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?

💯

thanks all! She asked to have red nails for red nose day yesterday, I didn’t have any red polish but I did have a glitter one with some red in it. I gave her hands a good scrub, dried and even used some of the prep solution to make sure her nails were super clean to hopefully get the polish to last longer; but I’ve looked this morning and almost every single one is at least 50% peeled/chipped off 😂 I capped the tip but to no avail!

I think I’ll just order the Disney nail stickers for her and she can stick them on as and when they fall off while we’re there 😂

thanks to those who have legit advice, no thanks to those who I assume spend the majority of their bitter and colourless life dragging other people down on a parenting forum. Really hope you guys feel like you’ve done something worthwhile with your time 👍🏼👍🏼

Well I have also learned a lot and will be letting my happy, healthy 5 yo know that her interest in make-up and nails is absolutely unacceptable and organise a suitable parent who will not allow her to engage in such appalling hobbies which will put her at risk of sexual abuse and moral degeneracy.

How about fitting in some botox and a boobjob while you're at it. Lol.

I very rarely wear makeup, and have done my nails maybe five times in the last decade, if that. I have two daughters, eldest did have a phase of liking having her nails painted, and is now a teenager and wears very discrete makeup for rare special occasions. But she always been a jeans and t-shirt girl. Youngest was very much a pretty pink princess, would like to pretend to put make up on from very small, has been randomly wearing make up around the house for ages now, and had a recent experiment with false nails (they lasted a few hours!). She’s 11. I’ve never had false nails in my life, she didn’t get the idea from me.

I really think OP is getting judged unfairly. She asked a question about an idea. Admittedly it wasn’t a good idea, but when loads of people told her this she quickly conceded her mistake. This doesn’t mean she’s sexualising her child.

Kids see all sorts of different things on TV, and once they start school they learn things from their peers. It’s completely normal for children to want to play at being grown ups. I don’t see much difference between my daughter’s interest in makeup and her enjoyment of pushing a toy vacuum cleaner around or pretending to cook with plastic food.

Lots of their classmates have had mini spa parties with foot baths and cucumber eye masks and similar since starting school

How depressing. This never happened with my daughter and her peers. Thank goodness.

I am early on in the thread and have not read the full thing. But I expect there is a ‘class perspective’ involved in how normal it is for people’s daughters to be obsessed with make-up and doing nails regularly. In middle-class/educated circles, young girls having spa parties and regular nails is as unlikely as them being called Chardonnay…

‘Princess package’ 😐

I am cringeing at all your responses. Hopefully beneath the ‘protest too much’ bravado, you have learned something from this thread.

You are damaging your daughter’s nails. And what so many people do not realise is that exposure to any kind of concentrated UV light like this is increasing the chance of skin cancer on the fingers. Why on earth would you want to do that to your daughter??

I get my nails done every four weeks, I absolutely wouldn't even consider this for a 5 year old. One time of gel can wreck them by ruining the top layer and weakening them when the gel comes off. She shouldn't be putting her hand under the uv lamp at all.

A good nail tech will be able to paint her nails and do nail art just with polish.

I would urge everybody to do more research into the effect of gel nails. The current research is evolving and not conclusive but it does show that regular exposure to UV light, even that from an LED lamp can cause cellular changes. There is not any decent prospective research done on adult ‘real life women’s nails’ Which says a lot I think. it would take a lot to persuade an ethics committee that it is okay to expose people’s hands to UV light in the interests of research.

Dermatologists recommend putting sunscreen on the hands and/or using opaque gloves with the fingertips snipped off to reduce the UV exposure to the hands. However, skin cancer can still develop below the nail.

And please do not use these kind of treatments on your children. There is no research done on the risk of gel nails to young kids. For obvious reasons.

It is all so depressing. I sometimes read about mothers setting up their daughter with a ‘skin care ‘plan including toner and cleanser from age ten etc. What is the need? When I read about young kids going mad in Sephora, I can see where the influences are. At the most benign end, we are setting up girls with a lifelong relationship with the multi billion pound exploitative beauty industry. And at the riskier end, we are damaging their health.

I am sure I had my nails painted for special occasions when I was young, certainly my daughter and granddaughters did. Just a nice shiny pale pink or even better glitter which doesn't show chips.
I can't believe people think it's a new thing, or that anyone hasn't heard of children's spa parties.
Hope you enjoy Disney OP. And very glad you decided no gels, I actually am still feeding my nails to recover from giving up on them.

Seems rather OTT for a 5yo who is already about to have a massive treat. Not to mention all the special meals out and souvenirs that she'll get when she's there.

And you think that there's no gap between gel nails (which are not a good idea on such a young child and OP has acknowledged it was a bad idea) and Sephora skin routines, and PLAY make-up and nail varnish, specifically designed for children to PLAY with?

Because OP (and others, including myself) have heard from many posters insistent that ANY interest in cosmetics and hair is terrible parenting, and whilst I could not give less of a shit what some miserable Mumsnetter thinks of my daughter (who is currently wearing a tutu and alternating between jumping on the bed and seeing how many sparkly butterfly hair clips she can get into my hair) the hyperbole and disdain for a common interest amongst young girls is absurd.

Another thread with MN at its finest. It feels like some of you think that painting a little girls nails occasionally warrants a referral to social services FFS!!

I see you’ve already decided against the gel nails OP. I like your sense of humour. I’m very sorry for you that your daughter won’t be able to be a pilot. That’s very sad.

Oh fuck, I just realised that I let my 6 year old son put gel in his hair sometimes. Better have him put in care. Such a shame as I am very fond of him but oh well

It’s just a different view. As you say, you are free to let your young daughter wear as much make-up as she wishes.

Sounds amazing. Enjoy every minute, those precious times pass all too quickly.

Maybe take your own advice and calm the f down, no need to be nasty. My little girl loves Peppa and bluey and princesses and also wants to wear make up (I let her have my blusher brush and lip balm before you freak out) and wants to paint her nails (she has loads of kids polish) she also loves painting and art and glitter tattoo's. This parent is asking a genuine question about harmfulness. Your lack of kindness and blatant belittling has me concerned about your parenting more the hers. I hope you raise your child to not be so mean.

No way would I allow this for a 5 year old. I’d let her choose a polish though. I used to hate nail polish on small children, so it was funny how I changed my mind when a little Gdd wanted it. I once took her to Boots to choose one, she was no more than 5.

This was about 6 months ago. Try and keep up 😉

🤣 sorry about that, are you better now, Margaret? Hope so.

I bet you are so happy you have asked! Iv done my nearly 5 year olds (turns 5 in 3 days) nails once before and they fell off in like 2 days of having them done! as I didnt want to file them down or anything like that.. I just use a gel polish I was looking here as I wanted to do my little girls nails for her birthday but jesus, its like you have asked the worst question ever with these responses! I cant see one time being harmful (wasnt on my little girl anyway) but expect it to fall off fast thats the only reason why id suggest regular polish! To having girly girls eh...