Lighthearted - Nail polish nightmare!

Gell nails started a fungal nail infection for me so Painful and costly to get rid of took years Only use Mavala for specail occasions or look on the internet for natural nail varnish !!

I think I'll bin the two bottles I bought 😯

The clear varnish I bought is Pure and said it's vegan, which puzzled me. I had no idea animal products were used in nail varnishes.

Also, the issue with damaged nails is partially caused by filling the nail to roughen it before applying the gel. Many techs over file it. Then they’re filing the nail surface again to remove the leftover gel product.

Those who are regular gel product users, especially if you diy your own nails, be very careful that you don’t become allergic to the product because the ingredients used in them are also used in teeth and bone repairs, so it could affect you if you have to have say a hip replacement etc…

I only know this because I started getting itchy fingertips and I was referred to a consultant dermatologist at the hospital who did the skin prick test on my back to confirm the chemicals affecting me. She told me that she wished she could ban gel and acrylic nails as they were causing a massive increase in allergic reactions but that most people were unaware of the dangers and a lot of nail techs don’t receive adequate training in her opinion.

Skullduggery

@grannygroves The LED lamps are emitting UV light.

Can I also point out to other posters that it’s a racist stereotype referring to Asian run salons as “Chinese salons”, especially as a lot of them are Vietnamese.

I think that might be stretching the accusation of racist stereotype somewhat.

After all, how many of us refer to Indian restaurants when most are run by people of Bangladeshi origin?

Much more worrying about these Vietnamese nail bars is the fact they are sometimes a front for organised crime including human trafficking and forced labour.

@grannygroves The LED lamps are emitting UV light.

Can I also point out to other posters that it’s a racist stereotype referring to Asian run salons as “Chinese salons”, especially as a lot of them are Vietnamese.

Thxs Freshair

That's a beautiful red Hil910

I recommend Biogel Sculpture gel nail polish which I have applied monthly at my local salon. I’ve tried most over the years but have come back to using this again. My beautician doesn’t do infills so the old gel is removed every month and a new one re-applied. To maintain it’s appearance I use Marigold gloves for household jobs and vinyl gloves for food prep. I love red shades and coral ones for holidays.

I always have nice bright toenails. Usually I just do a base, then a couple of coats of colour and a clear protective top coat. It lasts brilliantly and looks professional unless you look very closely.

My fingers are usually just very natural and my nails have been breaking due to illness so I've just been using a protective clear varnish and keeping nails short. I don't ever do my finger nails much unless I'm going to a party, wedding or something.

That sounds nice Esmay. I dread to think how much profit they make on the Chanel ones, but even a Maybelline one is about £8. . I'm pleased with the Essie and the Maybelline 60 second ones so I'd be unlikely to buy Chanel, even if I won the lottery.

Hi 00opsidia -
Essie is very good .
I have a bright orange dress and wanted to compliment it .
No doubt it's a bit matchy matchy !
They didn't have Maybelline in my local Boots .
I just wonder how much profit is made by the nail polish industry .
I think that Chanel is £28 !

I go on bare feet alot and I like seeing a cheerful colour on my toenails. Because they're thicker, they seem to cope better than my fingernails, with shellac. My fingernails always get weaker, more bendy amd split more when the professionals do them with either gel or shellac. I'm trying the hard as nails prep ATM to try and get them strong again, but I fear it will be months of waiting..

arum

There is a reason why the people working in the nail studios wear masks. That stuff they use on customers' nails is not harmless.

I have been in some very smelly ones where I wished I had a mask!

But now I've decided to do my own nails and bought all the stuff.

Esmay

Just went into my local H and M and they have stopped selling nail polish .
I think that it's still available on line .
I wanted a particular colour to go with a brightly coloured dress .
I would have bought Rimmel , but they didn't have the colour - so I bought Essie .

Essie have some nice colours and are good quality too. I found it very long lasting, Esmay. I used a clear top coat as well , which looked very similar to when I had nails done in a salon.

I also like Maybelline 60 seconds, because it's so quick. I can build up coats easily.

arum

There is a reason why the people working in the nail studios wear masks. That stuff they use on customers' nails is not harmless.

Only in the Chinese and Vietnamese nail shops. Have only seen masks worn in European salons due to Covid regulations.

There is a reason why the people working in the nail studios wear masks. That stuff they use on customers' nails is not harmless.

Bellasnana

Your nails look lovely, NanTheWiser. I love red.

I’ve had mine done with gel for about twelve years with no issues. Once a month, it’s my treat to myself.

These are my nails done yesterday, I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love them and admire the young lady who does them for me.

I love your nails, I wish I could be braver.
I have stuck to French and a couple of boring colours for the last 17 years

I occasionally use Sistaco which is a powder not a polish. You have to put on basecoat, harden under a lamp and then brush on the powder with a layer of topcoat straight after and then harden again.

I use it on my own nails, it's not an acrylic system. I must admit I don't get the results that are shown on the website but it looks good enough from a distance! No probems with thinning of your own nails and you remove it (once it has worn/chipped, grown out a bit after a month or so) with a brush on remove which is quite gentle and just makes it bubble so that you can scrape it off.

I've used it for a few years now and my nails haven't suffered, although I only do my nails every few months when I'm in the mood!

Oh, just as well I didn't, then 😁

I apologise for the misinformation.

Gosh no not an infra red lamp! It's a UV or LED lamp you have to use - LED cures the nails faster than UV in about half the time, so 30 seconds instead of 1-2 minutes! After applying the top coat, if it's a non-wipe top coat then you're good to go, if not then you need to wipe each nail with a lint free nail wipe soaked in acetone to remove the sticky layer.

Can I just say to you all, it's not the gel that ruins your natural nails, it's the acetone which is used to remove the gel!

I used to get my nails done at a salon every 3 weeks for 3 years, but then the nail tech had to retire due to health reasons. Rather than going to another salon I started doing my own nails at home and have been doing so for 8 years now. I've used different systems, bought better LED lamps and all the time learning from professional nail techs with YouTube channels.

I've just started using full cover soft gel tips, which I apply with hybrid gel and remove with an efile and use very little acetone now. My own nails now grow lovely underneath the soft gel tips, but my nails are naturally very soft and bendy, so I'm sticking with the soft gel tips, after applying I then use coloured gel and a non-wipe shiny top coat. They have lasted up to 4 weeks, but I usually remove and reapply new tips every 3 weeks. I'm 63 and I love doing my own nails - wish I'd had a career change 25 years ago and done a nail tech course!

So please just bear in mind, it's not the gel but the acetone which dries out the natural nails, but if you use cuticle oil and with a bit of TLC, your nails will be back to normal in no time.

dalrymple23

Am I the only person to have reached this elevated age never to have had a professional manicure?!! My nails were always fine until the recent imposition of various medications - some are soft, some are hard and they all have ridges. Nail polish would make them look like a ski slope! Just curious.

No, you're not, I've never had a professional manicure either.

My nails aren't great, some are ridged, the split and peel easily, always far worse in the winter but it might be due to medication. I've just been told I'm slightly anaemic too.

Last week we were going out to a nice restaurant and thought I'd better make an effort. I bought some Sally Hansen under and top coat and a coloured gel polish, not realising gel polish needed to be cured under an infra red lamp.

Of course, even after waiting patiently for a couple of hours for it to dry, I managed to push it into a wrinkle so off it all came.
What a waste of time and effort!

I'm using Pure clear varnish and also cuticle cream.

Just went into my local H and M and they have stopped selling nail polish .
I think that it's still available on line .
I wanted a particular colour to go with a brightly coloured dress .
I would have bought Rimmel , but they didn't have the colour - so I bought Essie .

TV

I use all sally hansen products. Base coat, gel colour coat, then gel top coat and using the red bottle,of quick dry. The nail polish lasts for at least three weeks. Been doing it this way for years. I air on side of caution and do nothing for about 1 hr after and never have problems, do whilst watching to 😂

Your nails look lovely, NanTheWiser. I love red.

I’ve had mine done with gel for about twelve years with no issues. Once a month, it’s my treat to myself.

These are my nails done yesterday, I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love them and admire the young lady who does them for me.