5 year old gel nails - is just once ok?

[ChronicallyOnLime]

God I don’t want to sound like an awful mother because I know gels can weaken nails.. but will one time be ok?

We’re off to Disneyland next week as a surprise for DD and she is utterly obsessed with having her nails done, we always use regular polish for her but they never last more than a day or two. I do my own gels at home for special occasions and I’m wondering whether I could do it on DD just for our trip?

I can avoid filing her nails surface as it’s not necessarily being done for that much longevity as you would an adult. But I’m just wondering if it’s still a terrible idea?

Don’t be daft, she’s 5. And gels do knacker the nails.

This discussion has certainly become heated! I think the OP has the answer she was looking for, and does hopefully not feel too attacked. It's clearly an emotive subject.

Not sure if your question was serious, but if it helps, these are all things I would not let my 5-year-old daughter do:

• drive a car
• have a phone
• wear makeup
• wear heels
• wear t-shirts with 'sexy/innuendo' slogans
• smoke
• use drugs
• get a tattoo
• get a piercing
• be in a relationship
• get a job
• use social media
• watch violent movies
• bleach her hair
• and indeed, use gel nails

Clearly, every parent has different opinions. But to me, these are all 'adult' things, and I would encourage every parent to not rush their children's childhood. Let kids be kids. Let parents, parent.

I said cars are for grown-ups, not cars are for men.

It's a very apt comparison. We deny little girls a feminine nature (if they are feminine) but we don't deny boys a masculine nature. Why?

SEXISM, that's why!

That’s quite rude, this subject does raise people’s emotions but we can still be polite to each other just as we would be in real life.

No way! She is 5 ffs. Let her be a child - give her some lovely stickers instead.

Just say no

Must add - this is exactly the same for a 5-year-old son.

If a little girl wants to play with kids' makeup, that's a feminine activity, no? You're twisting my words. Or would you describe kids' makeup as a masculine activity?

No Tardis needed. I'm all for letting little girls express themselves, whether that's via traditionally feminine things or masculine things. I HATE this thing where we look down on anything feminine, but masculine things are lauded. Makes me so 🤬

Can we all agree on some things?

women can be scientists, doctors, dentists, train drivers, astronauts, pilots, HGV drivers, PRIME MINISTERS, etc etc.

They can also be interested in make up and nail polish.

The 2 aren't mutually exclusive.

And yes, some little girls like to dress up. Some want to be princessy, some don't.

But IMO it's robbing them of the 'innocence' of being a child when they shouldn't be worrying about if their nails are done.

I don't buy the argument that just because you can buy children's make up, that's ok. We can buy all sorts of trash but it's not necessarily a good thing.

If my now-adult DD had tried on my nail polish that was fine. But at 5 she wasn't remotely interested. And I'd not have bought her some at 5. Or taken her to have her nails 'done'.

Just wanted to warn you, the LEDs in your lamp will still be emitting the same harmful UV spectrum of light to cure the gel.

No, she doesn’t have fake tan, fake lashes or anything else. She’s just always liked her nails painted for holidays, and it stays on for longer when it’s gel than when it’s polish. It’s some painted nails, not crack cocaine.

No professional who respects themselves would apply gel on a 5 years old.

Darn, no more drugs and smoking for my 5-year-old! You spoilsport. I bet your kids have no fun at all!

The funniest thing about your judgemental comment was that, other than liking brightly coloured nails on holiday, she was constantly scruffy, normally knee deep in horse muck and rolling round in the mud until she was 11 when she suddenly started taking a little bit of interest in clothes.

Im not allowed to have nail varnish or gels due to work but I had gels done in a salon for 2 weeks holiday then had them removed. My nails were noticeably damaged after one application. The damaged bit grew to the top of the nail and they were broke and brittle. Took about 2 months for them to recover.
my nails are usually strong.
so one application did damage them and I had to work hard with plenty of nail cream to get them back

Come on, posters saying that their 5-year-olds are way too busy to think about their nails are being superior.

I agree completely.

Actually, reading it back I think why have I not got this life😂

What is kid’s make up? I don’t have girls (and my boys weren't interested). Is it a different range/type to more adult make up?

I don't see any evidence of what you say.

Boys and men actually wear nail polish- have you not seen this? Some of the high-end cosmetic companies have men as their models for make up.

What we do see are very young girls being sexualised too soon by their clothes (you must have seen the outcry on that a few years ago?) which were also about 'being feminine.'

We don't see young boys in sequin jock straps, or being sprayed with after shave etc at 5.

My whole childhood was my Mum telling me that I was too young for everything and anything I wanted. And she stuck to it. I had to be patient and wait. At the time I hated it but am so glad it saved me from a lot of inappropriate decisions.

Gel nails on a 5 yo would look horrific.

Oh I read the title and thought, wow OPs gel nails haven’t grown out or flaked off in 5 years?

No, I would get them painted on a 5 year old, due to the UV lamp. My dd had gels as a one off party thing and to try out at about 11 and now and again after that.

Any reputable salon will laugh in your face. Rightly so.

When I was a child, forty years ago, Avon had a line of kids' makeup. Loved it. Went on to get a full house of As at A-level in academic subjects and to get a Russell-uni degree in one of said academic subjects and then a master's in same. Prestigious job today.

And I am UBER girly and have been since I can remember. I even spray silver sparkle in my hair. Left a trail of it on the office carpet, LOL! I was bleach blonde for years, and I love wearing makeup and push-up bras. (I don't wear the latter at work.) I'm too overweight for dresses and high heels, as they're too uncomfortable, but if I was a normal weight I'd be in skirts and dresses a lot, and my feet would be sloped like Barbie's, lmao!

Can we please dump this tired old trope that traditionally feminine things are synonymous with low achievement and should be avoided at all costs in girls?

Me too. I was allowed to start wearing nail polish and experimenting with light make up when I was thirteen and I was so excited. I couldn’t wait till I was thirteen and can still remember the eye shadow palette I got, all pearly blues and greens (it was the early 70s after all) and some pearly lilac nail polish. Ah, good memories. I don’t wear make up (or very rarely if for a special occasion) or nail polish at all nowadays.