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?

Yes once off causes damage. I had gel nails done last year for the holidays and it completely RUINED my nails. They were extremely dry and brittle and nothing would help except waiting till the nails were outgrown (which was only at Christmas).

If mum does her nails then of cpurse her dd is going to be interested. Many a tiddler has ransacked mums make up bag and scribbled all over their face.

But gel nails? Terrible idea.

A very young girl of 5 years old shouldn't be encouraged to consider physical enhancement like this. Ok, they all do dressing up and like glitter, but that's in the context of play and make believe. This is to have nails which remain painted for the holiday, so it's a beauty treatment. She doesn't need that.
If she wants glittery or stick on nails, I'd just go with that.

@tinyshoulders dd1 isn't allowed to wear nail varnish at work - she's a senior gynaecologist - and she loves her nails painted. Maybe if she'd known this before she studied medicine she'd have chosen a different career!

This is purely about safety, nothing else.

Gel nails contain sensitisers - some nail techs wear gloves for safety & others because they've become allergic themselves. The sensitivity NEVER goes away & you will have issues with anything containing acrylates.

Anyone can have a reaction from first use to out-of-the-blue-after-years use.

This issue has only really come to light since all the lockdowns.

The removal process is brutal, it's that which causes the physical damage & her nails are thin & delicate. The chances of her not just picking bits off as it chips are incredibly low & that too will cause damage.

Her nails are very small &, given it's the uncured product touching skin which is the safety issue, it will be much harder to prevent contact with the skin.

Even if unlikely, the allergic reaction is painful & isn't alleviated by just removing the gel, it's not necessarily restricted to the fingers either. It can last for weeks & for some the nails lift right off the nailbed.

All this risk when you could just use normal vanish with a good top coat?!?

@ChronicallyOnLime
Why are you sexualising your 5 year old ??????

You do realise she probably won't remember this holiday when she's older. I was talking to dm yesterday and she was reminiscing about the 6 week cruise we took from New Zealand to England and all the places we visited and special events on board. I was 6, db was 5 and we both basically had no memory of it when we got older.

Like men don't buy cars based on the image it gives them
Well, that's an issue too, isn't it, all the car ads with lone wolf types speeding through rugged landscapes, beautiful women gasping and gawking in their wake.

Can you explain the difference between her having a polish on her short nails and having stick on longer nails for the duration of her holiday? Seems a bit of a hypocritical suggestion? I actually find false nails on a child tackier than just a bit of polish (non gel)?

Funny how we’re all different. I remember my parents surprising us with a Disney trip when I was about 3 or 4. I remember lots of details too. DD can remember holidays we’ve taken in the last couple of years; we still talk about it. I don’t see how you can forget about something you reminisce about regularly?

Sorry to butt in but this is interesting … I do have some very early memories, but I’m never really sure whether they are real memories or sort of overlaid by all the times I’ve talked about them? I remember for example a very old lady with lots of chin hair (I must have stared very rudely!) but I would only have been two when we lived there.

Apparently, you are always actually just remembering the last time you remembered anything.

I think 5 is old enough to remember; I certainly remember family holidays from that age and a bit younger, although the details might be a bit fuzzy now. You can definitely keep the memories alive by having photos up and talking about it lots.

Is it not considered good enough for her to just have a really good time now, without worrying about how much she'll remember as an adult? She's not going to be tested on it.

It's actually OK to care about your image. At any age. That's the first impression we're presenting to the world. It's OK to want to look cool, or pretty, or whatever else makes you feel good.

No, it’s not. Not a five year old girl 🙄

I think that is right but only up to a certain degree.
For example its good to be clothed in clean, fitting clothes appropriate for the occasion, to have your hair done. Its kind of above to wear skimpy revealing clothes or put heavy make-up on.
I dont think I am able to phrase it very well but hopefully its clear what I mean.

Well, you'll be fighting a losing battle with most kids, girls and boys. Whether they like make-up or nails or not, they'll still have opinions on what they wear and what they want to look like.

Exactly this.

Christ, I hope you don’t have daughters, @MrsSunshine2b, if you really think it’s ok for little girls to be concerned with the image they’re presenting to the world 🤯

I have 2, one who is happiest in joggers and a hoodie and one who wants a princess dress every day, and they are both perfectly themselves. The eldest would be as miserable in a dress as the youngest would be in joggers.

Yes, this, I agree.

That’s just normal kid stuff, it’s not about curating their image.

This is a disgusting comment and needs to be removed

@mumsnet

im sorry but a bit of nail polish is not sexualising a 5 year old and if you think this, you need help.

Yes, it is normal kid stuff to have opinions about the image you present. For both genders. I remember my brother at around that age was putting gel into his hair to make a 90s quiff. He was a squad gymnast and had strong opinions on his uniform when the club changed the leotards.

I dare you to walk into any Reception class and try picking their outfits out for the next non-uniform day- they'll tell you, quite rightly, where you can stick it.

Even at the age of 2, my daughter was starting to have opinions on what she wanted to wear and how she wanted to present herself. I have a video of her standing in front of the mirror, putting on a pair of sunglasses and saying, "I look FANTASTIC."

I can't believe what I'm reading.
A 5 year old obsessed with hair, nails and make up ?
It's bonkers.
You're going to do it anyway so why ask.?

i misread that as gel nails that had been on for five years.
Probably the incredulity that someone would want to put gel nails on a five year old child.