Would you allow your 12 year old to have acrylic nails?

I'm actually really relaxed about most things like this and let DD choose what to wear, how to have her hair etc. She had her ears pierced at 10 and I would let her have gel nails at 12 as long as she understood the potential temporary damage to her nails. I would definitely not let her have acrylics.

No , to young , it damages nails a lot

I have acrylics occasionally but I have them done pretty short…..just enough length to slightly see the tip if your hand is palm up, which means I can do everything I need to, they don’t impede doing any tasks and much less risk of injury/accidents. I also only go to proper salons who do not use any kind of drill / electronic machinery and do it all by hand.

I do think 12-15 is too young for it though and anybody who agrees to do acrylics for these is unprofessional, irresponsible and probably not that good at it.

No they are very damaging to the natural nail so are gels (I have them but as an adult can choose to make bad decisions)

painted is fine

@XelaM it’s the assumption that all girls will eventually get acrylics/nails done. Why do they? Do they do it because they want to or because (possibly sub consciously) they feel they have to

But why not?!? What's the big deal about some girls wanting to look feminine and have long pretty nails? Not everyone has to be gender-neutral and all that crap. Some girls like long nails, pretty hair and make-up and (shock horror) furry sliders 😂(although mine lives in Crocs at the moment)

@dancingdaisies are you happy for her to ruin her nails?

@Cordeliathecat why will she get them done eventually? Do all females have to get their nails done?

No. But then I don't agree with acrylic nails at all. They're very bad for you. And I wear nail polish all the time.

I don’t see the issue with it personally. Have let my daughter get her nails done as a treat before. But only at my place where I know they’ll do a good job. But it’s all about balance. My daughter is very much into nails, hair, skincare and make-up but also incredibly sporty and hard-working in school. In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if she starts getting her nail done occasionally at 12 or at 14? She’ll get them done eventually anyway

Ha ha @ChazsBrilliantAttitude One of my cut off points (excuse the pun) is when my nails start hitting the the next row of keys when I’m typing.

That's mine too LOL If mine get too long they actually get uncomfortable. I think it's due to the rule of thirds - you should be able to mark your nail into thirds and the length past the tip of the finger should be a third. Any longer and you risk tearing off painfully. I watch a lot of nail videos that explain it eg the one below

https://www.tiktok.com/@nailcareer.education/video/7178993243831405830

I let my 15yr old have nail extensions for for time for holiday this year.
12 I think is too young.

Apart from looking tacky (certain nail extensions in particular are a certain "look") on young kids they do damage their nails. So I have always encouraged mine to try and grow their nails naturally instead.

but many of the comments are no they look awful/ no they look tacky/ and making judgements about what people with nails on are able to do or not do.
I can understand some people worrying about the nail/ nail bed etc. but this is something different.

I have had natural long nails most of my adult life and long nails do impact the way you do things. One of my cut off points (excuse the pun) is when my nails start hitting the the next row of keys when I’m typing. If you are not used to long nails it is really easy to catch or bash them. I really wouldn’t recommend them for a child. A manicure or easily removed glue on nails to see what it is like is one thing but acrylics is too much.

I also have a walk in centre tale - when I was there there was a teenage girl where an infection had got under the acrylic into the nail bed (the mum thought it a bad technician who had damaged the cuticles then put the acrylic on anyway).

I said DD could try glue on ones first (the glue dissolves if you soak them) as she has wanted long nails for ages. They lasted about a day before she removed them because they stopped her doing anything and she’s not mentioned them since.

I also said she could have gel nail polish done for her birthday but that too lasted just a few days before she picked it off.

Don’t see why either of these are a biggie for an occasional treat. Ordinary nail varnish any other time if she wants to.

Only think I’d probably draw the line at for this age would be the eyelashes. I think they look daft on the majority of people who have them and they’re definitely not good for your own lashes. Plenty of time for that when she’s a few years older.

I might, short ones! - but only if the 12 yr old was a habitual nail-biter - to let their own grow up underneath, in the hope of breaking the habit. I’ve known that work in an adult.

Otherwise no way.

How about nail wraps, they sell them on etsy, lots of different designs and they peel off like stickers yet wipe off with nail varnish remover. My daughter loves them, they are cheap and you can change regularly but they will last 1-2 weeks

I let my 10yo get some glue on nails from primark first week of the school holidays in the hopeshe would see what a massive pain they are for an active child like her and it worked a treat. She couldn’t tie her laces, wipe her bum or wash her hands properly so she took them off after a couple of days 😁

No

Gel and acrylic both have the potential to cause life long allergies that mean, amongst other things, you may not be able to get fillings because they use the same compound. On that basis alone it would be a big no from me.

I would tell her that if she wants long nails she can grow and paint her own. That's what I do. It's really fun with all the nail art around these days. I redo mine weekly, which lets me do so many styles. I see people at work with gel nails and they're the same thing for ages. Much more fun changing colours weekly and dressing to match your nails 😊

For the kids getting gel nails, are they wearing sunscreen for the UV light?

Gel nails or BIAB nails as a treat but not acrylics. They damage their nails, make writing and typing more difficult, make PE more dangerous, are so easy to damage, and look terrible when some are inevitably damaged or fall off.

Normal manicure fine, probably wouldn’t allow my child acrylics or shellac until they’re 14/15. But even then very occasionally as it damaged your nails.