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?

I’d be wary of using gel polish on her. Allergies to gel polish and/or the UV lamp are so prevalent. I had my nails done last week by a new lady, and within 24 hours, I had to soak them off and my nails are still in agony now. It was a brand I’ve not had before, and I had an allergic reaction to them. It wasn’t HEMA-free, and a lot of home gel polishes are not. I’d be worried about causing a reaction and her little hands being in pain for the trip. I had mine done on Saturday, and I still can’t fasten my jeans button because my nails are so tender.

She’s not imagine obsessed.. she doesn’t complain when her nails aren’t done.. she doesn’t moan if she can’t (which she isn’t allowed she doesn’t anyway) can’t wear her eyeshadow and lipstick out of the house.. she’s a normal little girl who loves to play with makeup. People sexualising kids being creative just because it’s colour on their face is truly and utterly vile and damaging.

my child is free to express herself however she see’s fit under my roof as long as she isn’t in any immediate danger.

those who are sexualising makeup sound like the same people who ask what rape victims were wearing.. and that’s what I’m reflecting on.

Well I’m glad that nobody is overreacting lol

I wouldnt do this really.My DD was 10 when we went to Disney ,she begged to be allowed to swim with Dolphins but it was a lot extra .However soon piped down when she realised you had to swim in 15feet of water!w

5 year olds shouldn’t be getting their nails painted, pedicures, beauty treatments or anything else like that.
How times have changed. I wasn’t allowed to paint my nails until I was 15!

@howaboutchocolatecrikey! I didn’t know that — might have to rethink my own nails 😐

You’re correct in saying that children copy the adults around them. It’s how they learn and how they play which is why you have toy kitchens, tills, tool workstations and so on.

But most women that have heels and wear make up / dresses don’t do so because they feel like they have to, they do so because they want to. And that’s fine. I am a trainers and leggings kinda girl, but I do enjoy getting fancy for an evening out. I don’t have to, but I do because it’s nice.

Probably wouldn't do gel nails. But could you get some Disney nail transfers with a clear top coat that you can reapply if they start to look scruffy?

I can't see anything wrong with children wanting their fingertips to be colourful!

Hope 'Mercedes' loves her trip 🤣 I'd have gone with Chanel 😉

It seems a lot worse. All I had to do was keep my kids clean and fed and reasonably happy. As a young mum there didn’t seem to be the pressure to present a certain appearance - I just got washed and dressed in the morning. This was in the 1980’s - not that long ago! The pressure on young mums and their little daughters now to look a certain way must be exhausting.

If you do it once she will want it again and again so no I would say don't do it. She's probably got the idea from you doing it at home in front of her

What will it be next, lip fillers? False eye lashes? You're being absolutely ridiculous OP, she's 5 years old, treat her like the small child she is and stop treating her like a teenager.

We can’t actually get her lips filled again because her last lot migrated. So she’ll be in for filler dissolving treatment on the weekend anyway.

That's nuts! Just no. She will pick them off and destroy her nails. And I say that as someone who has been trained in gel nails.

Do not do this.

No, she's too young. Gel nails aren't great for adult nails, let alone a child.

I think just stick with regular nail polish and a good quality top coat and base coat - this will help it last longer.

It will be damaging and will also set a precedent for other future occasions whereby she may expect it..

Your choice really but you are asking for advice x

Thanks! We’ll stick to her regular polish.. perhaps I’ll try and top coat too and see if that helps them stay on any longer!

I think many salons won’t do treatments on under 16s, although I’m not sure about nails

Paint her nails with regular nail varnish in all the disney colours. Or get something like these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stickers-Hellokitty-Princess-Manicure-Decoration/dp/B0BGGL9T2L/ref=asc_df_B0BGGL9T2L?mcid=8bdad5c4f3c43561ab605294080dd7ee&hvocijid=18233757773429162032-B0BGGL9T2L-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18233757773429162032&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044961&hvtargid=pla-2281435176898&gad_source=1&th=1

I have a 7 (nearly 8) year old daughter, and I just find this sort of post so alien. I can't imagine how a child that age even knows what gel nails are - how does this even come up? I barely know and I'm 43. It's just another world to me. I'm frankly pretty relieved my daughter prefers talking about space and her dream dragon pet.

Any decent nail tech will refuse to do gels on a young child. Ordinary nail polish is fine, but a child's nails aren't strong enough for gel nails. You have to rough up the nail surface to apply gel, and removing it requires more roughing up and a long soak in pure acetone, which is not something you want to be doing to a five-year-old's fingers. And if you don't get it removed at all, it will start to lift and chip off and take half the surface of her nails with it.

Take her for a children's manicure with ordinary polish the day before you go, or use nail wraps or something.

You are welcome : )

Also OPI nail polish have a range that is 'gell like' but applies just like regular polish and isn't harmful, I think you can find it in boots or superdrug x

Children’s nails are so much thinner, so that slight burn you feel when you get nails done is so so much worse a feeling for a child I’d imagine. It’s putting her through unnecessary pain just to teach her that pain is necessary to look nice?! Just seems cruel. Let her be a child: use children’s nail polish and if it chips touch it up.

I think dd might have had gel polish on when we were getting married and everyone else was having theirs done. She was 4. Her nails are fine. She’s 11 now and last couple of years I’ve taken her with me to have gel polish for holiday nails.

My five and eight year old girls have gel nails done if we are going on holiday, it is a rare treat but they love it and their nails seem absolutely fine. They last much longer than normal polish and it’s a fun thing to do together.