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

The place where I get my acrylic nails done wouldn't do this for a 12 year old. I love my nails but agree inappropriate for someone so young.

I agree with this.

acrylic nails harbour more bacteria than our natural nails, and can also lead to fungal infections.

I totally agree.

Long fingernails of any type carry germs. They don’t look nice. Painted nails are forbidden in secondary schools for good reason. That’s what I mean by unwholesome.

Yes, beauticlans won't do acrylics on anyone under 15 here. My goddaughter is 10 and gets the £1 Primark ones with the sticky pads for the holidays, can you get a few pairs of those? She also wants acrylics. Or get her stepmum to give her a manicure?
just the glue on stick on nails ruins my nails for a few weeks. I had acrylics once, they looked amazing but the woman couldn't soak them off as she filed them down too much, went to get them off in my lunchbreak and ended up coming back with kitchen roll and glue stuck to my fingers 🙈🙈

My DD11 has asked but it’s a “hell no” from me. I have let her wear the glue on ones which are equally as stupid in my mind but are at least cheap. When she wears them she can’t pull up her leggings / tights etc so they are stupidly restrictive. I’m not going to enable anything that causes damage including highlights / bleaching of hair and she’ll just have to cope. ( little girls emulating adult fashions is indeed not wholesome )

Right, yes, it's either French tips at 13 or you're literally Victorian

Googled a bit to find articles for professional nail techs saying 'I won't do acrylics to anyone under 15' for multiple reasons.

I agree with the pp who said if you find a salon that will do acrylics for children this age, avoid the place.

No, I would let her have gels but not acrylics at this age.

I find it amazing that this thread has gone the way it has!
Apparently a set of plastic fashion accessories not only means you will spend the summer indoors (absolutely not!) but you will also be judged as unwholesome 🤣
I feel like some mumsnetters must live life reenacting Little House on The Prairie 🙄

I took my 13yr old to have her nails 'done' at the start of the holidays. We weren't really sure what to go for, so the girl at our local salon talked us through all the options and said she wouldn't do acrylics for someone so young as would damage the nails. We pushed the boat out and went for gels, which she liked and strengthened her own nails. She's decided in future she will just go for a file and polish though.
I never did stuff like this with my Mum and I feel honoured that DD wants to do 'girly' stuff with me.

@XelaM I guess times have changed! glad the nails are not stopping them from there equine adventures

I totally agree with you and most teens at our yard do their nails in the holidays. I do make my daughter wear gloves though (she normally rides without 😬)

My daughter will be going riding tomorrow with them on.
She went out in the pouring rain (mud) earlier with the dog.
@Ericaequites unwholesome? Really? They are just plastic nails! They are by no means an indication of how wholesome or not a young girl is. This train of thought is seriously depressing in 2023.

Absolutely not. So damaging.

Definitely winning at parenting 😃 (unlike me who hangs head in shame 🙈)

My 13-year-old does all that with fake nails 😂 - she has ponies and spends most of her day covered in hay and muck (and a lot of the time breaks her expensive nails 😬). You'd be surprised how many on the yard have nice nails (that break 🙈)

She’s 12. Acrylics will ruin her nails. I won’t let mine 12 and 13 have them done. Awful bloody things. Yes, I’ve had them before many times in my 20’s and in the past for special occasions, but no, not happening.
They’re expensive and need maintenance every 2/3 weeks. No chance!

maybe I will sound old fashioned... but I just don't get it. 12 year olds should be outside running around, getting mud on their clothes and too obsessed with horses/sports/whatever else to care about what they wear let alone fake plastic nails. they are children.. their whole adulthood will be filled with society telling them how to look... breaks my heart it starts so young now..
I don't think I even knew what clothes I had at the age of 12...

They are expensive, unattractive, unwholesome, impractical, unsanitary, and unhealthy. Besides, how do you keyboard with them?

No. Damages the nails and sets them up to want to keep doing them. Maybe the start of a high maintenance young woman.

Based on this thread I thought I was the worst parent ever, but glad ai'm not the only one letting my 13-year-okd have acrylics in the holidays 😃

I had acrylics from age 15-25 and my nails are still absolutely wrecked now at 30, thin and brittle. I do have a manicure every few weeks, it's one of my treats but I go to a lady local to me who does it from her home salon and doesn't use the drills etc.

So no, from that point of view, I wouldn't allow mine to have them at that age.

I've just let my 13 year old have them on. It's the start of the holidays and I don't see the harm.
In OP'S case though I would say no based on the financial side of things.

Almost all the girls had them at the end of year 7 at dd’s school. I let dd have them tbh. She wasn’t into nails and make up big time at that age but wanted to fit in. I do think it is a little young and her friend had issues with the nails. Dd is very careful and horse rides so wore gloves. She’s only had them done 2 more times and didn’t bother to get them done last year at age 14 nor this year at 15.