Can I have false nails applied without drills by nail technician!

[MonkeyTennis34]

I love having longer nails but the last time I had BIABs it ruined my nails for a few months.
I’ve been told it was due to the drills used.
Is a non/drill false nails manicure a thing?

I have biab and no drills are ever used? I also had acrylics for years without drills. Decent nail techs don’t use them.

I expect you can find a technician who will file by hand if you ask around but there are multiple reasons as to why acrylics will damage your natural nails. The acetone and removal process seems to be the worst for me.

I have biab with no drills (except needed sometimes when removing) I also ask for a thinner layer.

I wish I could just have natural nails with a little colour….but doesn’t last and they break!

Some nail techs don’t use any electric tools at all but it’s probably the way you remove them that’s causing the damage.

You either need to find a technician who will only use a manual file, or do them yourself.

Pre-covid, I used to have acrylic done in a salon using drills and my nails were wafer thin as a result. Since then, I've done my own. Not acrylic, but glue on. Yes, it sounds odd, but they've been 100x cheaper than using a salon, far less time wasted sitting in a salon and my nails are much better. I've had periods of using no nails and my own nails are still strong.

I buy liarty nails, French colour from amazon. The sticky tabs they come with are useless, so after many trials and errors, I use loctite gel glue. Yes, I might be flamed, but I've done this on and off for 5yrs and as a I said, my nails are much better than when I used acrylics.

@JDM625 interesting

How do you remove them?

@MonkeyTennis34 I have had my nails done three times in my life 😂 the places all told me that no one should be using drills

I wouldn't have even known to ask before going in.

I swear, nail polish brands are just terrible now but I don't want the expense of getting nails done.

@EmeraldRoulette How do you remove them?

Generally, they fall off themselves after about 3 weeks. Not all, just 1 at a time here and there. I then just stick another on. Sometimes, if I've been gardening, they come off quicker, other times, they last longer. IF I really needed to take them all off quickly, I'd just lift the edge with say tweezers or a metal cuticle tool and they'd come off.

The convenience of not sitting in a salon for hours (plus the reduced cost) and being able to re-stick 1 on in seconds has meant I've kept doing then same for years.

I do exactly the same 😁 love that I can match them to my outfits on special occasions and there are some beautiful patterned ones out there now.

I’ve just ordered some false nails online!!

As I said up thread, the nails will likely come with some utterly, useless stick on, clear pad things.

I use the Loctite GEL glue I showed a pic of up thread. I tried glues that specifically said 'nail glue' but they were often watery, ran everywhere and the container generally dried out before I'd used it all. Loctite also have a liquid superglue in the same container I posted up thread, but its a grey colour. This too is watery and I only buy it when desperate.

The Gel one, I've found to be the best. I put it on my nail- not all over, but a few blobs all over then put the nail on and hold for a few seconds. Any gel that squishes out the side, I wipe off quickly with a tissue. Best of luck.

Don’t go to places that use a drill. Find a tech who buffs by hand - it’s gentler on the nail.

Ordinary gel doesn’t last well on me so I go to a lady who does Biodculpture gel and it’s much, much better on me.

I pay £36 every 3 weeks for a soak-off and fresh application.

@JDM625
Not sure if you’ve already been asked this but how the hell do you remove the nails and get rid of any super glue left on your own natural nails?

Acetone will remove super glue and acrylic nails. You may need to soak the nails thoroughly.

Super glue has the same ingredient as nail glue, cyanoacrylate. It just has a lot more of it!

Someone else asked and I replied at 22/06/2025 21:57

The glue seems to come off onto/with the false nail, so very rarely leaves it on my actual nail. If there was any, I use acetone, or a very light brush with a nail file.

I’ve also managed to track down a local nail technician who doesn’t use drills. It takes 2 hours!