yesterday :)

 

I had a long day doing an author event and was just tired and cranky, and called DH and asked if he'd be okay if I stayed out a bit longer and got my nails done before coming home. I think he realized I'd be a much happier Katie if I had some decompression time first. (tip...never host an ALL DAY author event if you are not going to provide coffee. Writers do not function without coffee. A big group of introverts trying to make conversation without coffee is a bad bad bad idea.)

 

I didn't get my usual lady, but this lady was super nice and gentle too. And I felt kind of good because although she didn't go on about it, she's in a wheelchair, had open heart surgery as a kid (only came up because another person in the salon was talking about their child being born with a whole in their heart) and manages to support her two kids as a single mom by working there. (yes, I tipped well!)  There is just SUCH a good vibe in this place, so different than some of the places I've been. It's woman owned and managed, and just a great place. 

 

Anyway, I had my half glass of wine, and she took off the old acrylic. I was happy to see that my nails still look great under there. I almost decided just to do gel manicures, but I think soaking that off every two weeks would do a lot more damage to my nails than acrylics do. So I got the pink and white acrylic overlay...no tips needed as my nails have grown out nicely. It's not quite as natural looking as the french polish, but it costs less to do a pink and white fill than to do a regular fill plus french surcharge plus gel surcharge. And without so many layers of polish on them they are thinner and better for back scratches :)  The white is wider/lower to allow for the fast growth I have between fills/backfills. 

[MarinesWife]

Beautiful. I love having acrylic with gel on top. They are strong and look good from day one to day whenever I get a fill!

 

I keep mine more rounded and love how natural they look.

[ktgrok]

Beautiful. I love having acrylic with gel on top. They are strong and look good from day one to day whenever I get a fill!

 

I keep mine more rounded and love how natural they look.

 

I actually do think these are a bit too square for me. I'll have them file the corners a bit more next time.