Do gel nails damage nails?

[upanddowns]

I've been having gel nails applied every 3-4 weeks since September. Should I be taking a break? Not really sure what my nails are like underneath .. by the fourth week the gel starts to come off, occasionally a nail breaks (I don't have them long).

I was thinking of having it removed and taking a break, but I hate how my nails look without polish and it just doesn't last.

Also what's the difference between gel nails and shellac? 🫣

Gel doesn't damage nails, removal does. Or more specifically, bad removal.

Efiles are not bad for nails, untrained people using efiles inappropriately is what causes the damage. They (generally) shouldn't be used on the natural nail although my training did cover fully removing gel with them. I use it for cuticle prep and to debulk builder gel and remove top coat, but soak off the remainder in acetone.

Nothing causes more damage than picking gel off nails! Please never do this.

Shellac is just a brand name (CND Shellac), but it's still just gel polish.

My natural nails are weak and tend to split but I keep at the very least gel polish on them, more usually builder gel, and they are in as good condition as they have ever been.

I have calgel and my nails are healthy. The nail tech removes them for me and it’s quick and easy.

I was treated to gel nails in September. I couldn't afford to have them done again and my nails were dreadful underneath. The damaged parts have almost grown out now.

You can use foil wraps, but I just sit with my fingertips in the acetone for 10 mins and scrape, then repeat. Make sure to buff the shine off with a nail file first.

It can be pretty messy, but using 98% acetone helps, rather than nail polish remover. It usually takes me around 30 mins, but I do it while watching a show.

I had them done for years and my nails were fine underneath- as pp said my nail technician didn’t use a drill or electrical buffer so maybe that helped. However, I developed a nasty allergic reaction to them out of the blue and it took my nails a good 6 months to recover.

I now have a lifelong allergy which can affect my options when it comes to some dental work and surgery such as knee/hip replacement in the future. Cases of allergies like these are on the rise, can happen out of the blue and to anyone. I wish I had been more aware before opting for gel nails.

I had gels once and my nails were ruined, all cracked and peeling. Had to grow the damage out.

I also wouldn't get them done regularly because of the UV exposure.

I've bought the quick dry Essie varnishes and top coat. It doesn't take long to do because it dries so quickly, and I get the guts of a week out of it.

Agree with others that it’s about the application and removal.

An electric nail file will absolutely damage your nail.

I also have breaks every 6 months or so for a few weeks.

I had a phase of getting hard gel put on after I needed extensions one day then carried on with the hard gel - that ruined my nails completely. I had around 3-4 months of polish free nails so that entirely new nail can grow fully out, and my nails were back to normal.

Actually there was a thread, following (iirc) a rather distressing news article about the wider health implications such as those you’ve mentioned, @Blueberry40.

Really doesn’t seem worth the risk to me. (I honestly have no objection to simple nail polish - but I can’t see why nails need to be interfered with. It’s one of the most widely recognised forms of military / criminal torture, after all!)

I used to get SNS powder on my natural nails as I hated UV (it used to hurt my nails) - ultimately I've given up no altogether as my nails became very weak and brittle. I'm now without gel / SNS powder since 2 months and feel my nails are still recovering from the torture they endured last 3-4 years.

I would try press on nails or wraps.

As I understand it, the issue is caused by using gel polish, especially the non mainstream brands, with different UV lamps, which means it doesn’t cure properly. So for example rather than using shellac with a CND lamp, it’s using a random brand with a completely different random lamp.

Since the news report I’ve been careful to only use shellac or OPI polish with the matching uv lamp, but it’s surprisingly hard to find nail shops who do this as standard.

It's not just this. It's usually caused by overexposure to uncured gel. This could be from using the wrong lamp to cure (as different brands cure at different wavelengths), mixing your brands (colour from one brand, top coat from another etc), or getting it on the skin (flooding the cuticle).

I trained initially with a brand that came with an online theory course that covered all of this in great detail. Then I did an VCT college course (mainly to get me out of the house) that covered absolute none of it, even the theory about different conditions and contraindications was very basic. It doesn't overly surprise me that there are techs who don't know much about allergy prevention and how to work safely. There's also lots of misunderstanding about lamps and people seem to believe that the correct wattage is all that matters (it isn't).

In a lot of cases, yes. BIAB was the culprit for me. The removal can cause problems. Acetone doesn’t damage nails long term either. It’s temporarily drying but that’s solved with a bit of oil and lotion. I think in this video she mentions soaking some nail clippings in acetone and nothing happened to them.

One thing that can also cause surface damage is just the wearing of the gel. If you think, the gel is stuck to your nails and then hardens. Every time you use your hands for anything and the nails get knocked (not necessarily hard, just normal use), that causes tiny bits of the nail plate to loosen (which comes away with removal). This is compounded by the buffing of the nails before application as when you buff, you’re literally removing layers. It also seems to be worse the longer the gel polish is on and that’s because the longer it’s on, that harder, more brittle it becomes, which means is more likely to ‘crack’ and cause that damage. The same thing can happen with regular nail polish too, though not usually to the same extent.

Now I'm really worried! I think I'll have to try to soak them off with acetone and hope for the best. Any particular acetone brand better than others?

I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s usually a cumulative effect as well and even if you have damage, it can be resolved. You can’t actually repair the damaged nail but with TLC as it grows out it will become healthier.

I can’t remember what your OP said but if you got them done by someone else, you can ask them to do the removal for you..probably quicker and easier. Unless they overfile of course.

Acetone is acetone..any brand will do!

Do a hand at a time (too hard to do both at once when it's your own hands). Use a file to remove the shiny top layer and you can remove a bit of the thickness of the gel if it is quite thick (but don't go down to the natural nail). Cut a couple of cotton wool pads into quarters and a few strips of kitchen foil into squares big enough to wrap over the tips of your fingers and hold the cotton pads in place. Soak cotton pad in acetone, place over nail, wrap foil around to hold in place. Leave for 5 minutes or so, remove one foil at a time and gently scrape off any bits that have started to lift with an orange stick, or a cuticle pusher if you have one. You'll probably find it takes a bit longer so re-soak the cotton in acetone and wrap it back up again. Then move onto the next nail. Only do one at a time as if you take them all off the softened bits will re-harden.

When it's all off, buff off any remaining little bits gently, shape your nails with the file and do the other hand.

Apply nail strengthener and finish with cuticle oil.

Acetone is acetone, doesn't have to be anything fancy, but do make sure it's pure acetone and not nail polish remover that's heavily diluted with water.

This is my experience. My nail salon uses a bio sculpture gel base, which is stronger than many gel polishes. When I go in for a new set, they hand file the colour off and apply a new bio sculpture base without affecting the natural nail or using acetone soaks. They push back cuticles, but no electric files or cuticle cutting. My nails are healthier than they ever have been, because when I have gels I'm able to avoid my usual awful cuticle picking habit!!

For me it was the electric file thing used by the salon when removing the old gel that was damaging my nails. It files down the surface of the natural nail.

I use nail wraps OP, i buy from Lily and Fox (Aus) but they do take c3 weeks to arrive, i also use Holy Grail Nail which is uk based so much faster delivery, i find there is minimal trimming to shape needed, there are extras in the set so you have options to fit your nails, once stuck down i clip off the excess with clippers, lightly file the tip then apply top coat (not needed but i have weak nails and it helps)
Just need to push cuticles back a little to make sure the wrap doesn't stick to skin and wash hands before doing so no oils etc on the nail.

I've booked to have the gel nails removed. They'll use the electric thing, but it'll be the last time. I'll then look into nail wraps, but probably just look after my nails for a bit first.