Gel nails

The upside is that you have lovely nails for about two weeks until the growth begins to show and the nails begin to chip.

If you have it done regularly the downside is that your nails will be weakened and could take many months to recover.

I have had gel nails but never will again, my nails just haven't been the same since I had them last which was 6 or 7 months ago.

Same here! Never again.

I've seen the mess my daughters and granddaughters nails have been when they had them removed. I would never have them done.

My DD says the same - her nails were a complete mess afterwards.
I've noticed you can now buy gel nail polish at around £15 a bottle - I wonder whether that causes the same problems?

My granddaughter, source of all information on grooming matters, has advised me against gel nails. And btw, can anyone advise me on how to persuade my two GDs - 11 and 22 - not to bite their nails? I never have but used to pick my cuticles.

I can only echo what Baubles said. I had mine done for DD2's wedding last July Bride's treat. They were much admired and I had them touched up after a few weeks, which is when I discovered how expensive it is so when the mew growth showed I peeled them off and found my nails were dry and brittle. They are recovering now after months of TLC.

I suppose it might be worthwhile to have them done again for say a fortnight' posh holiday, (not much chance of that!) remembering to factor in the cost of having the gel removed but for a single special occasion I would opt for a normal manicure and varnish.

Anyone had experience of the fake, stick on nails?

I like gel nails. No waiting for them to dry for ages and worrying about them chipping or smudging. My nails were horrible and tended to split and break, but having gel has enabled them to grow for the first time. Downside is once you start having them done and you like them you have to keep having them done.

I do not know how anyone with stick on nails can do anything like gardening decorating etc. and keep them looking nice.
I am someone who had nails done properly for DDs wedding, then went back home and scratched one peeling a carrot.

I don't think they would stand up to jobs like yanking plant and shrub roots out of the soil.

I didn't know they damaged the underlying nail though.

I am a lost cause.

I have mine done every four weeks or so and love them. As long as you have the polish taken off properly before new coats are applied it doesnt make your nails brittle, what does make them brittle is peeling off the polish by your self. I garden, scrub, do everything with mine, they still look great.

Are gel nails and acrylic nails the same thing. I know someone whose nails were badly damaged by gel nails but people seem to be talking more about acrylic now.

It really has confirmed my concerns about what could happen to my natural nails. I had an infected finger once - gosh did I make a fuss over it !!

I think I will treat myself to a professional ordinary manicure.

A friend of mine does shellac nails. they look wonderful. She bought the kit from Amazon - it comprises the shellac nail colours and a little machine which a sort of box you put your fingertips in to cure the shellac varnish. She takes the varnish off after ten days and lets her nails rest unadorned for three days and then starts again. I'm so tempted but need an excuse to spend on the initial outlay - £56 or so.

1. they look silly
2. they trash your nails and are therefore an evil plot to create a gel nail dependency.
What else is there to say?

I don"t think they look SILLY at all , in fact the one"s I have seen on friends look rather nice !
However, I am glad to say I don"t need them as my nails are in good condition !

Some people here are confusing gel nails with acrylic (fake) nails. Acrylic ones are the fake ones which are stuck on top of your own nails. Gel nails, or shellac, is a super hard polish which is painted on like regular nail polish , and they are dried in a special,little light box thingy. Gel polish lasts perfectly for 2-3 weeks when when the re growth of the nails starts to be noticeable. You can get gel polish in all the colours of regular polish. The plus side is it remains super shiny with no chips or smudges. You do have to get it done in a proper nail place though so can be expensive. I love gel polish as it looks so perfect.

Yes, there is often confusion. The acrylic nails wreck your own nails, but gel or shellac nails which is what I have done are fantastic. It is rather like layers of car paint, really tough, doesn't chip, very strong. It is my indulgence as I like neat manicured nails, I dont think they look silly at all!

Thanks suzie and Gill, that's clarified it for me. I knew that one of them damaged your nails but wasn't sure which.
Still don't think that it's for me though, doesn't really go with mucking out, wellies and other things like that

I just love gel nails. Clean, tidy, well groomed and last for about 3 weeks and costs me around £25. I usually have it done for a special occasion or going on holiday.
I get it taken off for £10 which includes a mini manicure.
Don't peel them off yourself.
I also tried wrapping the nails in cotton wool soaked in remover, then wrapped in clingfilm. Left it for an hour while watching a movie. Removed the most of it, then the same process to remove the remainder. Couldn't be bothered to do that again and would just pay the £10.

I always leave a few weeks between each gel polish;;;;
1. Because it's expensive.
2. Give my nails a rest.feel ungroomed.
Between gel polishes I use OPI polish bought off ebay, i.e. ridge filler, base coat, polish and top coat. Takes practically the whole evening and chips start to appear at about 4 days. Even tho I use rubber gloves for rough work. And OPI is one of the better quality polishes.

I'd have gel nails all the time if I could afford it.

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here we go again with bloody eozy! SOD OFF

Gel nails do look very good [DD1 has it done on a regular basis]. However, I have not been tempted by it and would just file and polish my nails for any special 'do', otherwise I leave them au naturel.

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