Please educate me about nails...

[TheLeigh]

My hands have been neglected for years.
I plan to start having regular manicures at a local salon in addition to caring for them better at home.

What is the difference between gel nails and acrylics? How long do they last, and do they damage my natural nail?
Can you recommend me some good products for weak nails, also looking for hand cream recs.

Essie apricot oil is really nourishing, I keep my nails short and tidy and use Essie polish their clear gel look top coat is great

The mis-information on this thread is astounding! Firstly, I'm a former Nail Tech trained with CND and OPI, secondly, acrylic, gel and dipping powder are all 'acrylic' products in a chemical sense. One is not better than another, different products suit different nail types and lifestyles and a skilled nail tech will use the most appropriate product.

Any nail coating applied correctly and sympathetically will not 'trash' or 'destroy' your nails, and you have a responsibility as well. If you pick or peel your nail coating off you will peel the top layers of your nail with it and that's on you not the product.

@Shortandsweet20

Gels won't destroy your nails as long as you do not peel them off. I've had gels for the last 2 years, my nails are healthy and strong.

The newest thing is biab/builder gels which is incredible. A lot of nail techs are moving away from acrylics because BIAB is better and healthier for your nails.

Practise good hand care, oil your cuticles at least once a day, don't submerge your nails in hot water for 24 hours after, do not pick them, wear gloves for cleaning etc and your gel manicure should last 2 weeks minimum

Maybe for you but I know from my own experience and pretty much all my friends who have gels is they can and do damage the natural nails. Even if you look after your nails/hands as you describe and have gels removed properly. I know some people find gels don’t damage their nails but it’s not accurate to say they wont as long as you don’t peel them off.

@Wiennetta maybe that's down to application/product. As a trained nail tech, none of my clients nor myself have ever had damaged nails due to having gels. A good nail tech can assess a persons nails and ensure they treat them to improve nail health not damage it.

Nail products and prep work with nails has come a long way in recent years with nail health being a key focus. the key to strong nails is the prep work that's put in, the products used and the aftercare. Whenever I have new clients who say their nails are damaged have always always picked them, or not used cuticle oils, have used their nails as tools or used chemicals etc around their nails.

Of course everyone's experience is different but that's mine and my clients. I could argue the same point that just because gel has damaged someone's nails does not mean it will damage every bodies. Obviously picking them off is not the only way to keep your nails from getting damaged but that is the main way people who have had gel damage their nails.

It just really does annoy me when people say gel will ruin your nails as it is not the gel but could be a combination of things I've mentioned above

Shellac damaged the nails of quite a few women i know

Most have either stopped all together or give themselves breaks to give their nails a chance to recover

just because gel has damaged someone's nails does not mean it will damage every bodies

Agreed

Those who say they've had gel nails for years and your nails are not damaged, do you have the gels removed and then re-done at the salon all of the time, or do you go without some of the time? If you don't have them re-done, how do you remove it successfully at home?

Acrylics get a bad rep but thats normally from people who havent seen them done well. My natural nails are really week so the lady I go to put a really thin layer of acrylic and then gel polish on top. Everyone thinks its just gel polish. And no, SNS powder does not make "thick fat nails ".

[quote Shortandsweet20]@Wiennetta maybe that's down to application/product. As a trained nail tech, none of my clients nor myself have ever had damaged nails due to having gels. A good nail tech can assess a persons nails and ensure they treat them to improve nail health not damage it.

Nail products and prep work with nails has come a long way in recent years with nail health being a key focus. the key to strong nails is the prep work that's put in, the products used and the aftercare. Whenever I have new clients who say their nails are damaged have always always picked them, or not used cuticle oils, have used their nails as tools or used chemicals etc around their nails.

Of course everyone's experience is different but that's mine and my clients. I could argue the same point that just because gel has damaged someone's nails does not mean it will damage every bodies. Obviously picking them off is not the only way to keep your nails from getting damaged but that is the main way people who have had gel damage their nails.

It just really does annoy me when people say gel will ruin your nails as it is not the gel but could be a combination of things I've mentioned above[/quote]
You seem a bit dismissive of others’ experiences. I’ve said twice that some people - including on here - get on great with them - good for them.
But lots of people I know who’ve had gels (I think everyone I’ve spoken to about gel nails) have found they do damage them - and look at the comments on here. Everyone I know who has them takes regular breaks or just keeps them for special occasions. I have found they damage my nails too. And no I don’t pick, peel, or otherwise treat my nails badly, and yes I go to a reputable salon, and yes they’re well trained. You’re basically gaslighting us

We’re not imagining the damage done to our nails, and we’re not lying about how we’ve looked after them.

www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/nail-care-secrets/basics/pedicures/gel-manicures

www.marieclaire.com/beauty/a16686803/do-gel-manicures-ruin-your-nails/

Quote: A study out of Miami School of Medicine used ultrasound to demonstrate that that gel manicures do cause nail thinning,” says Dr. Stern, noting that the exact reason for the thinning was unclear to the authors, though it’s likely due to either the acetone soak that’s required to remove the gel, or the actual chemical composition of the gel polish.

Bad nail techs ruin nails, not the product.

I have BIAB - builder in a bottle - which is a layer of natural-coloured gel over my natural nail to strengthen it. With this on, I don't get the splitting at the side of my nails that happens without. I then have gel colour over the top.

Every 3-4 weeks, I go back and she files off the colour and then infills the newly grown nail with the BIAB and a new colour on top. No acetone is needed. I find that better for my nails than when I was having shellac that would need to be soaked off.

@DietrichandDiMaggio

Those who say they've had gel nails for years and your nails are not damaged, do you have the gels removed and then re-done at the salon all of the time, or do you go without some of the time? If you don't have them re-done, how do you remove it successfully at home?

If you get them done consistently they don’t need removing. Mine last a good three weeks still looking fab, although they grow quickly so I usually go every fortnight because of regrowth.

She files off the colour and top layer, fills in the gap at the bottom and adds a new layer, then new colour on top.

During lockdown when salons were closed, I just let them grow out and out and when they were looking too ridiculous, I filed the colour off myself. Eventually more or less the whole thing grew out before my nail tech was open again. Nails were perfectly fine underneath. First time I’d seen my naked nail in about a decade probably!

@Wiennetta sorry but I won't engage with someone accusing me of gaslighting them. I never said it's untrue, I listed many reasons why it may happen. You could be a person with an allergy to the gel, but a trained nail tech would know! You said some then went onto say everyone you know, I don't have time to respond to someone accusing me of that when I've been through that and worse with an ex. So sorry your nails have been ruined but like I said it won't be down to the gel exclusively, as that quote said it could be the acetone, the gel product (which is why so many of the new brands have carefully created formulas to support nail health and growth).

I’ve tried acrylic nails and hated them. They definitely damage your natural nails over time. I’ve also tried poly gel nails and although I liked them better and my natural nails were healthier I found the constant need to redo them or infill every 2 weeks annoying. I’ve now made the effort to grow my nails . They’re not very long as I wear contact lenses but they’re long enough to look feminine and good with polish IYKWIM.

I bought a UV/LED lamp and use either gel polish (Wavegel, Gelish, OPI etc) or mineral powder (Sistaco). For now it’s mostly Sistaco as it’s a very thin application (powder) and so quick & easy to remove. I put new polish on every 2 weeks. To remove the old polish and redo my nails takes about 20-30 mins.

I don't really care what other people think lol I like having different colours on my nails every week, with no regrowth at the bottom. I have good natural nails, so it works for me.

Thanks so much for all of the advice and product recommendations, very interesting and helpful.

I'm a nail tech. If you go to a decent salon none of the products will "ruin" your nails. As we say "it's the fools not the tools" that cause damage.

Acrylic and gel nails are basically the same thing. They are both acrylic, just in different forms. Liquid and powder are stronger and can be used to add strength to natural nails or to add length either sculpted or over a tip. Gel nails are more flexible thus slightly weaker and again can be applied over natural nails or used for extra length.

Gel polish is completely different. It's just a longer lasting nail polish. Some could strengthen your nails but it totally depends on the state of your natural nails to begin with and your life style. If you are gardening and in and out of water constantly with no gloves then they won't help or last a decent length of time. 10-14 days for a gel manicure is claimed as standard but again that's not a guarantee, it just depends on your lifestyle and nail condition.

[quote Shortandsweet20]@Wiennetta sorry but I won't engage with someone accusing me of gaslighting them. I never said it's untrue, I listed many reasons why it may happen. You could be a person with an allergy to the gel, but a trained nail tech would know! You said some then went onto say everyone you know, I don't have time to respond to someone accusing me of that when I've been through that and worse with an ex. So sorry your nails have been ruined but like I said it won't be down to the gel exclusively, as that quote said it could be the acetone, the gel product (which is why so many of the new brands have carefully created formulas to support nail health and growth). [/quote]
Thanks for acknowledging that the process of having gel nails which necessarily involves removal through acetone or filing might damage nails (as per the evidence in my link) and as per many peoples actual experience of having gel nails. And also acknowledging that actually the ‘gel product’ might also damage your nails.

It’s good you’ve changed your mind from your first post when you were accusing posters of ‘misinformation’ and quote: Gels won't destroy your nails as long as you do not peel them off. Which isn’t correct.

Anyway I’m glad the responses were helpful to the OP and I’ve personally got nothing else to say.

I had gels done for the first time 12 years ago and loved them... for the first five days until the first one just came off in a sheet. Two more did the same in the next 48 hours so I had to have them removed. This wasn't the 2-3 weeks I'd been promised! There was further disappointment at the state of my nails and the state they remained in for the next 4 months or so.
A year or so later, I tried again... similar reaction.
Both of those experiences were an at OPI salon.
Another year later (and after various comments from colleagues about how sweet it was that I had natural nails) I went to some ridiculously high end nail place and explained the situation. Like a couple of the PPs, the nail technicians told me it was any possible and they would guarantee at least 2 weeks wear. I was back within 48 hours. They replaced those two. 72 hours later and I was back again and one of those again and another two. The continued over a three week period after which I had had various people stare at my hands, ask me questions about my lifestyle & diet before concluding it just doesn't work for some people. It took me months before I had decent nails again.
Just before Christmas - and after a break of several years from wearing nail varnish - I thought I'd start doing my nails again but this time just normal nail varnish like I used to do in my teens & 20s. God I was diligent! Base coat, two layers of polish, top coat. Oil each night. My nails are now the worst they have been for a long time.

I had back to back shellac for years but stopped during the pandemic. Then I realised how shit my own nails were. Thin, bendy, discoloured.
I use a nail strengthener on them now called Herôme and also moisturise a lot. They feel so much better!! No more shellac for me.

TBF I notice a lot more women going natural & short with nails now too.

I am SO old school. I put nail varnish on for special occasions and thats it! I really couldnt be arsed with all the fake nail stuff so hats off to those who have the patience and money to do it. You will definitely look more groomed than I do

@crochetmylifeaway

I'm a nail tech. If you go to a decent salon none of the products will "ruin" your nails. As we say "it's the fools not the tools" that cause damage.

Acrylic and gel nails are basically the same thing. They are both acrylic, just in different forms. Liquid and powder are stronger and can be used to add strength to natural nails or to add length either sculpted or over a tip. Gel nails are more flexible thus slightly weaker and again can be applied over natural nails or used for extra length.

Gel polish is completely different. It's just a longer lasting nail polish. Some could strengthen your nails but it totally depends on the state of your natural nails to begin with and your life style. If you are gardening and in and out of water constantly with no gloves then they won't help or last a decent length of time. 10-14 days for a gel manicure is claimed as standard but again that's not a guarantee, it just depends on your lifestyle and nail condition.

Thanks. I was confused when a PP replied to me about removing the top layer etc., but I see now we are talking at cross purposes. What I am talking about is gel polish -I have perfectly good nails, but am interested in a colour that will last longer, so maybe when going on holiday, but don't want to commit to having to keep going back to a salon and having them re-done. It just seems like you can't occasionally have it done, leave for 2-3 weeks and then remove at home and your nails be just the same as before.

@dementedma

I am SO old school. I put nail varnish on for special occasions and thats it! I really couldnt be arsed with all the fake nail stuff so hats off to those who have the patience and money to do it. You will definitely look more groomed than I do

@dementedma nothing wrong with that. My oldest dd has amazing natural nails. She is obsessed with Halo Taco nail polishes and buys all the latest boxes. She does her own nails at home and they look fantastic.

@bonfireheart

What nail varnish would people recommend?

I like Essie, OPI and Sally Hansen products. Barry M do some nice polishes, too. I like CND Solar Oil massaged into my cuticles everyday, and I use hand cream religiously.