How long do your gel nails last?

[charliehunnamssixpack]

I go every two weeks but inevitably they are starting to lift or chip after a week. This doesn't feel like very good value for money! Am I too heavy handed or is this normal?

4 weekly I get regrowth done. They are long and I work in a supermarket staking shelves. Not 1 chip

I gave up on them. Used to find that at least one would peel off after about 9 or 10 days. No amount of cuticle oil would change this.

Having said this both my DDs had Nails done by the same technician and theirs lasted for at least 3 weeks. Put it down to my age making my nails less suitable. I found that gels totally wrecked my nails. Took about two months after stopping for them to recover.

2-3 weeks. I used the oil

I bought my own lamp & gels over lockdown.... my gels last 2 weeks now! I’ll ever go to the salon again, plus I’m saving ££££!

I do them myself as well.
Usually lasts 3 weeks until I get:

1. bored of the colour
2. annoyed with the amount of regrowth
3. a few minor chips on the tips and sometimes at the cuticle edge (occasionally I flood the cuticle and don’t clean up adequately) I’ve never had any real lifting or peeling. I use cheapo products, and don’t use nail oil as am lazy and forgetful Having read the comments here I do think that natural nail type might have something to do with it, so guess I’m lucky rather than anything else

Sometimes in the nail bar/ salon they don't prepare the nail properly so the product has a little bit of lift to start with and never sticks to the nail properly. Some nail technicians and artists are incredibly skilled, but I know some people who are qualified nail techs (on paper) but said they struggled in a real world environment as they didn't have to meet the same kind of times and standards in training. Some places it's only a 12 week part time course. So one person might have 12 weeks experience, another 12 years, but they'll both be qualified

My nails last for 4 weeks. I change them because I fancy a change and not because they are chipped. My nail technician uses Halo gel. It’s bombproof. I had my nails done just before lockdown and I still had 8 left when I went back to the salon in July. My nails grew and I just filed out the edge. I don’t use oil or hand cream. Shellac will lift and chip after about 10 days. Halo is much better value for money.

For those that do their own, what kit did you buy?

Seriously considering this to save money and get them done when I want to?

I bought the mylee ‘essentials’ kit. I’ve had it a year or more now, ‘twas a bit cheaper before Covid but £90 is still not bad

Only thing you’ll need to get going on top of that kit is some buffing blocks, and maybe some orange sticks, both of which are cheap as chips

Depends on the brand, with The Gel Bottle I can get up to 5 weeks no chips - however the growth is horrific!

I do my own now and can get two weeks worth of respectable looking nails if I use a light colour (dark ones the regrowth shows too much).

I use mylee gels with a cheap lamp from Amazon.

When I had them done professionally the first person I used they barely lasted a week. Not much better than normal polish. I tried a few different people and different brands and one lady did fab nails that lasted well, with a french I could get 3 weeks as the regrowth didn't show too much and she'd do me infills. That was biosculpture gel, but she has now switched brand to the gel bottle I think.

These are my The Gel bottle - builder in a bottle at 4 weeks. Agree very much depends on the brand- I work in construction. Hope the photo uploads!

I go to a lady who does nails from her salon at home. She uses a gel hardener first and then gel colour. I go every 3-4 weeks and they haven’t ever chipped or lifted in between

I've given up with them, I used to have acrylic because they last longer than gel but after two weeks they look really shabby where the bottoms are growing out.
I'd sooner have my own nails and not have to bother.

Be very careful with kits, I've used kits before, water got in underneath and I ended up with a raging fungal nail infection and four of my nails fell off. I was lucky they grew back properly, they often don't.

Mine last about 3-4 weeks

I do my own toes though at home with a kit and they last just as long

Just coming back to add - if you find the gel polish is lifting, you need to try using 100% acetone before applying the base coat. It dehydrates the nail plate, making the base stick better.
I use it most of the time, but have a break here and there. I also use nail oil as part of the routine of removing and re-applying.