Please can someone explain nail polish to me

[Anomaly]

I'm totally confused about the various sorts of false nails and nail polish you can have. I'm off on holiday and would love to get a manicure and pedicure before I go but have no idea what I should get. Please could someone explain the different sorts so I can pick the right one for me.

Nail polish - paint you put on your nails. Doesn't last long. Chips. Minimal damage to nails

Fake nails - various sorts. Extensions, really. Bonded/glued to your nails. Can be short or long, various shapes. Lasts quite a while Wrecks your nails (in my experience)

Shellac - paint that goes on your nails. Then hardens under uv light. Doesn't chip. Lasts a few weeks

For a holiday I would get a shellac on my finger nails and a regular pedicure as they last forever with regular paint

I would add - gel = similar/same as shellac. Hardened with a light, gives a glossy finish and is bombproof for 2 weeks or more (even on me who usually chips anything else within 1 day). BUT - a total pig to remove again afterwards, which you will need to do eventually as your nail starts growing behind it. Every time I get gel nails I love them for 2 weeks, then HATE trying to get it off and swear not to get them again...

Thank you greenbottleglass. I think you're right shellac is probably what I need.

I've just started on acrylics. You have a fake nail put on. Then powder stuff that turns into a colour. It's hard as nails.

Three weeks later you can have what they call an infill , for less money. In my case they took my colour off and redid. (On same nails )

You can have that done 3-4 times before they soak the nails off and if you want start again.

My nails are crap. If yours are good just have the uv light colour

Or if you're on holiday just take some polish. You'll hVe so much time to do them

Shellac lasts a week tops for me so is no use for a holiday. I use another gel (Biosculpture, but there are lots of others) which lasts a good two to three weeks.

I find gel polish very hard on my nails but it does last and looks lovely. My local nail bar has little nail polish blow dryers and my manicure lasts for best part of a week.