Shellac - nails still wrecked 2 months later?

[LosingItThisYear]

Hello,

I had 'proper' shellac done a couple of months ago - first time I'd had this type of manicure. Ten days after I had it removed, again at a salon.

I was a bit shocked at the time at how dry and awful my nails looked when the polish was off, and have been using OPI nail envy to try and recover them. Two months on, my nails still look dry, are splitting, and look like they've had the surface taken off them.

Is this typical? What can I do to get my nails back? This is really putting me off having shellac again - how do people do it regularly without damaging their nails?

Thanks!

I had a few years where I wore similar to shellac, but after 9 months of continuous usage, I'd give myself 4 months off to totally regrow the nail, as after each application I could notice the nail getting weaker & weaker. You are depriving your nail of allsorts when you cover it, then it gets messed around with when the chemicals are being removed - it's no wonder they need some time to recover.
You have reminded me it's time to chop my nails off again - they are the one part of me that grows well, strong and mostly in the right direction!

You don't buff at any stage with shellac, their invalidating their liability insurance with incorrect prep like that.

Thanks everyone. I'm using Opi Avoplex but it's not really helping- any other nail oil suggestions?

Cnd rescue rx?. OPI do repair products too.

Or an IBX treatment but that's salon only. It takes at least 3 months for nail damage to grow out, more like 4 as we get older.

I have had it done four times now and each time it took about six months for my nails to recover. During that period, they were in such a mess that I will never use shellac again - which is such a pity as I loved how my nails looked.
I'd posted on her after the first time, got similar advice to you, followed all of the tips & it still happened. It's also not worth it for me as, on each occasion, the polish has just lifted off a nail anytime between day four & seven. Never the same nail & it has surprised people in the nail salon as, apparently, they have never seen it happen before.

It ruins my nails too, so I've stopped having it (not bad technique/fake products). Actually took about a year to grow out.

Keep nails as short as you can while growing out the damage.

Are Gels any kinder to the nail than Shellac? Am tempted to give them a go for holidays.

My nails are really strong, grow long and never used to break or split, until I had shellac a couple of times. The last time was at Christmas and they still feel a little bit weak now (tonnes better than they were before though).

I'll never have shellac again, which is a shame because it looks so shiny and hard wearing, but it's not worth wrecking my nails.

OP keep your nails short and filed. Rub coconut oil into them every night, this seems to really help.

If you want a long lasting manicure in future then try a hard wearing top coat, like seche vite. It might only last 5 days, but at least it comes off easily and doesn't damage your nails.

I had shellac once, three years ago and my nails have never been the same since. Prior to that I could grow long strong nails, now they get to a certain (short) length and split. Had it applied and removed properly, I've used nail envy since then but I'm not religious enough applying every other day. I think my nails are just weak, when polish is painted onto them it feels cold, which the technician said was unusual. Might have a look at an alternative to OPI.

Vaseline, a tiny amount dabbed on at bedtime will give you perfect nails in under a week.

Jolly

Shellacs gentler than gels,because there's no buffing, but it's less hard wearing compared to gels.

Buffing in itselfs not an issue but you can easily over buff, that's when you get damage, heat spikes from the lamp, nail plate seperating from the nail bed.

Shellacs much copied though & not everyone has a problem with that.