Thinking of getting Gel Nails?

gillianna

O.G.
Dec 27, 2005
8,288
2,182
Hi,
After getting a french manicure last week and having it last three days:amazed: ...I am thinking about getting gel nails. I like the look of them in the french manicure. Does anyone here have them and what are your thoughts on them? My friend has the nails glued on top of her nails with fills every two weeks but her have uplifted and a feew fell off in the past year so I thought gel was a better way to go. Any thoughts on this:smile: Thanks.
 
Same maintenance no matter which way you go. I had gel, silk wraps, crystal and I peronally won't commit to that again. I had them for many years. My nails aren't the same. Thankfully they aren't bumpy like some of my friends are but some of them arent as smooth and nice as they were before.

I prefer manicures once a week now and I find they look just as good but I do baby them.
 
I have had acrylics SOO many times, acrylic is more durable in my experience. You go the first time and they put tips on, then you just get them trimmed and filled every 2 weeks.
I always did what they call pink & white which is a French manicure w/o the paint.
There is maintenace and when you choose to no longer have them your nails will be ruined. Totally until the whole nail grows itself out.

"Nails" are very big here in the South!
 
Both gel nails and acrylics require a lot of maintenance. I've had acrylics put on many times, and I'm pretty sure that they also require the fills that acrylics do. I have heard that gel nails are not as harsh on your real nails as acrylics, but I've never had them so I'm not sure.

I had a bad experience with acrylics once. Two days after I had a full set of pink and whites put on, I was cleaning my shower when my hand slipped and I rammed my pinky nail into the tile wall. It completely lifted the nail up, as well as taking my real nail with it! I had to go to the ER, where they numbed the pinky and removed both the acrylic nail and the real one. It took months for my real nail to grow back, and it was painful for about a week after the procedure :weird: I said never again! Then a couple of years later I got another full set :lol: I love the way they look, but they can be a hassle sometimes.
 
I had tried both gel and acrylic, personally found gel looks more natural. But I would not do both again, because 1. I found it hurts my nail, 2. too time consuming, 3. natural nail looks better. I have nice shape with my nails but they are very very very = extremely brittle. Now that I am a housewife, I gave up keeping them long any more.
 
I had gel nails put on once.. It messed up my nails for like 6 months, they were sooo weak after the gel nails fell off. I'm never doing it again.. I like the look of real nails better, it looks way more natural. Well, then again, I need pretty nails for my wedding.. hmmmm :suspiciou
 
I don't have gel nails. I have acrylics and have had them for about two years, I would say don't get it. It's a lot of money and time consuming. My mother used to go with me, but she thought it took too much time. You have to do refills at the very least, every two weeks. I just like them, though. Just be warned, though, I had long nails before they put the tips on and was used to long nails and very careful and every so often I do break one or two. Basically, there's no WAY you can never not break a nail. It also really hurts when they break and you have to be careful they don't break into your skin. One of mine broke in half while cooking and went deep into the skin. I had to go to the hospital and get a needle and have it disinfected. It was painful. Also, I had the tips removed four times and replaced. When they do that, my real nail looked ugly. =( It was like weak and broken at the tip, but the nail bed still looked good... Sorry for my little rant. hehe Do if you want, but it's a lot of work, money and time.
 
Swedie said:
I had gel nails put on once.. It messed up my nails for like 6 months, they were sooo weak after the gel nails fell off. I'm never doing it again.. I like the look of real nails better, it looks way more natural. Well, then again, I need pretty nails for my wedding.. hmmmm :suspiciou

Just start norishing your nails now, maintain the condition, keep them in nice shape, then by the time it's your wedding, they are in top shape and no need for fakes nails.
 
SwankyMamaof3 said:
I have had acrylics SOO many times, acrylic is more durable in my experience. You go the first time and they put tips on, then you just get them trimmed and filled every 2 weeks.
I always did what they call pink & white which is a French manicure w/o the paint.
There is maintenace and when you choose to no longer have them your nails will be ruined. Totally until the whole nail grows itself out.

"Nails" are very big here in the South!

Same here in the Heartland! I have been getting mine done for almost 20 years! Ouch that makes me feel old!

I think they have improved over the years as the past 10 years I have never had a problem with them lifting or breaking maybe only 2-3 ever and I work a couple times a week outside with large exotic animals and wear them fairly long. ( I think that I broke 2 doing housework and only 1 with the animals - young leopard bit if off) I did have 1 lift several years ago and moisture got under it and I got a fungus. I had to take off my nails and paint an antifungel on it everynight for a about 3 months.

Once you have had them if you take them off you will have to let your entire nail grow out before you will have your same healthy nail back. I will always have nails as they make me feel good, look good, mine are always very well taken care of, I love that I don't even have to put clear polish on and they look shiney and beautiful and I'm just so used to them I don't think I could go without them! My fingers look so short and stubby and naked without them.

It only takes about 30 min to get the pink filled and about 45 every other time for the pink and the whtie. Totally the way to go, I never have color on my nails! Also in the summer, since I'm already there I treat myself to a french pedicure as well!
 
Inky Paws said:
Also in the summer, since I'm already there I treat myself to a french pedicure as well!

I thought I was the only one who did pedicures in the summer. I feel it's a waste in the winter. I live on the East Coast and it's too cold to show off my toes before summer. :cry:
 
I do pedicures year round. I hate the feeling of rough feet.

For my hands, I prefer natural nails, buffed, without polish. If you can find a good manicurist who will spend time buffing your nails, they'll gleam as much as any that are polished, without the liability of chipping.
 
gillianna said:
Hi,
After getting a french manicure last week and having it last three days:amazed: ...I am thinking about getting gel nails. I like the look of them in the french manicure. Does anyone here have them and what are your thoughts on them? My friend has the nails glued on top of her nails with fills every two weeks but her have uplifted and a feew fell off in the past year so I thought gel was a better way to go. Any thoughts on this:smile: Thanks.

Hia, I have gel nails and I think they look great:yes: The good thing about them aswel is that when they come off there is hardly no damage done to the nail underneath.But mine only seem to last a week at the most before they start to look tatty and start to lift at the sides.
why don't you go for it , try them and see what you think, you might love them! x:smile:
 
If you can, find someone who uses Bio Sculpture Gel products. It is a product made in South Africa. It does not damage the nail bed and can be soaked off without damaging the nail underneath. It also does not use a bonder/primer and has no odor/dust. It is probably one of the best nail products EVER.

Bio Sculpture USA
 
I have gel nails and have had them for about 5 years now. I love that I can go 2, sometimes 3 weeks between manicures and I always look like I have a fresh manicure! Gel doesn't chip the way acrylic does. I like having my nails bare - but a manicure lasts MAYBE 3 days on bare nails. With gel your nails look great for weeks. It's worth it.