Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

If you regularly have gel nails

32 replies

Onlystar · 21/08/2022 19:54

I had gel nails done recently.
they looked fab for two weeks and the third week ok, not quite as shiny and a little rough just before I took them off myself with acetone.
no problems with nails underneath.

I really liked the look and how they felt. Not extensions or anything like that. Just lovely shiny colour over my own natural nails. I just don’t have the time to regularly apply polish. My also usually very short nails seemed to grow quickly when the gel was on. They seemed in better condition.

im thinking about making the commitment to getting them done constantly, it would be an expense of probably £70-£80 per month.

what I’m cautious about is do they damage your nails longer term?
ive heard a lot about damage to the nail bed. Is this permanent? Or if nails are weakened is it temporary and they regain strength, should you decide to stop having the gel applied?

Are there any other issues I haven’t considered, If I was to have this treatment regularly.

OP posts:
AppaTheSixLeggedFlyingBison · 21/08/2022 19:55

Not sure on the nail health but the UV lamps can cause skin cancer so best to wear fingerless gloves or suncream when getting it done

Beamur · 21/08/2022 19:56

That's an awful lot of money for nice nails.

Thekormachameleon · 21/08/2022 19:58

How much did you pay 😮😮
I get gel nails every 2-3 weeks, a full manicure of nails each time and costs nowhere near that

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Beauty General style & beauty
Sanch1 · 21/08/2022 20:00

I find that my nails get a bit weak after a few months, start flaking etc. I just give them a breather for a month or so to let them recover then off we go again! I pay £25 every 3 weeks.

LittleRen · 21/08/2022 20:01

@AppaTheSixLeggedFlyingBison Most places use LED lamps now, UV is quite old technology. Some UV is still emitted by LED but minimal.

I had gel for around 3 months, my nails are destroyed. People say they don't cause damage, but they do.. you just grow them out though when you're done. That's the beauty of nails.

lady725516 · 21/08/2022 20:01

Over time they will get weaker.
How much are you paying? It shouldn't be that expensive ever month! I pay £28 every 3 weeks

Original poster
Onlystar · 21/08/2022 20:02

Removal and a new set is £36.
so i thought if I wanted them every two weeks, maybe three sometimes. Depending how long they last. Budget for around 70-80 per month, by the time I leave a small tip.

OP posts:
Original poster
Onlystar · 21/08/2022 20:04

So if they get week, is it not a permanent thing?
I wasn’t sure if there was damage done to the flesh below the nail? So the damage would remain permanent if you see what I mean?
or is it just they weaken, you have a break and they gain back strength?

OP posts:
pumpkinpie01 · 21/08/2022 20:05

I do my own and have done for years , my nails are fine

Halstead · 21/08/2022 20:06

I do gel nails myself at home after buying the led lamp etc. Took a bit of practice doing my right hand, but now easy enough.

I can only wear gel for about 8 weeks, then my nails go soft. I take a break for a few weeks and they’re better again. No where near as soft as when I had acrylic nails

Thekormachameleon · 21/08/2022 20:07

I've had gel nails every 2-3 weeks for 6 years, my nails are in better condition than they have ever been

YourWinter · 21/08/2022 20:08

I literally had a conversation last week with my daughters who are in their 30s and both get their nails done every 3 weeks. I’ve just retired from a job where I couldn’t have anything on my nails, and was thinking of getting them done for the first time ever.

They live in different cities, one pays £35 and the other pays £40 every three weeks. I can feed myself for £15 a week so I’m going to pass on having my nails done professionally, but applied the nail varnish I last wore in 2015 and it looks quite nice!

Campervangirl · 21/08/2022 20:10

That's expensive, I have mine done every 2-3 weeks but I have a French polish, usually a pale pink tip not white and the rest of my nail is colourless, just the base and top coat, that way I don't have the colour grow out.
Also could you buy a uv lamp, a base, top coat and a couple of colours and do it yourself.
I've got my own set, I bought lint free wipes, a nail buffer and a bottle of nail prep to remove the sticky residue, I'm a bit of a dab hand at doing my own.
I've had gel manicures for years and my nails are not ruined but I soak the gel off myself with acetone as I've seen people file it off in shops and it makes me wince

MinaN · 21/08/2022 20:10

Not much help to you as i'm acrylic obsessed but if cost is an issue you can always do gel nails at home! I used to do my sisters and mums as a teen for £10 to make extra money!😂

Sanch1 · 21/08/2022 20:11

Campervangirl · 21/08/2022 20:10

That's expensive, I have mine done every 2-3 weeks but I have a French polish, usually a pale pink tip not white and the rest of my nail is colourless, just the base and top coat, that way I don't have the colour grow out.
Also could you buy a uv lamp, a base, top coat and a couple of colours and do it yourself.
I've got my own set, I bought lint free wipes, a nail buffer and a bottle of nail prep to remove the sticky residue, I'm a bit of a dab hand at doing my own.
I've had gel manicures for years and my nails are not ruined but I soak the gel off myself with acetone as I've seen people file it off in shops and it makes me wince

They always file the top layer then put the acetone on! Helps break it down quicker and makes it easier to take off!

Sanch1 · 21/08/2022 20:12

Onlystar · 21/08/2022 20:04

So if they get week, is it not a permanent thing?
I wasn’t sure if there was damage done to the flesh below the nail? So the damage would remain permanent if you see what I mean?
or is it just they weaken, you have a break and they gain back strength?

No damage to the flesh as the gel just sits on the nail. Mine always recover to full strength within a few weeks.

Soontobe60 · 21/08/2022 20:19

I have BIAB gel nails with gel polish. I pay £28 every approx 3 weeks. I’ve always had really crappy nails that never grew past the ends of my fingers, plus was a biter. Now I love them! I’ve not had bare nails for over a year.

Gretnanotgreen · 21/08/2022 20:21

@Campervangirl would you recommend a particular brand of gel varnish?
I do my own nails but frustratingly getting mixed results.. I have used some bluesky varnish very recently but was annoyed to see a couple of fingers worn away after just 2 days wear 😫(i do make sure to use thin layers and keep away from cuticles / edges )

crackersforcheese · 21/08/2022 20:22

My natural nails are paper thin so they can't get in much worse condition to be honest! I have gels every 4 weeks for £23 and it means I can actually have nice looking nails so I'm more than happy to pay it! X

gogohmm · 21/08/2022 20:26

It's £20 here so do shop around, they vary a lot in price. Specialist nail bars tend to be cheaper, but check they are employing legally (staff all speaking good English is a good starting point, then telling you about their lives shows they aren't afraid ... you get a feeling if they are illegals

Beamur · 21/08/2022 20:52

I have gels on my toes back to back and they're fine, but my hands are a different story! The nails go thin and bendy after a couple at most and I have to grow out the soft ones. My friend does it for me and some of her clients never have the soft nails. I think you really have to look after your

Beamur · 21/08/2022 20:52

Hands- gloves washing up, gloves for gardening etc.

Twospaniels · 21/08/2022 20:56

I had gel nails constantly for 11 years. I stopped getting them when covid lockdown happened. Once they were off my nails underneath were fine. I had french so really just let them grow out. I haven’t had any done since then and my nails are fine

Longdistance · 21/08/2022 21:00

I get it done twice a month at £25. I work in an office, but like my nails nice. I think they have been ground down though, a lot softer and more breakable.

Campervangirl · 21/08/2022 21:00

Gretnanotgreen · 21/08/2022 20:21

@Campervangirl would you recommend a particular brand of gel varnish?
I do my own nails but frustratingly getting mixed results.. I have used some bluesky varnish very recently but was annoyed to see a couple of fingers worn away after just 2 days wear 😫(i do make sure to use thin layers and keep away from cuticles / edges )

@Gretnanotgreen
I use CND, get it on ebay.
I find if I mix and match makes it doesn't last long so I use the top, base and colour from the same make.
Bluesky is rubbish, there's a reason it's cheap 😉.
I also do a thin layer of top coat, cure it then another thin layer of top coat.
Then I run a nail round the edge of each nail to make sure none is on the skin