Nails - remedy after gel polish

[roobyred]

My nails are completely trashed after getting two manicures. What can I do? They were removed in February and the nails are just breaking off all the time. I’m a long time user of collagen. Can anybody recommend a good product? They are dull, weak and brittle.

The only remedy I found was time. The Opi products can be quite good for nail strengthening. And regular moisturizer.
It sucks. I won’t have gel on my nails anymore. Not worth it for me. I’ve decided I’m not allergic but I’m intolerant to gel nails. But maybe it’s a usual reaction?

Time and a jojoba based nail oil. But mostly time.

CND Rescue Rxx
It's excellent at repairing and then strengthening.

Same. I got gel nails done quite a few times last year, and back to back in November and December for Christmas

They were absolutely ruined when the gel came off, and are only coming back to normal now

I’ve heard people recommend BIAB, but I just want to leave mine alone now

Watching with interest OP. I had my first gel manicure for about 10 years over Christmas. They. Looked. So. Beautiful.

Removed early January and my nails are still fucked. Never again, just not worth it.

@tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz How was yours removed?

I changed to stick on nails which despite using superglue never ruin my nails, last a week, look great and ping off easily when done. Rub in nail oil for a day or two and own nails are good.

Patience nail tidy up and lots of nail oil !!! Patience is key thou I have bare nails and they looks nice now when I have a basic nail tidy up in salon they just file cut cuticles and buff the ridges a little !
I remember going cold turkey with nails and boy my nails looked like id scraped myself out of a dungeon they were so bad !!!! X

How were they removed? I find it’s not the gel that ruins my nails but my bad habit of picking it off. Now I only get gel on my toes where I don’t mind grow out.

A biotin supplement might help if your nails are tending to flake and split

Time. I have only done it twice. The second time it took six months to recover. My Nails had the texture of tissue paper and made me so squeamish. Never again.

Nail oil as many times as you can through the day. Get one in a pen or roller ball so its very easy to apply.
I usually follow up with a hand cream so it isn't so greasy.

Then I use a product like dior nail glow. But ive the nails inc version- just as good IMO but about £8. It makes the nails look better but still seems to allow the oil to penetrate

Love having my nails done....but it always wrecks them and I do have very strong natural nails usually

Safe gel removal just results in softer nails, if the nail bed looks all bitty and not like a normal nail should that is the result of a bad removal.

This is a professional nail tech showing you her perfect natural nails because she uses the right products and patience. In fact any professional nail tech has lovely nails underneath. Career Nail Education to name another one.

The problem with some nail bars they rush the appointment to fit more clients into the day. Here is a video showing how they should be removed. The nail bed takes about 3-6 months to grow out completely I believe.

This is also me, although it was very odd. I used to get gels twice a year and it was fine. I then got them at Christmas and they seemed completely different- after about 10 days the gels peeled off (not with any help from me- they just sort of separated off on their own) and now my nails are fucked. I’m keeping them short and hoping time will fix it. Have tried Opi Nail Envy but it doesn’t seem to do anything. Shall try a nail oil as well.

I’ve stopped getting gels for this reason. I just get an ordinary manicure now or paint them myself.

Agree with time as the main healer. One-off gels often end up like this, I think you really need to be getting them back to back with builder gel. Your nails are still bendy etc underneath but it doesn’t matter if you are just getting gel taken off to be replaced straight away. I have gels on always and have for a couple of years but I did have to take them off for an op and my nails were all bendy as expected. But gels back on now as usual and they are growing back under.

My nail tech using her mechanical file/drill like thing 😄

To add, she’s a self employed lady who works from home, not a nail bar.

Think it’s jus my nails sadly

I had gel continuously for nearly 20 years. They were last done in February 2020 and they still haven’t recovered.

The most helpful approach here is focusing on repair & protection while the nail grows out. First, keep the nails consistently hydrated. Oils rich in fatty acids (like jojoba-based oils) are great because they can penetrate the nail plate & improve flexibility, which helps reduce breakage. Second, use a gentle nail strengthener. Hope this helps!

BIAB is no better imo.

It was this that I had on that completely ruined my nails.

@roobyred I have been in nail rehab since October last year. I know, it sounds like an eternity. There are products that help, but really it is time that is the healer here.

I did try all sorts of hardeners and bought the Sally Hansen 7 in 1, but it bubbles and I am not the biggest fan of this.
One I do really rate that perhaps you can have a look for is Eveline 8 in 1 nail conditioner.

When I had the gel taken off, my nails were so soft that I couldn't even take things out of my bag as just knocking the nail that much was so painful. I really couldn't do anything like opening a tin can or anything that put any pressure on it. So I had to coat them with something just to be able to function really. The first week or so they were super sensitive.
I keep some sort of polish on them all the time just to protect them. And keep them short so that they don't hook and bend on anything.
I have BioSculpture vitamin dose drops which I put on first. Its like a light keratin oil that just soaks into the nail. Then a coat of the 8 in 1, then a light colour polish over. I only do this as the colour of my nails is terrible as I also got the nail separation and they are quite dark. And I change this up every week or when I get the time. Top tip is to then put a glitter type top coat over the colour. (some are not terribly glittery). This then makes them stronger but also if you touch the wet polish or end up with a fingerprint (I always do and I don't even know how I manage it) mark, the glittery coat disguises this quite well.

I will never ever put gel, acrylics or anything on my nails again that needs any form of aggressive removal. I have got much better with doing my own polish now, so this is what I will do going forward. Maybe one day I will have nice enough nails again to be able to walk around with them bare.

I am not a manicure woman so am stunned by what two months back to back has done. I’ve had the odd one done by a beauty therapist, but this was at the Vietnamese nail bar. I was impressed by how well they lasted without chipping. I didn’t realise by nails would be completely fucked for months. They are about 1mm long and even that’s breaking off.

BIAB ruined my nails it took 18 months for them to get strong I use joba joba oil and I also take biotin which seems to have helped. I find it is keeper to buy oil in bigger bottles than buying the small bottles as they work out very expensive.
If you can afford it treat yourself to regular manicure.

Can I ask what stick on nails you use please?

Gel polish wrecks my nails for 3 months or more.

Just cheap ones from online, amazon, ali express etc

My nails suffered from a bad BIAB, OPI nail envy (the original) was recommended but I think time and attention with cuticle oil is probably the best. Don’t give up hope, I’ve found a really good nail tech now and see her every four weeks; my nails have never been so good.